Houston Chronicle writer Zachary Levine reports that the Astros have reached out to starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez with a long-term contract offer:
The Astros have engaged in conversations about a multi-year deal with pitcher Wandy Rodriguez but are unlikely to do the same with fellow high-profile arbitration-eligible players Michael Bourn and Hunter Pence, general manager Ed Wade said Monday.
Rodriguez, a 31-year old lefthander, has one year left until free agency, while Bourn and Pence are not set to become free agents until 2013 and 2014, respectively. That difference is what led to the difference in approach.
I’m not sure what Wade has to fear with long-term deals for Pence and Bourn, considering hitters are often more stable assets than pitchers, all of Wade’s offseason moves to this point scream “trying to keep the psuedo-contender status quo,” and signing them long-term might enable Wade to get a discount for this upcoming year and free up some more money for the 2011 team to spend.