As the deadline draws near, should the Astros need to be 'overwhelmed' to trade Myers and/or Wandy?

Trading Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt for underwhelming packages and paying a large chunk of their contracts has clearly not been a splash move amongst a number of us. The debate over whether the ends justify the means has and will continue to take place amongst ourselves. However, one thing that I think both proponents and opponents have managed to agree on, is that the haul our two franchise icons brought in was not overwhelming.

I find myself in the camp that believes the underwhelming haul was to be expected and that getting some money off the books and some propsects in return is a better result than holding still. Given that Wade was tasked with trading two players who had total control over their destinies, I am not sure what more Wade could have gotten in these deals. With Oswalt, the only debate I think that is left is whether Wade should have waited until to the offseason because the return might have been better. WIth Berkman, it apparently was the Yankees or bust and there was no real option to hold onto him any longer.

Those deals are behind us, though, and pretty much in the books. Today we are left with to sift through the rumors surrounding Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers. Both players have been said to be generating offers from other teams and Ed Wade is listening. The word on the Twitter, though, is that for Myers Ed Wade requires that he be overwhelemed by the package and a source with knowledge of the negotiations indicated that Wade has yet to hear what he wants RE: Wandy.

No teams have been specified, so it is hard to even begin imagining what is being bandied about in terms of potential packages. But the question I have been mulling over all morning is whether Ed Wade should really have to be overwhelmed to trade either player?

Brett Myers has to be the most attractive pitcher left on the market. Myers is owed nothing, is eating innings, and those innings he is eating are high caliber innings. Could a team in contention really ask for a better half season rental? Myers relative value to Wade is raised further given that he is now the de facto ace of the Astros rotation, about the only guaranteed starter to take stress off the bullpen, pressure off our younger arms, and someone who is reportedly aimable to staying in Houston next year on the cheap to continue to do everything I just listed.

I think Ed Wade is making the right call in needing to be bowled away to pull the trigger on a deal for Myers. Even though Wade sold low on Oswalt and Berkman, he still has injected some life into the farm system and reduced payroll obligations in 2011. While it would be nice to continue to bringing in prospects, given Myers ability to still provide surplus value for the Astros, there is no reason for Wade to accept anything less than Myers true value in a trade.

Wandy Rodriguez, however, is a bit more complicated, in my opinion. Trading Wandy now would definitely be selling low. Although he as left handed throwing hominid, who was an elite pitcher in 2009, I cannot imagine that the returns would be great for him—even given that is salary is very palatable. I do not want Wandy Rodriguez traded today unless the package is solid to superb. If Ed Wade is OK with trading Wandy, I think he would be better served in waiting until the offseason to do so. Wandy seems to have found his stride as of late, and if he continues to do so for the rest of 2010, his trade stock will rebuild and hopefully fetch a much better return.

So to answer my own question, yes, I think Ed Wade should need to be knocked over with a feather to trade either Brett Myers are Wandy Rodriguez in the next two and half hours. There is no reason for him to sell low anymore this deadline.