Cain, Grossman dealt to Astros

photo by John Lembo

A current Marauder and a former one are on the way to Houston.
The Pirates announced Tuesday they have dealt Colton Cain and Robbie Grossman to the Astros in exchange for pitcher Wandy Rodriguez.
Cain is 3-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 16 starts with the Marauders. He was an eighth-round pick of the Pirates in 2009.
Grossman, above, earned the organization's Minor League Player of the Year award last summer with the Marauders and was invited to his first big-league camp in the spring. He began this season with Double-A Altoona, where he was batting .262 and was fourth in the Eastern League with 58 runs scored.
Pitcher Rudy Owens was also traded to Houston. Owens was never a Marauder but made his professional debut with the Gulf Coast League Pirates in 2007.
This is the second straight year a Marauder was dealt at the deadline: First baseman Aaron Baker was traded to Baltimore last year for Derrick Lee.