Club Also Adds Five More Non-Roster Invitees; Borkowski Hired As Greeneville Coach

HOUSTON, TX — The Astros have agreed to terms on one-year contracts with infielder Jeff Keppinger and right-handed pitcher Chris Sampson, General Manager Ed Wade announced.

As a result, the club will avoid going to arbitration with either player as both were eligible. Keppinger’s deal is worth $1.150 million while Sampson’s is worth $815,000 plus bonuses. The Astros now have six unsigned players remaining that are eligible for arbitration: Michael Bourn, Tim Byrdak, Matt Lindstrom, Hunter Pence, Humberto Quintero and Wandy Rodriguez. The deadline for players to file for arbitration is today.

Keppinger, 29, hit .256 (78x305) in 107 games in 2009 with 13 doubles, three triples, seven home runs and 29 RBI after being acquired by the Astros from Cincinnati in exchange for a player to be named later (IF Drew Sutton) on March 31. He tied a franchise record that had stood since 1962 by hitting safely in his first eight games with the club. Keppinger, who was 5x15 (.333) as a pinch-hitter, had a combined 76 starts at third base, second base and shortstop. He has a .279 career average (329x1181) in 350 Major League games and a .341 (126x370) career average vs. LHP, which ranks ninth among active players (min. 350 AB).

Sampson, 31, was 4-2 in 49 relief appearances in 2009 with a 5.02 ERA (31ER/55.1IP) with three saves, 21 walks and 33 strikeouts. Sampson had a solid start to the season, posting a 4-0 mark in 36 appearances through June 26 with a 2.09 ERA (10ER/43IP) and three saves, ranking among the league leaders in relief wins and innings before being slowed by discomfort in his right shoulder, landing him on the disabled list from July 10-26.
Castro, Lo Among Five Spring Invitees

The Astros also announced that the following five players will be invited to Major League Spring Training camp as non-roster players: catchers Jason Castro, Brian Esposito and Lou Santangelo and right-handed pitchers Chia-Jen Lo and Shane Loux (pronounced ‘Lukes’).

Castro and Lo are considered two of the Astros top minor league players. Castro, 22, who was the club’s first-round draft pick in 2008, hit .300 in a combined 119 games at Lancaster (A) and Corpus Christi in 2009, hit a three-run HR in the XM Futures All-Star Game in July and later was a member of the Team USA squad that captured the Gold Medal in the International Baseball Federation World Cup, held in Nettuno, Italy. Lo, who is a 23-year-old native of Taiwan, was a combined 1-2 in 42 relief appearances at Lancaster and Corpus Christi with a 2.10 ERA (15ER/64.1IP) and four saves and was the winning pitcher for ther World team in the All-Star Futures game.

Esposito hit .209 with three home runs and 22 RBI in 49 games at Corpus Christi and .318 with two home runs and 16 RBI in 31 games at Round Rock (AAA). Santangelo hit .212 in 84 games at Round Rock with five home runs and 26 RBI. Loux, 30, spent the 2009 season in the Los Angeles of Anaheim organization where he split time between the Majors and minors. In 18 appearances (6 starts) with the Angels, he was 2-3 with a 5.86 ERA while posting a 1-2 mark in nine appearances (6 starts) with a 3.81 ERA at Salt Lake City (AAA) and Rancho Cucamonga (A) combined.

Borkowski To Join Greeneville Staff
The Astros have hired former Major League pitcher Dave Borkowski as pitching coach at Greeneville (A). Borkowski, 32, pitched parts of seven seasons in the Major Leagues from 1999-2008 for the Tigers, Orioles and Astros, compiling a 13-20 record in 181 games (21 starts) with a 5.87 ERA. He pitched for Houston in his final three seasons (2006-08), posting an 8-7 mark in 130 games in that span.