"There are 680 million reasons that Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez and Clint Barmes are on the trade block.

If new owner Jim Crane looks to continue turning dollars into cents for his 2012 payroll, expect Ed Wade or his replacement to continue turning veterans into kids. For the purpose of this conversation, the term veteran means anyone earning over $1 million next season.

Four players are currently under contract for 2012, although another eight are arbitration eligible and considered under team control. If the new owner anticipates a payroll of around $60 million — a figure that has been rumored — one or all of Carlos Lee, Brett Myers or Wandy Rodriguez will be gone by spring training.

The smaller budget would be the cheapest since 2000 ($52.4 million) and 2001 ($60.9 million). Those are actual numbers, so add 15-25 percent by today's numbers.

If the projected payroll is anywhere in the ballpark, forget hanging onto players like Bourn and Pence, who will likely add a combined $14-$16 million to the payroll next season. Together with the four already signed, that means those six players alone would break the Astros' bank before they even begin to fill out the roster.

Humberto Quintero is probably playing in his final season as an Astro, unless he's willing to take an unlikely pay cut from his current $1 million check. With several teams searching for catching help, don't be surprised if he's also headed out of Houston by July 31. He'll enter his fourth arb year this winter after earning $1 million this season. The only other arb-eligible player who will get a shot at the process is J.A. Happ, who makes $474,000 this season.

Players like Nelson Figueroa (second year) and first year eligibles Angel Sanchez, Jeff Fulchino and Alberto Arias may be back, but they won't smell the arbitration panel. Barmes will be a free agent and, despite the fact he says he would like to play in Houston next season, the Astros aren't likely to ante up the necessary dollars, especially if they're unable to move some of the afforementioned. Barmes is earning $3.925 this season."