What Alou did last year statistically was almost unbelievable. Even though he missed part of the season, he hit .355 and drove in 114 runs in 126 games. Hidalgo had a breakout season last year, and Berkman looks great so far this season. Ward is probably the player the Astros would want to trade for pitching. Another team may want Ward, but it may not be able to give the Astros a solid pitcher in return.
Few teams have good pitching anyway.
Most teams have more hitters than pitchers. A team like Seattle could use another big bat in the lineup, but the Mariners for now are succeeding with their current roster. At the same time, I'm not sure which pitchers could thrive at Enron Field. It's much like Coors Field in Colorado. It is still unknown how Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle will perform, and they are two quality pitchers.