Could A-Rod be the Astros' Answer at Third Base in '07?

At first I figured this was just the Yankees being the Yankees and ESPN being ESPN, but the more I read, the more I wonder how much longer A-Rod and the Yankees will continue to be life partners. A-Rod is owed $27 million per year for the next four seasons, though he could opt out of his contract after next season and become a free agent, should he so desire. It is highly unlikely, it seems, that Rodriguez would exercise that option since there is no chance that any team in today's market would be willing to pay him anything close to $27 million per year for his services. Rodriguez is 31 years old and has struggled under the media microscope in the Bronx, and one wonders if a more laid-back atmosphere like Houston and even a change of leagues would help revitalize his career, as if 34 HR and 116 RBI are a bump in the road.

The question becomes multi-faceted, to say the least. Would the Astros be willing to foot the bill for the remainder of A-Rod's contract, and how much would the Yankees be willing to chip in to get A-Rod out of their hair? What package could the Astros put together to attract the Yankees' eye? If Clemens and Pettitte both returned in 2007 and A-Rod was added to the payroll, the Astros would be pushing $75 million in payroll with just A-Rod, Berkman, Oswalt, Pettitte and Clemens. However, without a doubt, adding A-Rod to the Astros along with the returning core of players would send revenues through the roof and instantly make the Astros the team to beat in the 2007 NL race. The Yankees have struggled mightily in the pitching department, and the Astros seem to therefore be a potentially good match.

I will refrain from going too far into the 'prospective deals' department, but would Lidge, Ensberg, Patton and Hirsh be too steep of a price to pay, if the Yankees chip in something similar to 30% of A-Rod's remaining salary? Admittedly, I am an A-Rod Hater and have been labeled a Prospect-Obsessor, but this is a deal that I make if I am the Astros, and I do not think that it is as far-fetched as I once thought it was, if you consider that the Orioles were close to pulling the trigger on a much lesser package for Miguel Tejada.