MLB Trade Rumors: Where Will Wandy Rodriguez and Hunter Pence End Up?

The Houston Astros are undoubtedly going to be sellers at the 2011 MLB trade deadline.

For those of you who may not be exactly up to speed let me refresh you on the basic premise of the trade deadline in baseball.

Either your team is a buyer or a seller. To be fair there is a third option as some team do stand pat, but let’s focus on the two.

Buyers generally feel that they are one or two players away from making a playoff run and a strong push for the World Series, so in order to do so they usually take on big-name players with big-time contracts in the hope that those players will put them over the top.

Sellers on the other hand are usually below .500 and are already beginning the process of looking forward, so they are more apt to unload some big name players for prospects in return, preferably high end prospects.

So there you have it, a basic crash course on the deadline!

Now that we have that settled let’s take a look at the Astros.

Houston is currently sitting at last place in the NL Central and are an abysmal 20 games off the lead. The organization is in the midst of a pending $680 million sale and ownership change. Needless to say, the Astros are in the perfect position to be “super sellers” in the hopes of rebuilding for a very new future.

Two of the biggest names on the trading market have been Astros right fielder Hunter Pence and lefty starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez.

Both are young and talented players that will attract some very good prospects for the rebuilding Astros.

There has been a ton of speculation about both players and where they will eventually end up.

Here’s the latest:

Hunter Pence

The big name that keeps coming up in regards to Pence is the Philadelphia Phillies, and in my opinion that would be the best option for both parties.

Philadelphia is looking for a good bat to insert into their lineup, and they have made big deals with the Astros in the past.

The other team that has come up often in the Pence trade conversation is the Atlanta Braves. The Braves are looking for an outfielder and a good hitter, both things that Pence does well. Atlanta also has an excellent farm system with a ton of good young pitchers the Astros may be interested in via trade.

Wandy Rodriguez

Left-handed starter Wandy Rodriguez is the other big name Astros player that has reportedly been on the trading block.

Rodriguez is a great talent but the problem the Astros may run into with trying to trade him is his contract. Rodriguez is owed $39 million through 2014 and there are not many teams that would be willing to pick up that contract unless the Astros pay some of it off the top.

The other factor that many teams in the AL are considering is the dreaded league switch. Many pitchers have struggled transitioning from the NL to the offense heavy AL, so that seems to be an issue as well.

One team that has come up in trade conversations for Rodriguez is the Cincinnati Reds.

Conclusion

It’s important to note that much of the talk that goes on around the MLB trade deadline is exactly just that, talk.

That being said, I do think there is some substance to the rumors involving the Houston Astros.

Here’s my prediction:

Hunter Pence will be traded to the Atlanta Braves.

Wandy Rodriguez will stay with the Houston Astros.

Follow Andrew on Twitter: @AKonSports