ARLINGTON, Texas - Free agent right-hander Jason Jennings agreed to a one-year deal worth $4 million to join the Texas Rangers rotation.

The Rangers announced the deal Thursday morning, and planned to introduce Jennings at a news conference later in the day.

Jennings, a Dallas native, was a former first-round pick by Colorado and the 2002 National League Rookie of the Year. He is coming off an injury-plagued season in Houston.

Jennings was 2-9 with a career-worst 6.45 ERA in 19 games for the Astros last season, when he missed nearly three months because of elbow problems. He was on the disabled list for two months early in the season with right elbow tendinitis and went on the DL again Aug. 21 because of a torn flexor tendon that required season-ending surgery.

The Rangers haven't made a move to clear a spot on their 40-man roster for Jennings.

Texas also Thursday re-signed left-handed reliever Bill White to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. White, who was 2-0 with a 4.82 ERA in nine games for the Rangers last season, had been released last week.

Jennings spent six seasons in Colorado, going 4-1 in seven starts at the end of 2001 in his major league debut. He then went 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA in 32 starts in 2002.

Colorado, which drafted Jennings out of Baylor with the 16th pick in 1999, traded him to Houston in December 2006 as part of a five-player deal that sent outfielder Willy Taveras to the Rockies.

Jennings is still the Rockies' franchise leader in wins (58), innings pitched (941) and shutouts (three). In 175 major league games, Jennings has a 60-65 record with a 4.91 ERA.

The addition of Jennings comes less than a month after the Rangers traded Edinson Volquez, one of their top pitching prospects. Volquez was traded to Cincinnati for center fielder Josh Hamilton.

The rest of the Rangers rotation includes Kevin Millwood, Vicente Padilla, Brandon McCarthy and Kason Gabbard, the 25-year-old left-hander who came from Boston last summer in the trade for closer Eric Gagne.