The offseason is supposed to be a perennial winter of discontent for baseball fans. It was, after all, Hall of Fame second baseman Rogers Hornsby who quipped just so when asked what he did once the season ended.

"I'll tell you what I do," Hornsby replied. "I stare out the window and wait for spring."

And yet, it's hard not to feel optimistic even now. Baseball reminds us -- day in and day out, year after year -- that anything is possible next year, and with so many stars available in free agency and trade, a team's fortunes next year can change rapidly in the intervening months.

It's with those good vibes in mind, that we partake in a baseball-slanted Thanksgiving tradition. Below we offer a collection of things for fans of every team to be thankful for -- yes, even the Pirates. So enjoy. Gorge on turkey and all the trimmings. And remember Opening Day is only about four months away.

The Texas Rangers reached the World Series months after completing a change of ownership. Will the Lone Star State's other big league team be so lucky? We're about to find out.

Astros owner Drayton McLane announced Friday that the team is for sale. Word had emerged Thursday night that McLane had hired the New York firm Allen & Company -- which has been involved in several franchise sales -- to help with the process.

"Our family has loved being involved with the Houston Astros," McLane said Friday at a news conference at Minute Maid Park. "But it's time to change and move forward."

The Houston Chronicle reported the Astros might draw between $700 million and $800 million from a buyer. The Rangers sold for $590 million this summer after a contentious process that ended in an auction.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Infielder Clint Barmes has been traded from the Colorado Rockies to the Houston Astros for pitcher Felipe Paulino.

The 31-year-old Barmes hit .235 with 21 doubles, eight homers and 50 RBI in 387 at-bats this year, down from a .245 average, 23 homers and 76 RBI in 2009, when he was Colorado's starting second baseman.

Barmes has played in the majors in parts of eight seasons and was the starting shortstop for a month this year while Troy Tulowitzki was injured.

The 27-year-old Paulino was 1-9 with a 5.11 ERA in 14 starts and five relief appearances this year, which would have been the highest ERA among NL pitchers had he thrown enough innings to qualify. He is 6-21 with a 5.83 ERA in parts of three seasons.

Jeff Bagwell will not return as the Astros hitting coach in 2011, the team announced.

Bagwell, who took over in that role on July 11 when Sean Berry was fired, was offered a two-year contract extension like the rest of the coaching staff, but ultimately decided to decline after discussing things with his family.

Bagwell will remain in the organization.

"We're disappointed because Baggy did a terrific job with our club," general manager Ed Wade said in a statement. "However, we fully understand and respect his decision. He'll continue to be an important part of our organization in a role similar to what he did prior to joining our coaching staff."

It used to be if you wanted to start a shootout among Texas sports fans, all it took was one question:

Who's better: Roger Clemens or Nolan Ryan?

Now the answer is as obvious as the worry lines on Joe Girardi's face. The Texas Rangers (seven franchise playoff wins) are on the verge of eliminating the Yankees (28 franchise World Series championships).

While Ryan sits in the owners' box in Arlington waving at fans, Clemens sits in his Houston home practicing his recitation of the Fifth Amendment.

It's sad the argument had to be settled that way. The Rangers' resurrection under their new co-owner would have been a great new point of contention.

The debate was never just about who was the better pitcher. A big part of that was who was the better Texan?

Not to get too "Lonesome Dove" on you, but the state's image wasn't concocted by some public relations firm. You'd never see "Texas is for Lovers" on a bumper sticker.

CINCINNATI -- If baseball wants to liven up its Octobers, here's a thought:

Tell the National League Central to take a hike.

Always happy to help, West Coast Bias made that suggestion early Sunday night while watching another chumplike champ from Flyover Land.

"Out of the six teams, you want me to cancel them all?" Katy Feeney replied in jest.

Feeney is Major League Baseball's senior VP for club relations and scheduling. Because she has a sense of humor, she'll never work for the NFL, but she is adept at making quick points.

In less time than it took Reds hitters to make a few more outs Sunday -- in other words, no time at all -- Feeney reminded me that clubs from NL Central reached the World Series from 2004-06.

Two of those teams were swept by the American League champion. The third -- the Cardinals of 2006 -- became the first World Series champion from the NL Central since the division was created in 1994.

The Houston Astros exercised a 2012 contract option on manager Brad Mills' contract, and added another option year in 2013, the team announced.

Mills, a long-time bench coach for Red Sox manager Terry Francona, took the reins in Houston this year, and after a 17-34 start to the season, led the team to a 59-52 finish and a fourth-place finish in the NL Central despite losing his two biggest stars, Roy Oswalt and Lance Berkman in July trades.

"We can't say enough about the job that Millsie has done for us," Astros general manager Ed Wade said in a statement. "He brings every quality that you look for in a successful major league manager. All that he cares about is helping build a championship club.

A preliminary version of the 2011 Major League Baseball regular season schedule was released on Tuesday night, and it features a fairly huge change. Starting next year, Opening Day will come on a Thursday -- March 31 -- with five games, followed by an 11-game slate on Friday, April 1.

It is the first time since 1998 that the regular season will not begin on a Sunday or a Monday, and it is the first time since 1978 that the season will start on a Thursday.

The regular season will end on Wednesday, Sept. 28 -- the entire schedule being moved up and spring training being shortened so that the World Series will not extend into November, as it did last year and will this year, at the recommendation of commissioner Bud Selig's 14-member Special Committee for On-Field Matters.

This could be the beginning of sweeping changes to the schedule, according to MLB.com. The LCS already lost one off day this year, and the number of off days could continue to shrink in October, while the Division Series itself could be expanded from a best-of-5 to a best-of-7 format.

Below are a few general notes about the schedule as well as a look at some highlights on a team-by-team basis.

It's September, so that must mean the Colorado Rockies are the hottest team in baseball. Much of the credit for their 2010 rise in the standings has gone to MVP candidate Carlos Gonzalez, as "Car-Go" certainly has made their offense go. In this week's edition of "Three Up," FanHouse TV's Steve Phillips is giving credit to a different Rockies player for their surge. Click to watch: