The Houston Astros announced this afternoon that the club has acquired left-handed pitcher Randy Wolf from the San Diego Padres in exchange for right-handed pitcher Chad Reineke.  The announcement was made by General Manager Ed Wade.

AP

Randy Wolf

“Randy is an experienced starter and a great competitor,” said Wade.  “We tried to sign him as a free agent during the off-season, but the chance for him to pitch close to home prevailed.  I’ve known Randy since the day he signed his first professional contract, and I can say without hesitation that he brings every quality that you’d want in a member of your team, both on and off the field.”

Wolf, 31, is 6-10 with a 4.74 ERA (63ER/119.2IP) in 21 starts for the Padres in 2008.  His 21 starts are tied for the Major League lead this season.  In 10 Major League seasons with Philadelphia (1999-2006), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2007), and San Diego (2008), Wolf owns a career record of 84-76 with a 4.30 ERA (667ER/1397.1IP) and 11 complete games in 233 career games (229 starts).  He will start for the Astros on Sunday at Miller Park against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Wolf was a National League All-Star in 2003, a season in which he won a career-best 16 games (16-10), finishing 5^th in the circuit in that category.  The left-hander, who was originally selected in the 2nd round of the 1999 Draft, has also thrown seven career shutouts.  Wolf ranked 8th in the NL with a career-best 3.20 ERA in 2002.  He signed a one-year contract with the Padres as a free agent on Dec. 12, 2007.

Reineke, 26, is 5-9 with a 4.41 ERA (55ER/112.1IP) in 20 games (19 starts) for Triple A Round Rock in 2008, includingone complete game.  Originally selected in the 13^th round of the June 2004 draft, he is 28-32 in five minor league seasons in the Houston organization with a 3.72 ERA (205ER/495.1IP) in 149 career appearances (67 starts).  Reineke, who was added to the Astros 40-man roster for the first time following the 2007 season, was recalled from the Express on July 7.  He did not appear in a Major League game and was optioned to Round Rock the following day.