Houston Astros Notes, Quotes

--3B Pedro Feliz, a career .254 hitter, was signed by the Astros to a one-year, $4.5 million contract. Feliz hit a team-high .336 with runners in scoring position in 2009 for the Philadelphia Phillies. His signing allows Geoff Blum to move back into a super utility role.

--The Astros' winter meetings were a roller-coaster of emotions for Ed Wade, who stood by anxiously on the first day as RHP Jose Valverde decided to decline arbitration and then RHP LaTroy Hawkins bolted to the rival Brewers and negotiations fizzled with SS Miguel Tejada, the team leader the last two years.

"It was one of those ups-and-downs kind of meetings from the standpoint of we had mixed emotions about the Valverde situation," Wade said. "We knew that if he had agreed, we'd have the best closer on the free agent market back. By not agreeing to come back, not coming back secures us more draft picks and also gives us some more payroll flexibility.

"Realistically, we probably couldn't have brought both Hawkins and Valverde back and have done anything else. We think we have addressed the back of the bullpen with (Matt) Lindstrom and another piece at appreciably lower dollars, which allows us to go out and try to address some other things."

--INF Jorge Jimenez was taken from the Boston Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft and sent to the Marlins to complete the Matt Lindstrom trade. Florida previously had gotten INF Luis Bryan and RHP Robert Bono from Houston.

--In the minor-league phase of the Rule 5 draft, the Astros lost two players from Class AA Corpus Christi. The Baltimore Orioles picked OF Nick Moresi, and the Washington Nationals took RHP Jose Duran. Moresi and Duran were viewed by the Astros as "organization" type of players, meaning they weren't seen as prospects but instead guys to fill up teams.

--INF Geoff Blum lost his starting spot when Pedro Feliz was signed, but Ed Wade promises that Blum will still be a central piece of the 2010 Astros. "I think Blum's done a terrific job for us, and Geoff will get a lot of playing time, whether it's being earmarked as the front-line third baseman or getting a lot of playing time at a several different positions," Wade said. "We think he'll get his at-bats."

--The Astros expect to take advantage of the non-tender market.

"We know we have potential needs in the outfield, backup outfielders," GM Ed Wade said. "That particular issue we'll let drift down the road. If something falls on our laps sooner rather than later we'll move on it, but I think having a few dollars to spend and patience could reap some benefits later in December or January. There's a lot of players who are still out there. I'm sure there'll be more players over the weekend with the non-tenders. The market will increase over the weekend."

BY THE NUMBERS: .336 -- Pedro Feliz's team-high batting average with runners in scoring position in 2009 with the Philadelphia Phillies.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We're leaving here with some pieces in place and some flexibility remaining. It was conceivable when we made it here on Sunday night that we would have been leaving here with one or two pieces in place and no flexibility and (some) needs remaining. So I think in that regard we're better off. Now, from a performance standpoint, replacing (Jose) Valverde and (LaTroy) Hawkins and (Miguel) Tejada and all those other guys, we're going to have to prove it on the field. But from the standpoint knowing that we had some things we needed to address I think we've done a good job." -- GM Ed Wade.