Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez continues to find his name on the rumor mill this offseason as a legitimate trade candidate.
Houston has been getting an increasing amount of inquiries regarding his availability, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
Cafardo reported Sunday morning that the Boston Red Sox are one of the latest teams to have asked the Astros about Rodriguez.
The 32-year-old Rodriguez represents an appealing option for several teams looking to improve their starting pitching, especially since he's one of the top lefties in the National League.
Rodriguez reportedly remains on the radar of the Colorado Rockies.
The Rockies won a waiver claim on him last August, but were unable to work out a deal with Houston regarding possible prospects.
Colorado has already demonstrated a willingness to take on the remainder of Rodriguez's contract -- knowing it could be $36 million from 2012-14, if he exercises a player option for the final season.
It's unclear how much other teams may be willing to pick up, or how much Houston is willing to absorb, as part of other potential deals.
If the Astros absorb a great deal of Rodriguez's contract, it increases the likelihood of them acquiring better prospects in return.
According to sources, Wade won't pull the trigger and trade Rodriguez unless the Astros receive quality prospects as part of the deal.
Houston is fully committed to lowering payroll and rebuilding around a core of younger players under the new ownership of Jim Crane.
This opens the door for teams to inquire about Rodriguez.
Rodriguez posted an 11-11 record with a 3.49 ERA and 166 strikeouts over 191 innings in 30 starts for the Astros last season.
He's tossed at least 191 innings over the last three seasons, in addition to compiling a 3.60 ERA or better since the 2008 campaign.
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