Houston Astros general manager Ed Wade continues to make moves in his first offseason on the job, acquiring right- hander Jose Valverde from the Diamondbacks Friday in exchange for a trio of players.

Wade, named the team's new GM in late September, announced that the Astros have sent infielder Chris Burke and right-handed pitchers Juan Gutierrez and Chad Qualls to Arizona for Valverde, who earned his first all-star berth in 2007 while saving 47 games for the National League West champion Diamondbacks.

"In Jose Valverde, we're adding an All-Star closer and one of the best stoppers in the game," said Wade. "He led the Majors in saves last year and most of them came in tight, one-run situations for a team that was in the thick of a pennant race. He's a huge addition to our pitching staff."

The 28-year-old Valverde went 1-4 with a 2.66 ERA in 64 1/3 innings last season, tying an Arizona franchise record for saves in a season. The native of the Dominican Republic struck out 78 hitters and allowed 46 hits while walking just 26. The 6-foot-4, 255-pound reliever has a career 9-14 record and 3.29 ERA to go with 98 saves in five seasons, all with the D-Backs.

Valverde finished 14th in the 2007 MVP voting, second-highest among pitchers behind only Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy of the Padres, who finished seventh.

This winter, Houston has already acquired shortstop Miguel Tejada from Baltimore, second baseman Kaz Matsui from Colorado, and a trio of players from Philadelphia in exchange for closer Brad Lidge and infielder Eric Bruntlett.

Burke, 27, is the most highly touted of the three players the Diamondbacks will receive in return, though he comes off a season in which he hit just .229 with six home runs and 28 RBI in 111 games. A utility man who can play the outfield as well as multiple infield spots, Burke made a name for himself in the 2005 National League Division Series, when he ended the longest postseason game in Major League history with a walk-off home run to beat the Braves in the 18th inning of Game 4.

In four seasons, all with Houston, Burke has hit .249 with 20 homers and 94 RBI, stealing 31 bases and scoring 148 runs.

Qualls went 6-5 with a 3.05 ERA and five saves in 79 appearances for the Astros in 2007. He has a 23-12 record and a 3.39 ERA in four major league seasons, all spent with the Astros, and was a key member of a strong bullpen during the team's run to the World Series in 2005.

The 24-year old Gutierrez appeared in seven games - starting three - for the Astros in 2007, compiling a 1-1 record with a 5.91 ERA. He also started 25 games for Triple-A Round Rock, where he went 5-10 with a 4.15 ERA, striking out 108.

The Astros drafted Sapp as their No. 1 pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday with intentions for him to continue what he did the last two years of his high school career -- catch. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound left-handed hitter from Bishop Moore High School, drafted 23rd overall in this year's draft, worked out a number of times for Astros scouts, mainly Florida-based area scout Jon Bunnell, and the club is excited about Sapp's future as a catcher.

"That was the controversy before the season started," Ricciarini said of the prior reports. "He's been catching two years, but he's got all of the physical skills and the work ethic. He's a good enough athlete. We had worked him out this year as well as last year. I have no problem with this kid developing behind the plate.

"He has tremendous arm strength, he's athletic enough where he'll be able to block balls. He's a 'ballpark rat' as I call it. He's really built to play the position. He's a very durable, strong kid."

And, he can hit. Sapp batted .572 (40-for-70) with nine homers and 48 RBIs during his senior year.

"He's a left-handed hitter with great makeup, power, arm strength -- the whole package is there," Ricciarini said. "You can never get enough catching, obviously. Anytime you can go up the middle, especially for a left-handed hitter, it's a very attractive commodity."

Because 22 teams were ahead of the Astros in the first round, Ricciarini was somewhat concerned Sapp would not be available when it was their turn to pick. Ricciarini, who calls draft day "Scouting Christmas," breathed a big sigh of relief when Sapp was still on the board when the Astros made their selection.

"I had a little extra Maalox if I needed it," Ricciarini said. "We were concerned that there were probably two clubs in front that [we thought might draft him]. It looked like it was going to be a heavy-pitching fall up to us, which it was. We were holding our breath."

The next step will be to sign Sapp. Bunnell has no worries that it will be difficult to come to a deal with the catcher.

"I have no concerns," Bunnell said. "He just wants to get out and play and get started right away. We'll give him time to enjoy [being drafted] and talk about that later."

In terms of projecting when Sapp will reach the big leagues, Ricciarini declined to give a timetable, explaining that the club expects Sapp to develop on the same pace as most of the club's top prospects.

"We put these artificial timetables on these players," Ricciarini said. "He'll let us know that. With his work ethic and his intangibles -- and this is what we do so much work on -- I have no problem foreseeing him getting there within a reasonable amount of time.

"What that magic time frame is, I don't know. We don't put those time frames on. But he should develop at least at a normal pace a young high shcool player would, with this kind of talent."

ROME -- Houston Astros special assistant Matt Galante will manage Italy's team at next year's inaugural World Baseball Classic.

The New York-born Galante will be joined by a few other Italian-Americans on his coaching staff. Former Mets closer John Franco will be the pitching coach, and former big league shortstop Gary DiSarcina and Jim Mansilla, who coached Italy in the 1984 Olympics, also will be on the staff.

Giampiero Faraone, Italy's skipper at last year's Athens Olympics, will be the assistant manager. Mauro Mazzotti, a European scout for the Seattle Mariners, also was selected for the staff.

Rosters for the March 3-20 tournament have not yet been announced, but Italian baseball federation president Riccardo Fraccari said several Italian-Americans from Major League Baseball are likely to be included on Italy's team. Leading the way is catcher Mike Piazza.

"I don't know if we have anyone else that can play his position," Fraccari said Thursday. "He's already working on his papers."

Detroit Tigers pitcher Jason Grilli is also being considered, Fraccari said, adding that there has been an "enormous amount of ticket requests'' for the event within Italy.

"Travel agencies are already organizing charter planes to go over," Fraccari said.

Italy will play its opening round games of the tournament in Orlando, Fla., against Australia on March 7, Venezuela a day later and the Dominican Republic on March 9.

The team will train in Lakeland, Fla., on March 3-6.

Fraccari added that 33 locally based players would be sent to major league spring training in mid-February, and several of those players will be selected for Italy's team.

DiSarcina attended Italy's annual baseball award ceremony on Dec. 8 and appeared open to further work with the Italian federation.

"We're hoping the others continue to work with us beyond the classic also,'' Fraccari said, adding that the federation is trying to arrange an appearance by Galante and Piazza in Italy to promote the tournament.

At the winter meetings this month, two veteran and highly respected National League scouts shared a theory they had just discussed over dinner. The subject was trades.

A good trade, one top National League manager told them, was painful for both teams.

I can envision it now. The general manager from Team X goes up to the podium and breaks down crying as he announces he has just traded super stud outfielder to Team Y.

The general manager from Team Y follows him up to the podium and cannot even speak for a few seconds. He is overcome with emotion. Tears roll down his cheeks as he finally announces he has sent his super stud third baseman to Team X.

So, tough guy, you want to play Mr. General Manager? You want to walk in Tim Purpura's shoes? Who are you going to give up for Miguel Tejada?

The first person who says "Mike Gallo" will be forced to sit at the kids' table this Christmas with the rest of the sports talk radio callers who say: "Why don't we send Eric Bruntlett to the Oakland A's for Barry Zito?"

You want Zito? You can have him. Just be prepared to give up two of your top relievers and probably another major league-ready position player. That's the pain I'm talking about.

Oh, yeah, and there's a strong chance Zito will leave town after a year via free agency.

Do we have to bring up Carlos Beltran again to those of you sleeping in class? Do we have to tell you kids about 1998, the year the Astros gave up three premier prospects to the Seattle Mariners so Randy Johnson could lead them to the World Series?

Every loyal Astros fan knows Beltran and Johnson were amazing in Astros uniforms. But they didn't lead Houston to the World Series.

To Tejada, or not to Tejada

I wouldn't be surprised if Purpura pulled off this deal, but I'd likely be too much of a wimp to pull it off myself. That one would hurt me too much.

Fortunately for me, I only play a general manager in the newspaper.

Luckily for you, Lidge returned a month-old telephone message to me late Thursday night. He interrupted my enchilada dinner. Talk about a trade that hurt.

Lidge understands

The Lidges recently returned from a trip to England and Scotland, where he's proud to report not one person asked him about those home runs by Albert Pujols and Scott Podsednik.

After a few minutes, I said, "Would you send Brad Lidge and Everett to the Orioles for Tejada?"

One of his good friends had asked that a few days earlier.

"That's a good question," the always-charming Lidge said. "It's one that I actually had to answer. Obviously (Tejada) comes with a hefty price tag. The guy's going to give you a ton of offense. Adam and I are good players too. If you feel that somebody can come in and fill the vacancy in the bullpen then that seems like that might work. I know we need offense.

"Shoot, he's an MVP-type player. I wouldn't put myself in that position. I'm prejudice to myself.

"That being said, I think Dan Wheeler and Chad Qualls are incredible relievers. Who knows? I don't think you can do better than Adam Everett for defense, so you know you'd do the trade for offense. (Tejada is) good on offense, but he's not as good defensively or better than Adam Everett."

An hour or two before that conversation, the real Purpura also returned a phone message. He and his top scouts called every team in the majors to inquire about trade possibilities this week. As of Thursday evening, all but five teams had called the Astros back.

"There's hitting available," Purpura said. "It may not be who you want. A team could probably get a big slugger from Boston."

That slugger would be Manny Ramirez, and he'll cost you an average of about $20 million for each of the next three seasons. For that price, he's also moody and prone to trade demands.

"Could we have made trades by now?" Purpura said. "Sure, we could. I'm not certain they'd help us long term."

Is it worth it?

That trade didn't hurt the Astros too much. The next one might.

In the meantime, it's important to remember many fans wanted the Astros to trade Chris Burke for a proven major-leaguer last winter and throughout this season.

Burke's home run pushed the Astros to the National League Championship Series.

It's a good thing Purpura didn't listen.

"It's high, from our point of view," said Lucchino. "But all we've done is planted a seed. We don't know much about what he's thinking and he's certainly going to take time."

Lucchino couldn't help but note what a great script it would be for the ageless Clemens to return to the spot where he first emerged into a superstar. Could there be any more fitting way for Clemens, who turns 44 in August, to end a legendary career?

"From our point of view, we just wanted to plant a seed and tell him that it would be almost a storybook way to end his career, but it's completely up to him obviously to make the decisions he wants to make when he wants to make them," said Lucchino.

The past couple of seasons, Clemens has taken his time before deciding whether to come back in pitch.

In both cases, he did so for his hometown Houston Astros.

But the Astros did not offer Clemens arbitration last week, meaning that the earliest he could re-join the 2005 National League champions would be May 1.

The Red Sox, along with the other 29 teams in Major League Baseball, have the opportunity to secure his services before that time.