Porter touches base with players as '13 winds down

CLEVELAND -- With the season one week from coming to an end, Astros manager Bo Porter has begun the process of conducting informal exit interviews with players before they go their separate ways over the fall.

Instead of having all the players come into his office for sit-downs, Porter has chosen a more casual approach, perhaps talking to some during batting practice or sitting in the dugout pregame. A few talks have taken place in his office, however.

"It'll continue through the course of the week and as we wind down," Porter said. "I kind of had those conversations sparingly through the last couple of weeks. We talk about their season, talk about offseason goals, talk about next year and just telling them some of the things we talk about as a staff and what it is we believe we can do to take the next step, and talk about team goals as well."

The composition of the Astros' roster for next seasons remains very much up in the air, with the exception of a few positions that appear to be locked up for 2014, so it is natural for the players to wonder how they will fit going forward.

"I think we've done a good job communicating to these guys what it is we think from an organizational standpoint of the season of which they had and moving forward how the thought process relates to next year," Porter said. "I think we've been pretty good communicating all those things."