If Astros general manager, Ed Wade, has done nothing else .... he has at least put local baseball fans on notice that he is not going to sit around and wait for something to happen during this off-season.

Wade got rid of Brad Lidge and his big salary ...and signed on the team's center-fielder of the future Michael Bourn this week. Some are arguing that the Astros should have gotten more for Lidge ...and they probably could have last summer around the trading deadline. But remember ... someone else was in charge of the team's personnel back then ...and he no longer has a say so.

Wade is going to keep trying to bolster the Astros roster this off-season ...and now he's looking for a 2nd baseman and at least one more starting pitcher. Plus he needs to decide on what to do about a closer. Does he elevate Chad Qualls or acquire someone else like Francisco Cordero? In order to get a 2nd baseman ..... the Astros only need to step up and pay someone. "Cause both Tadahito Iguchi of the Phillies and Kas Matsui of the Rockies are free agents. As for the pitching though ...it's going to hurt a little bit to trade for a top-of-the-line starter. If you want Dontrelle Willis of the Marlins, Scott Kazmir of the Rays or Johan Santana of the Twins .....get ready to say goodbye to some of the best young players in the Astros organization. Names like Hunter Pence, Troy Patten and Matt Albers would undoubtedly be included in a deal.

Wade isn't going to get every deal right ..... no honest baseball fan really expects him to.... but what he has shown so far is that he wants to desparately improve this organization. He's re-vamped his management staff in the minor league system and is taking a different approach with his scouting department. Wade is trying to make a difference....and you can bet your next paycheck ...that he's not done dealing.

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