Randy Wolf was not offered salary arbitration by the Astros, according to the Associated Press.GM Ed Wade would still like to re-sign him however, and did not offer arbitration for economic reasons. Wolf could be a hot target later in free agency as the pool of available players gets more shallow, as he held a 1.38 WHIP over 33 starts in 2008.

The Astros decided against offering arbitration to Randy Wolf, Mark Loretta and Doug Brocail. It looks like the rumors about the Astros having money troubles are true. Loretta and Brocail weren't going to get offers, but Wolf should have. He was a Type B free agent.Related: Doug Brocail, Mark Loretta

Brian McTaggart, of the Houston Chronicle, reports the Houston Astros are hopeful of re-signing SP Randy Wolf to a multi-year deal, despite the fact that they have put contract negotiations on hold to assess their payroll situation.

In light of the nation's economic troubles, the Astros are one of several teams treading softly in free agency. The 32-year-old Wolf was a key cog in Houston's second-half surge last season. He went 6-2 with a 3.57 ERA in 12 starts after being acquired from San Diego.

The Houston Astros are likely to offer salary arbitration to free-agent SP Randy Wolf, according to Alyson Footer of MLB.com.

Astros GM Ed Wade told Randy Wolf's agent Friday that the organization would like to "slow the pace of negotiations" with his client. Houston offered Wolf a nice contract at the beginning of November, but it was politely rejected and the club currently doesn't have the funds to go higher. The 32-year-old right-hander went 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA and 162 strikeouts during 33 starts in the '08 season. He should begin to draw interest from multiple teams.Source: MLB.com

Astros GM Ed Wade told Randy Wolf's agent Friday that the organization would like to "slow the pace of negotiations" with his client. Houston offered Wolf a nice contract at the beginning of November that was politely rejected and they don't have the funds to go much higher. The 32-year-old right-hander went 12-12 with a 4.30 ERA and 162 strikeouts during 33 starts in the '08 season. He should begin to draw interest from multiple teams.Source: MLB.com

Brian McTaggart, of The Houston Chronicle, reports the Houston Astros have delayed negotiations with free-agent SP Randy Wolf, who was 6-2 with the Astros last season. The team wants a final resolution on its 2009 payroll before it moves any further on free agents.

The Astros are slowing talks with free agent Randy Wolf as they try and get more clarity with their payroll picture, according to MLB.com.Even if the Astros don't bring back Wolf, there will be a decent market for him. Most teams are looking for pitchers that aren't on the top tier due to trying to keep their own payrolls down with the poor state of the American economy.

Randy Wolf is testing the free agent market, but the Astros would still like to retain him, according to the Houston Chronicle.Several NL clubs would like to land the 32-year-old hurler to round out the back of their rotation. He pitched 190.1 innings in 2008, while maintaining a passable 1.38 WHIP.

MLB.com's Jim Molony reports free-agent SP Randy Wolf (Astros) wants to test the free-agent market before making a decision on where to pitch in 2009.

Pitcher Randy Wolf will not accept the Astros' offer, and will instead test the free agent market, according to Astros.com. "We are going to hit free agency and see what happens," Wolf said.Wolf is interested in signing with a club who will battle for a playoff spot next season. As a 32-year-old left-hander who threw 190 innings last season, he should be able to secure a multi-year deal somewhere.

Randy Wolf said Wednesday that he plans to test the open market despite being "flattered" by the Astros' contract offer. "We are going to hit free agency and see what happens," Wolf said. "Baseball players don't have many chances to be a free agent and the past two I was coming off injury. The Astros have been aggressive and very upfront about their desire to keep me in Houston. I am definitely flattered with the way they have showed me they want to keep me in Houston."Source: MLB.com

The Astros had previously declined Brocail's $3.25 million option for 2009, but hope to re-sign him for less money. Brocail has indicated a desire to return, though multiple teams in addition to Houston, including the Red Sox, are interested in the right-hander. The Astros are sure to face even more competition for Wolf on the open market.