MLB Trade Rumors: Is Fire Sale Best Option for Houston Astros?

The 2011 baseball season has been a long one for the Houston Astros. After finishing fourth in the NL Central with a 76-86 record last season, this year has not been so kind. Currently, the team is in dead last with a record of 33-68. To add insult to injury, that is the worst record in all of baseball.

Given that record, it's no surprise that incoming owner Jim Crane wants to trim payroll and rebuild from the ground up. That puts GM Ed Wade in a tough position. His job security hangs in the balance, and keeping it means making some high-profile trades that bring top prospects to Houston. Given Houston's more expensive players, a fire sale could be imminent.

Looking at the Astros roster, there are three contracts that stand out. Those of pitcher Brett Myers, outfielder Carlos Lee, and outfielder Hunter Pence. Pitcher Wandy Rodriguez also has a heavy contract at $7.5 million, but the demand for him is overhyped.

Let's start with Myers. He is making $8 million this season and is a free agent at the end of the year. His 2011 has been disappointing as he has posted a 3-10 record with a 4.74 ERA. That isn't to say he is a bad pitcher, as his record can be attributed to weak offense and poor defense backing him up.

Yet, if Wade thinks that he can get much in return for Myers, he is wrong. The veteran righty is still young at 30 years old, but he isn't the type of pitcher who is a must-have. Thus, trading Myers and his expiring contract isn't the answer.

Let's move onto Lee. He is the team's most expensive player with a $19 million salary and while he was once a perennial .300 hitter with a powerful bat, age has caught up with the man known as "El Caballo." He has underachieved once again this year and at age 35 has maybe two years left at best.

If Wade wants to move Lee, he will not get top prospects in return.

That brings us to 28-year-old Hunter Pence, the team's best player. Simply put, this man can do it all. He can hit for average, has great power, is a great fielder and can even steal bases. Yet, he also makes $6.9 million this season and is technically under team control for the next two seasons. Given his talent, he will be due a raise both of those years.

Wade has been shopping Pence all of this week, and teams like the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds have shown interest. Yet, trading Pence for top prospects is the worst thing Wade could do. Yes, he will easily gain top prospects, but are they worth it?

Look at it this way: The Houston Astros are a very young team, and teams with young players need a leader. Pence is the closest thing to a leader that the team has, so trading him would mean leaving young guns like Brett Wallace and Chris Johnson without a mentor.

That being said, having a total fire sale is not the answer for the Houston Astros. Rather, Wade should trade Myers and Lee for mid-level prospects with high ceilings. Trading Pence for top prospects is all well and good, but losing the team leader is a cost that could prove to be too high.

Many forget that the Astros were in the World Series not too long ago, and they have the potential to get back there in the near future. Yet, trading Pence and some of the other veterans will run that potential into the ground.

Thus, Wade must put his job security on the line for the good of the team. If Jim Crane truly cares about the team's future, he will understand hanging on to the best player in Hunter Pence.