HOUSTON -- Worried his former team might not return to
prominence soon, free agent pitching ace Mike Hampton has ruled out
returning to the Houston Astros next season.
Hampton, who still lives in Houston, notified the team through a
representative Friday morning he no longer is considering the
Astros.
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"It had nothing to do with money. In fact, money was never
discussed," Astros general manager Gerry Hunsicker said. "The
biggest reason they gave us was the uncertainty surrounding some of
our key players that directly could affect the competitiveness of
our team, which seemed to be Mike's primary focus."
Hunsicker said Hampton was concerned whether injured second
baseman Craig Biggio (left knee) and closer Billy Wagner (pitching
elbow) would overcome surgeries that ended their 2000 seasons
early.
Hampton also fretted whether two of the team's offensive stars,
Jeff Bagwell and Moises Alou, would remain beyond 2001.
The 28-year-old left-hander, who went 15-10 in helping lead the
New York Mets to the World Series last season, is looking for a
multiyear contract.
While his agent, Mark Rodgers, hasn't talked money with teams
yet, it's possible Hampton could get a deal rivaling Kevin Brown's
$105 million, seven-year contract with Los Angeles.
The Mets acquired Hampton in a trade after the 1999 season, when
Hampton went 22-4 with a 2.90 ERA and helped pitch Houston to a
third straight NL Central title.
In interviews Friday with KILT-AM and KRIV-TV in Houston,
Rodgers reiterated Hampton's concerns about the Astros' future
competitiveness.
"Basically for Mike it came down to one issue, and that's the
uncertainty surrounding several members of the prospective 2001
team," said Rodgers, who would not divulge which teams Hampton is
mulling.
The Mets, along with Atlanta, St. Louis and the Chicago Cubs,
are considered the favorites for Hampton. He also has met with
Colorado and Houston.
"We're going to continue talking. We are in the group that is
in the next level," Cubs president Andy MacPhail said. "We're
pleased we've gone this far and we're going to continue to give it
our best shot."
MacPhail said Hampton's agent has asked for those involved not
to say anything.
"The code of silence will descend," MacPhail said.
Astros owner Drayton McLane had been interested in getting
Hampton to return.
"Drayton and I were encouraged after a meeting this week with
Mike and his representative and would have welcomed him back
enthusiastically," Hunsicker said. "Unfortunately, this one did
not work out."
The Astros tumbled to 72-90, though they played well near the
end of the season. Beefing up a pitching staff that posted a
league-worst 5.42 ERA is Hunsicker's top priority.
"We'll continue to explore the options out there, either
through free agency or through trades," he said.
Hampton came up with Seattle briefly in 1993 before his trade to
Houston, where he went 69-40 and never had an ERA above 3.83 for a
season. The Astros moved from the Astrodome, which was a pitcher's
park, to Enron Field after the 1999 season, and the new ballpark
became a haven for offense.
Hunsicker noted the new ballpark did not come up during
Hampton's visit, except that he gave it a "positive endorsement." | |
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