Will Forrest Whitley be traded before Spring Training?

Still waiting for the Major League Baseball "Hot Stove" to heat up on many fronts.

For the Houston Astros, will they be able to retain Alex Bregman now that he's become a free agent?

And where does Forrest Whitley fit into the Astros equation for next season? Forrest is among several Astros who have run out of roster options which means that Whitley has to make the Opening Day Astros roster or be subject to waivers.

If the former 1st Round pick out of Alamo Heights ends up going through Spring Training and isn't put on the Astros 26-man roster OR if he's ever sent to the minors, that would mean any team would be able to grab him without compensation going back to the Astros. If Whitley is traded prior to the start of Spring Training the Astros would obviously get something in return.

If Astros General Manager Dana Brown is thinking trade, though, he didn't mention it when talking about Forrest's future with the Astros at the MLB General Managers Meetings in Whitley's native San Antonio (hear Dana Brown's response on the attached clip).

Forrest found his stride on the mound this season with an ERA under 2 in Triple-A and he didn't give up an earned run in 3.1 innings of mound work with the MLB parent club.