The Astros have placed 25-year old righty starting pitcher Bud Norris on the 15-day disabled list with right biceps tendinitis and bursitis. Norris has started 9 games for the Astros this year and he is 2-5 with a 6.80 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. It will be interesting to see who the Astros select to replace Norris in the starting rotation. They have called up 29-year old lefty Gustavo Chacin to replace Norris on the pitching staff. He pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Astros earlier this season and he was 0-0 with a 1.69 ERA and a 1.69 WHIP. Chacin has been a starting pitcher most of his career so he is who I would put into the rotation until Norris is ready to return to action. But the Astros could always turn to an old standby in 38-year old righty Brian Moehler. Moehler has pitched in 12 games (0 starts) for the Astros this year and he is 0-1 with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP.

The Houston Astros might embark on a epic firesale soon if they don’t start showing something soon. The Astros have to make sure that they make a lot of phone calls before pulling the trigger on any trades to maximize the return they get especially for the top shelf guys like Lance Berkman and Roy Oswalt. Here is a look at who is likely to be availabale and what teams likely have a interest in them as of today:

Roy Oswalt: The Nationals and Mets seem to be the most likely destinations for him.
Lance Berkman: The White Sox, Mariners and Nationals seem the most likely to deal for him.
Wandy Rodriguez: Cardinals, Mets, Nationals
Brett Myers: Cardinals, Mets, Nationals
Pedro Feliz: Twins and Angels
Brian Moehler: Diamondbacks
Jeff Fulchino: Phillies, Marlins, Reds, D-Backs
Tim Byrdak: Rays, Red Sox and D-Backs
Chris Sampson: Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, Phillies, Marlins, Reds, D-Backs
Brandon Lyon: Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, Phillies, Reds, Cubs, Twins, D-Backs, Brewers
Humberto Quintero: Dodgers
Jeff Keppinger: Tigers and Mets
J.R. Towles: Dodgers
Geoff Blum: Tigers and Mets
Jason Michaels: Angels
Matt Lindstrom: Yankees, Red Sox, Twins, Phillies, Reds, Cubs, Brewers, D-Backs

The Astros will likely trade almost all of these guys before July 31st if they don’t start winning some baseball games.

With the Astros sitting at 15-27 on the season you thought things couldn’t get worse by they are. 32-year old righty ace starting pitcher Roy Oswalt has requested to be traded from the Astros. Oswalt has started 9 games this season and he is 2-6 with a 2.66 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He has only given up 49 hits and walked 16 batters in 61 innings pitched while whiffing 60 batters showing just how great he has pitched this year. His record should probably be reversed (6-2) or better based on how well he has pitched this year. Oswalt has not pitched in 292 games (280 starts) in his 10 years with the Astros and he is 139-76 with a 3.21 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP. If the Astros honor Oswalt’s request they need to get a haul similar to what the Padres got for Jake Peavy last season.

Every time you think 38-year old reliever/starter Brian Moehler is done he comes out of nowhere and pitches effective baseball. He has pitched in 11 games (0 starts) for the Astros so far this season and he is 0-0 with a 3.44 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP. This is his fifth year with the Astros and he has worked in 116 games (58 starts) in which he is 20-24 with 1 save, a 4.90 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP. Who knows with the way this year is going, Moehler minght wind up getting back into starting rotation at some point in 2010.

If 29-year old righty starting pitcher Brett Myers keeps pitching well and he can stay healthy the Astros will have some prime trade bait in him if they don’t start winning some games soon. Myers has started 8 games for the Astros this year and he is 2-3 with a 3.67 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP. Myers is a good pitcher and the Astros have been wasting good starts from him just like they have done with Roy Oswalt. The Astros need to start winning soon or they just might have a firesale in July. They are sitting at 14-26 right now which has them in last place in the N.L. Central already 9.5 games behind the Reds.