Astros general manager Ed Wade, according to rival teams, has been encouraged by incoming owner Jim Crane to find out what could be had for most of the team's players. Obviously, Hunter Pence is the biggest trade chip. The All-Star outfielder, 28, is a .291/.339/.481 lifetime hitter and can't become a free agent until after the 2013 season. Houston is believed to have placed a huge price tag on Pence. We're talking, in the words of one NL executive, a "mega-piece deal." In other words, "three quality, quality pieces -- and maybe a fourth player."