Astros Looking To Dump Payroll?

According to the Boston Globe, the Astros are looking to clear some payroll and have made Jose Valverde and Miguel Tejada available. While teams probably have more interest in Lance Berkman or Roy Oswalt, both Tejada and Valverde are solid players who might not cost as much as people think. Tejada will be coming into a contract year and has already made it clear that he is preparing for a big year.

Tejada and Valverde's total salary for 2009 will come out close to 22 million dollars (assuming Valverde's 2009 salary is around 7-8 million), just four million more than Ordonez's 2009 salary. If the Astros traded Tejada and Valverde to the Tigers for Ordonez and a top prospect or two, they would dump nearly four million dollars, maybe even more if the Tigers take Valverde to arbitration. Another possibility for the Astros would be to acquire a package around Nate Robertson, Dusty Ryan, and other top prospects. While the Tigers are not looking to give up several top prospects for the second straight year, they could consider a small package around a major leaguer to help make them better.

At this point, Tejada looks more like a trade deadline acquisition than an offseason trade acquisition.