Pudge, Astros Make Deal Official

Ivan 'Pudge' Rodriguez and the Houston Astros finalized a one year deal today worth approximately 1.5 million dollars. This deal was rumored earlier in the week and reached closure as Rodriguez passed his physical Friday morning. While many are wary of Rodriguez's health and ability to continue playing at a high level, his play thus far in the spring has eased some of those concerns. Pudge will have his hands full behind the plate with a relatively erratic starting rotation behind ace Roy Oswalt, but has proven in the past he is more than capable of being a leader behind the plate. All in all, this seems like a very good gamble for the Astros and should be a nice place for Rodriguez to play regularly and get an opportunity to show what he has left in the tank.