Astros Set to Sign Mike Hampton

The Astros have agreed to sign Mike Hampton, pending a physical:

Hampton, 36, will be in Houston either Monday or Tuesday to take the physical, which is usually the final step before a team and player finalize a deal. An announcement confirming an agreement between the free agent and the Astros could arrive sometime on Tuesday, assuming Hampton passes.

It's unclear how much the Astros will pay Hampton.

I have to credit Hampton with persistence; with the expiration of his gargantuan contract and his problems staying healthy, it'd be hard to fault him for just retiring. As a groundball pitcher and as a guy who doesn't allow a lot of home runs, he's a good fit for Houston's homer-happy ballpark, as far as that goes. Of course, it's hard to glean any advantage if he can't stay on the field--the last season he pitched more than 78 innings was 2004.