Astros decline Brocail's option for 2010

Veteran reliever Doug Brocail, who was carted off the field in May after suffering a hamstring injury in Atlanta, found out Friday that the Houston Astros declined his $2.85 million option for 2010, making the 42-year-old righty a free agent (AP Photo)

The Houston Astros opted to decline setup man Doug Brocail's $2.85 million option for 2010 on Friday, making the 42-year-old veteran right-hander a free agent -- according to MLB.com.

After a stellar 2008 season in Houston, Brocail went 1-0 with a 4.58 ERA over 17 2/3 innings in 20 games this season.  

Unfortunately, he consistently battled recurring hamstring and shoulder injuries, which forced him to miss 99 games while making three trips to the disabled list.

Former Astros manager Cecil Cooper, who was fired Sept. 21 with 13 games left in the regular season, intended to utilized Brocail, LaTroy Hawkins and closer Jose Valverde in the late innings, but injuries to all three pitchers frequently interrupted his plan. 

By declining Brocail's club option, the Astros will play him a $250,000 buyout. 

At this point, Brocail intends to discuss his future with his family, but doesn't envision himself retiring just yet.

"I'll just have to see how it plays out," Brocail said. "I'll talk to my family and explore my options. I enjoyed my time in Houston and I wish them well."

Realistically, this moves comes as no surprise as Astros owner Drayton McLane, Jr., and general manager Ed Wade face the challenge of trimming payroll for the 2010 season.

With the abundance of younger, cheaper options available for middle relief next season, Wade made the choice to move forward without Brocail in order to save $2.85 million and give some of the younger arms a chance. 

"I talked to Doug this morning," Wade told MLB.com. "I've got great respect for him. He's a tremendous competitor and he handled the news very professionally."

Based on the Astros' 2010 vision, Brocail simply doesn't fit into the equation.

Although his age and injury history works against him, MLB teams in need of a middle reliever may take a strong look at him on the free-agent market.

In 15 seasons, Brocail has posted a 52-48 record with a 4.00 ERA over 626 appearances with the San Diego Padres (1992-94, 2006-07), Astros (1995-96, 2008-09), Detroit Tigers (1997-2000) and Texas Rangers (2004-05).