1998 Houston Astros Trades and Transactions

Transactions listed are from October 1 of previous year to April 1 of the following year.

• November 3, 1997

  Bill Spiers granted Free Agency.

• November 11, 1997

  Traded a player to be named later, Manuel Barrios and Óscar Henríquez to the Florida Marlins. Received Moisés Alou. The Houston Astros sent Mark Johnson (December 16, 1997) to the Florida Marlins to complete the trade.

• November 18, 1997

  Bobby Abreu selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as the 6th pick in the 1997 expansion draft.

  Tom Martin selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks as the 29th pick in the 1997 expansion draft.

  Russ Springer selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks as the 61st pick in the 1997 expansion draft.

• November 24, 1997

  Signed Dave Clark as a free agent.

• November 25, 1997

  Signed Bill Spiers as a free agent.

• November 26, 1997

  Signed Doug Henry as a free agent.

  Signed J.R. Phillips as a free agent.

• December 9, 1997

  Signed Jack Howell as a free agent.

• December 10, 1997

  Signed Marc Ronan as a free agent.

• December 21, 1997

  Sean Berry granted Free Agency.

  Chuck Carr granted Free Agency.

• December 22, 1997

  Signed Rob Butler as a free agent.

  Signed Bob Scanlan as a free agent.

  Traded John Hudek to the New York Mets. Received Carl Everett.

• December 29, 1997

  Signed Roberto Rivera as a free agent.

• January 9, 1998

  Signed Reggie Harris as a free agent.

  Signed Pete Schourek as a free agent.

• January 13, 1998

  Signed Sean Berry as a free agent.

• January 14, 1998

  Traded James Mouton to the San Diego Padres. Received Sean Bergman.

• February 5, 1998

  Signed Luis Rivera as a free agent.

• March 31, 1998

  Signed Kevin Hodges as a free agent.

• April 6, 1998

  Signed David West as a free agent.

• May 4, 1998

  Signed Joe Slusarski as a free agent.

• May 12, 1998

  Signed Pete Incaviglia as a free agent.

• June 2, 1998

  Drafted Brad Lidge in the 1st round (17th pick) of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed July 2, 1998.

  Drafted Dave Matranga in the 6th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 12, 1998.

  Drafted John Buck in the 7th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 11, 1998.

  Drafted Morgan Ensberg in the 9th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 18, 1998.

  Drafted Keith Ginter in the 10th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 7, 1998.

  Drafted Colin Porter in the 17th round of the 1998 amateur draft. Player signed June 4, 1998.

• June 3, 1998

  Luis Rivera player rights sold to the Kansas City Royals.

• June 18, 1998

  Traded David West to the Boston Red Sox. Received Mike Blais (minors).

• July 4, 1998

  Traded Ramón Castro to the Florida Marlins. Received Scott Makarewicz (minors) and Jay Powell.

• July 31, 1998

  Traded a player to be named later, Freddy García and Carlos Guillén to the Seattle Mariners. Received Randy Johnson. The Houston Astros sent John Halama (October 1, 1998) to the Seattle Mariners to complete the trade.

• August 6, 1998

  Pete Schourek player rights sold to the Boston Red Sox.

• October 15, 1998

  Rob Butler granted Free Agency.

  Ray Montgomery granted Free Agency.

  J.R. Phillips granted Free Agency.

  Bob Scanlan granted Free Agency.

• October 16, 1998

  Reggie Harris granted Free Agency.

  Roberto Rivera granted Free Agency.

  Marc Ronan granted Free Agency.

  Joe Slusarski granted Free Agency.

  Released Pete Incaviglia.

• October 23, 1998

  Signed Marc Ronan as a free agent.

  Tim Bogar granted Free Agency.

  Mike Magnante granted Free Agency.

• October 26, 1998

  Sean Berry granted Free Agency.

• October 28, 1998

  Randy Johnson granted Free Agency.

• November 17, 1998

  Signed Ken Caminiti as a free agent.

• December 7, 1998

  Signed Tim Bogar as a free agent.

• December 14, 1998

  Drafted Glen Barker from the Detroit Tigers in the 1998 rule 5 draft.

  Drafted Wayne Franklin from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 1998 rule 5 draft.

• December 17, 1998

  Signed Joe Slusarski as a free agent.

• January 12, 1999

  Signed Wandy Rodríguez as an amateur free agent.

• January 14, 1999

  Traded Brad Ausmus and C.J. Nitkowski to the Detroit Tigers. Received Mark Persails (minors), Carlos Villalobos (minors), Paul Bako, Dean Crow and Brian Powell.

• January 15, 1999

  Signed Robert Ellis as a free agent.

• January 19, 1999

  Signed Ryan Thompson as a free agent.

• January 21, 1999

  Signed Alex Diaz as a free agent.

  Signed Randy Knorr as a free agent.

  Signed Jeff McCurry as a free agent.

  Signed Bob Scanlan as a free agent.

  Signed Brian Williams as a free agent.

• March 25, 1999

  Sent Marc Ronan to the Philadelphia Phillies as part of a conditional deal.

• March 29, 1999

  Released Óscar Robles.