Since it seems all the rage to link the Houston Astros to all sorts of guys in the rumor mill this offseason, how about we do a quick recap of what exactly is going on and how those guys potentially fit with the team.
Brett Myers -- DyingQuail has done a good job of tracking down whether Myers would be viewed as a starter or a reliever. He got a tweet response from Alyson Footer that said Wade is considering Myers as a starter foremost, but his versatility as a reliever is also a plus. The Astros realistically have one spot open in the rotation, unless they bump Moehler to long relief. Myers is coming off a season where he earned 12 million in the last year of a three-year, 25.75M deal. Safe to say he doesn't get that this offseason. [I'm pretty sure that the owner who cuts Julio Lugo days after he is charged with spousal battery yet brings in Myers loses all moral high ground in perpetuity]
J.J. Putz - Putz was a legitimately great reliever in 2007, a good one in 2008 and a injury-ridden one in 2009. Ed Wade's most recent comments to Brian McTaggart suggest that the Astros interest is at just a 'checking-in' phase. Putz could fill in nicely as a back of the bullpen guy, though it's too soon to tell whether his struggles last season were because of injury or because he couldn't move back into a setup role.
Placido Polanco - Reportedly, Polanco has signed a three-year deal with the Phillies. That seems a tad too long for me and probably wouldn't have fit the Astros long-term plans. Still, a player who can hit for a high average would look good at the top of the Astros order. Looks like that's what Philadelphia gets instead.
Joe Crede - Again, the Crede speculation won't go away. We've discussed him numerous times before, but it seems that a third baseman with his glove could really help the team, though the flashing 'Back Injury!' sign that accompanies him does prove problematic. I don't see a Crede signing swinging the 2010 season for the Astros, but he might prove useful if he's healthy.
Random group of closers (Fernando Rodney, Rafael Soriano, Mike Gonzalez, Kevin Gregg) - No one here jumps out as a great replacement for Valverde, though they all should be fairly cheap. Ed Wade has expressed interest in this group as possibilities in case they don't re-sign their own guys, but I honestly don't forsee anyone in this group really holding down a closer's job reliably next season.