Houston Astros Offer Salary Arbitration to Free Agents Mark Loretta and Trever Miller

Article continues below...

Houston Astros decline arbitration to Craig Biggio, Jason Jennings, Mike Lamb, Brian Moehler, Orlando Palmeiro

12/01/2007, HOUSTON -- The Houston Astros announced today that the club has offered arbitration to two of its free agents: infielder Mark Loretta and left-handed pitcher Trever Miller. Additionally, the club has declined to offer arbitration to its five other free agents: infielders Craig Biggio and Mike Lamb, pitchers Jason Jennings and Brian Moehler, and outfielder Orlando Palmeiro. The announcement was made by General Manager Ed Wade.

Both Loretta and Miller have until December 7 (Friday) to accept or reject the Astros offer of salary arbitration. If a player accepts, he is considered a signed player and the parties can either negotiate a new contract or ultimately allow an arbitration panel to determine the salary. If a player rejects arbitration, the Astros can continue to negotiate with the player, and there is no longer a deadline in which both parties have to reach an agreement. If either Loretta or Miller declines the salary arbitration offer and subsequently signs with another club, the Astros would receive a compensatory draft selection between the first and second rounds of the June 2008 draft for each player.

There is no compensatory draft pick awarded for any of the five players (Biggio, Jennings, Lamb, Moehler, Palmeiro) who were not offered salary arbitration by the Astros if they sign with another club. The five players not offered arbitration were not ranked players by the Elias Sports Bureau free-agent system, meaning there is no draft-pick compensation available should they sign with another team, regardless of whether or not the Astros offered them arbitration.

Loretta, 36, hit .287 (132x460) with four home runs and 41 RBI in 133 games with Houston last season. The two-time All-Star appeared at all four infield positions in 2007, receiving the majority of his playing time at shortstop (72 games). Loretta, a 13-year veteran, has posted a batting average of .280 or better in 11 consecutive seasons since 1997. In two seasons with the Astros (2002, 2007), Loretta has hit .304 (160x526) with six home runs and 49 RBI.

Miller, 34, posted a 4.86 ERA (25ER/46.1IP) with one save and no decisions in 76 games for the Astros in 2007. His 76 games with no wins or losses set the Major League record for the most appearances in a season without recording a decision. The left-hander has spent the last two years with Houston (2006-07), recording a 2-3 record with two saves and a 3.90 ERA (42ER/97IP) in 146 appearances. Miller also pitched for the club from 1998-99 and ranks fifth all-time among Houston left-handers with 230 appearances.

The 41-year-old Biggio, who announced his impending retirement during the 2007 season, hit .251 (130x517) with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in his 20th and final season with the club. On June 28, 2007, he recorded five singles against the Rockies and became the 27th player all-time to amass 3,000 hits. Biggio has more doubles than any right-handed hitter in history and he is the only player in Major League history to reach all four of the following milestones: at least 600 doubles (668), 250 home runs (291), 3,000 hits (3,060), and 400 stolen bases (414).

Jennings, 29, finished 2-9 with a 6.45 ERA (71ER/99IP) in 19 games (18 starts) during his first year with Houston in 2007. The right-hander missed the final month of the season after undergoing season-ending surgery (right elbow flexor tendon) on August 30. Jennings, the Rockies all-time franchise leader in wins (58), surpassed the 1,000-innings mark last July.

Lamb, 32, hit .289 (90x311) with 11 home runs and 40 RBI in 124 games for the Astros in 2007. Last season he became the only left-handed hitter in franchise history to record double-digit home runs in four consecutive seasons. A career .281 (681x2,421) hitter, Lamb has been with the Astros since 2004.

Moehler, 35, spent the entire 2007 season with the Astros and finished 1-4 with one save and a 4.07 ERA (27ER/59.2IP). A non-roster invitee to Houston's 2007 Spring Training, Moehler earned a spot on the Opening Day roster and appeared in a career-high 42 games, all as a reliever. In 11 Major League seasons, Moehler is 64-83 with one save and a 4.75 ERA (636ER/1,206IP).

Palmeiro, 38, appeared in 101 games for the Astros in 2007, hitting .233 (24x103) with 15 pinch-hits (second in the Majors). In four seasons with Houston since 2004, Palmeiro has hit .258 (144x559) with six home runs and 55 RBI. During that span, he ranks second in the Majors with 65 pinch-hits and 34 runs scored as a pinch-hitter. Palmeiro currently ranks ninth in Major League history (second among active players) with 120 career pinch-hits.

Source: MLB