The Houston Chronicle is reporting that Astros first baseman Lance Berkman told reporters that he would be willing to waive his no trade clause if the Astros broached the issue. Berkman is hitting .213 with 2 home runs in 14 games this season, but is a career .299 hitter and has averaged about 33 home runs per season since 2006.
Berkman, 34, has a 15 million dollar club option for the 2011 season with a 2 million dollar buyout. I doubt many teams would bring him back for 15 million, but a team in need of some power could really benefit from the switch-hitter. Berkman seems inclined to the idea:
"I would say yeah," Berkman said. "I think it would benefit the organization, and in the end, it would be a benefit for whoever it is — whether it’s me, or Roy [Oswalt] or Carlos [Lee]. I’m not saying we’re at the point where they should start pulling the plug on us, but they need to start thinking forward. If this thing keeps going like this, they gotta do something."
What team do you see taking a chance on Berkman?