LAS VEGAS -- Less than a week removed from winning the World Series, the Houston Astros declined a $10 million option on first baseman Trey Mancini in favor of a $250,000 buyout on Wednesday.
Houston also declined a $13 million option on reliever Will Smith in favor of a $1 million buyout.
Mancini was acquired on Aug. 1 from the Baltimore Orioles in a three-team trade involving the Tampa Bay Rays as the Astros worked to refine their postseason roster.
His playing time was limited in the playoffs, however, as the Astros defeated the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. Mancini, 30, appeared in just eight games, with 21 at-bats. He finished with one hit and one RBI.
Across the regular season with the Orioles and Astros, he hit .239 with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs.
Elsewhere, outfielder AJ Pollock declined his $13 million player option with the Chicago White Sox and was among 10 players, including Mancini, who became free agents, raising the total to 161.
In the final season of what turned out to be a $50 million, four-year contract, the 34-year-old hit .245 with 14 homers and 56 RBIs. Pollock signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in January 2019 and was traded after the lockout for closer Craig Kimbrel.
The Los Angeles Dodgers declined options on left-hander Danny Duffy ($8 million), third baseman Hanser Alberto ($2 million) and right-hander Jimmy Nelson ($1.1 million). Alberto gets a $250,000 buyout.
Left-hander Drew Smyly turned down his $10 million player option with the Chicago Cubs and gets a $1 million buyout.
Cincinnati declined a $13 million mutual option on left-hander Mike Minor, who gets a $1 million buyout, and Arizona declined a $4 million mutual option on right-hander Ian Kennedy, who gets a $250,000 buyout.
Texas declined a $5.5 million option on outfielder Kole Calhoun.
In addition, Baltimore turned down an $11 million option on right-hander Jordan Lyles, who gets a $1 million buyout.
Roughly 20 more players can become free agents on Thursday, when teams will announce decisions on which free agents to extend $19.65 million qualifying offers.
A free agent can be made a qualifying offer only if he has been with the same team continuously since Opening Day and has never received a qualifying offer before. A player has until Nov. 20 to accept.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.