ASTROS NEWS
Astros will retire Billy Wagner's No. 13 in honor of his induction into Hall of Fame
Feb 5, 2025, 11:52 am
Billly Wagner's number will be retired. Photo by Jed Jacobson/Getty Images.
Houston Astros all-time saves leader Billy Wagner will have his jersey number retired, an honor that coincides with his induction into the Hall of Fame, the team announced Tuesday.
Wagner's No. 13 will be the 10th number retired by the Astros during a ceremony Aug. 16. He'll be inducted July 27 in Cooperstown with Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia, Dave Parker and Dick Allen.
Wagner, a three-time All-Star, saved 225 games for the Astros from 1995-2003. The hard-throwing lefty finished fourth in 1999 NL Cy Young Award voting after recording 39 saves in 42 opportunities and recording a 1.57 ERA with 124 strikeouts and 35 hits allowed in 74 2/3 innings. Opponents batted just .135 against him that year.
Wagner was traded to Philadelphia in 2003, and he went on to save 197 games for the Phillies, Mets, Red Sox and Braves before he retired in 2010.
Christian Walker, who signed with the Astros in December and had planned to wear No. 13, will switch to No. 8.
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Outfielder Ben Gamel is staying with the Houston Astros, agreeing Wednesday to a $1.2 million, one-year contract.
Gamel gets a $200,000 signing bonus and a $1 million salary, which is not guaranteed.
Claimed off waivers from the New York Mets on Aug. 20, Gamel hit .259 with three doubles, four RBIs and 11 walks in 22 games with Houston. His season ended Sept. 14 when he broke his left fibula while running into the right-field wall making a catch of a Mickey Moniak drive at the Los Angeles Angels.
Gamel hit .247 overall with one homer and four RBIs in 38 big league games and also batted .314 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 45 games at Triple-A Syracuse.
He has a .252 average with 41 homers and 204 RBIs over nine major league seasons with the New York Yankees (2016), Seattle (2016-18), Milwaukee (2019-20), Cleveland (2021), Pittsburgh (2021-22), San Diego (2023), the Mets and Houston.