by Sports Xchange

"There was a short bit of dialogue about how I was feeling and if it was something I would consider," Castro said. "We thought it was the best choice to start to recoup and look forward to next season."

Castro, who was taken with the 10th overall pick in the 2008 draft from Stanford, batted .300 with a .380 on-base percentage and a .446 slugging percentage over 119 games between high Class A Lancaster and Class AA Corpus Christi.

--RHP Roy Oswalt, who is working on back exercises, returned home to Mississippi after a trip to the Bahamas.

--RHP Jose Valverde filed for free agency. The closer vows to consider the Astros, but he was quite honest about the situation when speaking with the Houston Chronicle.

"Wherever I get the best offer, that's probably where I'm going to go, but I love the fans in Houston and Arizona," he said.

--RHP Doug Brocail filed for free agency a few weeks after the club refused to pick up the option it held on his contract. It's unclear if he'll retire or play again.

--RHP Chris Sampson, who was demoted to Class AAA Round Rock in August after being a steady part of the Astros bullpen since 2007, is opening up a baseball academy in Houston. Sampson, who wasn't called up in September, says his shoulder and elbow feel fine after rest in September and October.

BY THE NUMBERS: 7 -- Players in franchise history who have won a Gold Glove, combining for 20 of them after CF Michael Bourn won his first.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I feel like it's a very good honor. Of course, I was excited when I heard the news. Looking around at the people that (were) also named as the Gold Glove (winners), it's a good caliber of people to be around. I was real excited and thankful at the same time." -- CF Michael Bourn, after winning a Gold Glove.