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It has been five years since Erik Bedard was on top of the baseball world, but the Houston Astros are hoping there is some brilliance remaining in his left arm.
The Astros announced they signed the 33-year-old southpaw to a minor-league deal with an invitation to spring training. According to MLB.com's Brian McTaggart, Bedard will be competing for a spot in Houston's rotation.
Injuries have felled Bedard's once promising career. He has a Tommy John surgery and multiple shoulder surgeries under his belt. While Bedard bounced back from the elbow procedure, the shoulder surgeries have posed much more difficulty in recovery.
Since his initial labrum surgery in 2008, Bedard has pitched just 338 innings while bouncing between the Mariners, Red Sox, and Pirates.
Bedard spent the 2012 season with the Pirates, tossing 125⅔ innings and posted a 4.11 FIP but a 5.01 ERA, leading to his August release. Though he can still rack up strikeouts, Bedard has completely lost his ability to hit the strike zone consistently, and his velocity now sits below 90 mph.
