#Pirates aren't only team looking for 1B. #Astros calling around on group that includes Mike Carp, Mayberry, Tyler Moore. All unlikely fits
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) March 18, 2014
This is interesting, because the Astros came in to Spring Training with Wallace, Singleton, Amador, Krauss, and Guzman looking for the starting 1B job. Now Wallace is out, Singleton doesn't look as though he's ready for Houston (which would have been unexpected, anyway).
The Astros said last Spring Training that they weren't interested in claiming Mike Carp, which is a shame seeing as how he hit .296/.362/.523 in 243 PAs for the Red Sox last season. That would have been the best OPS on the team by, like, a billionty OPSings. That said, our buddy Kevin Bass Stache wrote up a case for trading for Carp back in December.
If the Astros are looking for 1B help, it's going to be someone like Carp - willing to take a short-term deal for low base pay with possible incentives to bolster it. And now the Mets are calling teams about trading for Ike Davis? That's....interesting.