A couple of weeks ago, in one of your articles, you mentioned that if the Astros weren't doing very well at the midseason mark, that trade rumors would probably resurface concerning Roy Oswalt. Could you please explain those circumstances a bit more in depth?
-- Steve H., Lufkin, Texas

Of the three players with no-trade clauses -- Oswalt, Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee -- Oswalt is the only one who would be at least willing to explore a trade, should the Astros approach him about it. Because of that well-known fact, if the Astros have a bad first half, you'll hear a lot of talk about Oswalt being traded, mostly from out-of-town media with no real information to back that up, except the general knowledge of what I just told you.

Oswalt wants to win in Houston. He also plans to play only three more years and he wants to win a World Series. If he can't do it here, he'd be willing to go elsewhere, but of course, it would have to be to a contender. As it stands, I do not think Astros owner Drayton McLane would ever agree to trade his ace. Stay tuned.

I am a big Astros fan and want the Astros to do well this year. So how do you think the Miguel Tejada steroid incident will affect the team?
-- Topher G., Oxford, Mass.

Honestly, I doubt it'll have much effect on the team at all. The clubhouse provides a very comforting atmosphere for players -- it's their home away from home, their escape from the public eye and most of the time, they're surrounded by teammates who support them. Tejada is a popular guy, and has been pretty much everywhere he goes, and once he gets here Tuesday and answers the questions from the media, I imagine life will return to normal for everyone.

To be clear, Tejada's connection to the issue involved lying to congressional lawyers about what he knew about another teammate regarding performance-enhancing drugs, most notably, human growth hormone. Tejada confessed last week to lying about what he knew, and he also admitted he bought HGH but said he threw it away. Whether you believe him or not, that is as far as the allegations have gone with him. He'll get his sentencing March 26, it'll likely be probation, and that will probably signal clearance to move on with his life.

The Astros should try to get Ivan Rodriguez. He's a 14-time All-Star and he has won 13 Gold Gloves and he still has a good five years in him. The Astros are in desperate need for a catcher. So why don't the Astros get him for $3 million a year?
-- Andrew L., Weslaco, Texas

We're assuming that Pudge has made himself available for $3 million a year, but we don't know that. That number was suggested by a reader, with no proof of that being the asking price. A recent report said the Astros offered $2.5 million, which could not be further from the truth. So your guess is as good as mine as far as what's going on, because clearly, you can't believe everything you read.

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In a recent Associated Press article, Pudge himself said he's considering the Astros, Marlins and Mets. Because the Astros haven't made a formal offer, here's what I'm guessing is happening: Rodriguez's camp (headed by Scott Boras) has made a proposal, possibly more than one, to the Astros, and the asking price is still too high. If Rodriguez's price came down to say, $1 million, I wonder if the Astros would be tempted.

Here's where GM Ed Wade seems to be coming from: he was willing to take on more salary to improve the Astros' biggest weakness, the starting rotation. Hence, the 11th-hour offers to Randy Wolf and Braden Looper. Wade said he was probably done scouring the free-agent pitching market, convinced that what was left wasn't better than what the Astros have in camp right now.

Also, keep in mind that Wade also said he would have had to shed salary to make room for Wolf or Looper. I would have to think if he spent $3 million on Pudge, he'd have to trim somewhere else. Who on this team who is making significant money could he dump? There aren't a whole lot of teams out there willing, or able, to take on salary. Kaz Matsui? Geoff Blum? Tejada [and let's not kid ourselves. Thirteen million, declining numbers and baggage doesn't exactly make him a prime target]?

What do you think are the chances that some of the pitchers we brought in who have had success in the past -- Danny Graves and Russ Ortiz -- make the roster out of Spring Training?
-- Patrick H., Houston

With no idea how they'll perform when the Grapefruit League games start, I'd say Ortiz has a shot, probably a better chance than Graves, only because of what they're trying out for. The rotation has a job available, and Ortiz is one of the candidates. Graves is going for a bullpen spot, which makes it tough. The 'pen is pretty much set, and barring injury, opportunities are pretty much non-existent, at least to start the year.

With the Astros short on starting pitching and equipped with a solid bullpen, would they ever consider a four-man rotation? I know keeping the staff healthy is a concern, but it used to work for a lot of teams and it would eliminate the issue of finding a fifth starter.
-- Nick L., Iowa City, Iowa

It did used to work for a lot of teams, when the arms of pitchers weren't worth $8, 10, 12 million a year. There is too big of any injury risk attached to pitching that often, so I think we've seen the last of four-man rotations and 300-inning seasons.

The Astros seem to play a game of how far can they get behind early in the season and still make a stab at the playoffs by the end of the year. They've shown over the last several years that they're one of the strongest second-half teams, but how can the team cure the slow starts for the first half? Why has the team been so inconsistent?
-- Jim T., Richmond, Va.

Wish I knew. I'm stuck trying to think of anything else to say on that matter. It makes no sense how the Astros can be non-contenders until the first week in September, doesn't it? Give them credit, they make it interesting.

The spring weather here in Arizona is great. Do you think the Astros will stay in Florida forever? I really would love to see them here.
-- Thomas W., Scottsdale, Ariz.

With all due respect to our Florida friends, I would love to see them there, too. But the Astros signed a monster extension after their complex was renovated about six years ago, and if they want to move, they'd have to find another team to take over the lease in Kissimmee. I can't envision that happening.