"So long, Pudge. We hardly knew ya.

Ivan Rodriguez, the greatest catcher to ever play in an Astros uniform, barely got it dirty, starting only 83 games before being dealt up I-45 to the contending Rangers on Tuesday.

(Yeah, you read that right — contending Rangers. Had to override the auto-correct function in my word processing program to get that into the paper.)

Rodriguez ends his stay with Houston having opened behind the plate in one fewer game than Rick "the Vampire" Wilkins (he couldn't hit when the sun was up) did in his not-so-illustrious career here.

Prior to a 6-2 loss to the Marlins, some players seemed to be fretting in the clubhouse that the Rodriguez trade is a sign that Astros management is giving up on the 2009 season.

One player wasn't fretting at all. Roy Oswalt was all but celebrating.

He pretty much told Chronicle baseball writer Jesus Ortiz that he would help the team load up the truck and work the counter at the flea market if it wanted to do some astute bartering.

In what might one day be remembered as a foreshadowing moment, Oswalt stated clearly that the Astros need to start acquiring players who could help the team next season.

"I'm not looking for two years down the road," he said. "I'm looking for next year."

Drayton, are you listening?

Won't name names

Oswalt wasn't calling for an all-out fire sale. But to get the players he wants to play with next season, he says the Astros should be open to trading some of his current teammates. The righthander didn't name any names, but he said the time is now to make moves that many throw-in-the-towel fans were calling for before the trade deadline.

Remember when the team still held out hopes of competing for the postseason? Now 10 games out of the division lead and nine games back in the wild-card race (trailing six teams) with 43 games left, the Astros can only hold out hope of another miracle run. "You gotta believe that," manager Cecil Cooper said.

No, you gotta believe, Skip. Most of the rest of us have seen enough to know that there isn't a miracle run in this team. That's not your fault, but you have too many missing and broken down pieces to be a contender.

Oswalt says that miracle run aside, it is time for the team to look to next year and that the Rodriguez trade is "a good way to start." Now, this isn't a statement equivalent to Billy Wagner's "This team is based on competing, not winning," but it's at least a second cousin to it. "