Odds & Ends: Astros, Athletics, Blue Jays

With baseball dark until Wednesday, let MLBTradeRumors.com light the way for you…

• Rob Neyer has a must-read piece about the Astros refusing to give Manny Acta a three-year contract offer. As Neyer writes, "If you think it's silly to give a manager a three-year contract but don't mind throwing $100 million of your ill-gotten gains at Carlos Lee, you probably need to have your head examined (though of course something similar might be said of half the owners in the majors)."
• MLB.com A's beat reporter Mychael Urban explains why Oakland dealt Matt Holliday, Jason Giambi and Orlando Cabrera– but kept Nomar Garciaparra around.
• Toronto added a pair of senior baseball men, both named Mel, to the front office.