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Report: Astros have talked to Romo, Gregerson

Kelley L Cox / USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

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The Houston Astros were unable to broker a deal with closer David Robertson, a suspected target who signed a four-year deal with the Chicago White Sox on Monday, so the club has turned its focus to other relievers.

According to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle, the Astros have had dialogue with both Sergio Romo and Luke Gregerson, two of the more accomplished relievers still available in free agency.

Both pitchers would improve Houston's bullpen considerably, as the club's relief corps fashioned the worst earned run average in the major leagues last season. Only seven teams authored a worse strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2014 than the Astros, who cycled through several different closers over the course of the season.

Romo boasts considerable ninth-inning experience, though he was supplanted as the San Francisco Giants' closer last year. The 31-year-old fashioned a 3.72 ERA - his worst since 2009 - over 64 appearances, though he managed a tidy 0.95 WHIP with a 25.7 percent strikeout rate.

Gregerson enjoyed a fine season as the Oakland Athletics' setup man in 2014, crafting a career-best 2.12 ERA with a 3.93 strikeout-to-walk ratio while allowing just six home runs over 72 1/3 innings.

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