According to MLB.com's BIll Ladson, the Astros are looking to trade right-handed starter Brett Myers and infielder Jeff Keppinger at the trade deadline. Both of these moves should make complete sense for Houston, and the fact that Ed Wade didn't deal Myers at the deadline last year when his value was at it's highest has got to sting even more now that he's put up an incredibly pedestrian season to this point. Keppinger has been rumored to be on the trade block since the offseason, but his injury wiped out suitors. Why the Astros are so intent on dealing him is a bit of a mystery, especially now that the nominal fallback option would likely be Matt Downs, but they might as well get rid of anyone pulling a real salary at this point.
Ken Rosenthal's weekly Full Count video breached the subject of Wandy Rodriguez going to the Yankees, who have been mentioned in talks for practically any starter with a pulse all offseason. MLB Trade Rumors has the transcript:
Rosenthal asked Yankees GM Brian Cashman if he would consider trading for an ace, and Cashman replied, "I'm not Ruben Amaro," referring to the Phillies GM and his affinity for blockbuster trades. Rosenthal names Wandy Rodriguez as a potential target for New York, but says there could be a hangup since the Astros value Rodriguez as an ace, while the Yanks would view him as a back-of-the-rotation addition.
If the Yankees really believe that the man that (courtesy of Joshua Powling) has the second-lowest ERA in baseball over the past calendar year is a back-of-the-rotation starter, then they can just keep on walking. Rodriguez and Hunter Pence are the Astros two real trade chips, and they'll have to get terrific value to move them. Especially since they both are under team control next year.