Pssst -- hey, Phenomenal Smith --

We are in total agreement when it comes to the value (or overvalue) of closers in general, all throughout baseball. Wagner and Lidge that you cited as evidence are perfect examples, among many and most others.

I'm in the camp that says now is the perfect time to use Valverde as trade bait, and please do not wait for the midseason to see if the Astros are in the race or out of it. They could be 23.5 games out at the break, but past history dictates that this team simply will not become sellers.