Ty Wigginton recently called his good friend Hunter Pence to pull his chain, just as he had messed with the young Astros outfielder last July.

Starting at least three weeks before the July 31 trading deadline, Wigginton often told Pence that he had heard he was going to be traded for a top starting pitcher.

Pence bit often, prompting Wigginton to continue the running joke all the way through the trading deadline.

Now Wigginton knows there's a strong chance he'll be the one who is dealt this winter.

Wigginton would rather stay in Houston, but he long has accepted the cliche that baseball is a business. He earned $4.3 million this year, and his salary might jump to $5 million or $6 million next year. ...More