Astros, reliever Joe Smith agree to two-year contract

The Astros have bolstered the bullpen by bringing back Joe Smith.

The Astros announced on Monday that they have agreed to a new two-year contract with reliever Joe Smith. It’s reported that the contract will guarantee him a total of $8 million, which represents some possible savings for the club, as he took home a total of $15 million in his previous two-year deal.

Smith, 35, has long been a reliable right-handed arm, owning a career 2.98 ERA. He rebounded from a rough start to post a 3.74 ERA in 2018 with the Astros, but missed the first half of 2019 with a torn Achilles. He came back to post a sterling 1.80 ERA in 28 appearances down the stretch and emerged as a trusted setup man for AJ…