Posted at 10:49 a.m., Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Baseball: Astros re-sign C Ausmus to 1-year deal
Advertiser Staff
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros re-signed catcher Brad Ausmus to a $2 million, one-year contract today.Known for his fine defense, the 38-year-old Ausmus hit .235 with three home runs and 25 RBIs in 117 games with Houston last season. He committed four errors and ranked fourth among National League catchers with a .995 fielding percentage.
It will be the 10th season in Houston for the three-time Gold Glove winner, who played for the Astros from 1997-98 and returned in 2001. He is the franchise leader at catcher in games (1,166) and starts (1,057). Last season, he became the 21st major league catcher to steal 100 career bases.
"Brad has had a solid big league career and despite the fact that he's played for a couple of other teams, he considers himself to be a lifelong Astro," Houston general manager Ed Wade said.
Ausmus, a career .252 hitter, also played for San Diego and Detroit. His new contract includes an opportunity to earn performance bonuses.
