2:10pm: Agent Bob Garber confirmed to reporters that Oswalt will stay in shape and look to sign with a contender midseason, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com (on Twitter).
12:09pm: Roy Oswalt has told MLB teams that he may sign midseason, ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick reports. The free agent right-hander explained that he intends to stay ready in case an appealing opportunity emerges before midseason.
The Red Sox, Rangers, Cardinals and Reds were among the many clubs to express interest in Oswalt this offseason. It appears that they didn't have enough room in their rotations or budgets for the 34-year-old, who seeks a one-year deal and a job as a starter.
Roger Clemens, a former teammate of Oswalt's, sat out the beginning of the season in 2006 and 2007 before signing midseason and Pedro Martinez had a similar approach to the 2009 campaign.
…that was his idea of making a decision today?
that was jim bowden’s idea of him making a decision today
Either sign or retire. This is quickly getting old.
“This is quickly getting old.”
Yes. And that’s why “This” is waiting until midseason to sign.
Good idea. He can now be home during tornado season.
Clearly he doesn’t have the drive anymore. Just retire dude.
Almost sounds like he wants to wait for the Phillies to trade Blanton.
Agreed. And I’m all for that.
When you don’t have leverage, create some. Sounds like a sound move for Roy especially if he has no beef not starting immediately.
How is he creating leverage? Hes losing half a season’s worth of paychecks. What does he want? A ring? Then why deny Boston or Detroit they are both legit contenders. Maybe he wants to stay fresh so that he wont wear out in August and September? I have no idea but this is irritating already.
I think he wants to play for particular teams close to him at a better price. He has backed himself into a corner this off season and he doesn’t have much of a choice really. It’s all his own doing, but what he can do is wait out half the season and sign with a team in July for the same amount or maybe more (as the team signing him will most likely be desperate for depth). I mean, if I were Roy I wouldn’t want to sign for 1 year $5mill when I can sign for 1 year 7.5mill in July. Injury bug is always lurking.
I do agree the Roy Oswalt saga is at this point a brutal comedy.
Right, but he’d only be collecting roughly $3.75M of the 1 year $7.5M deal. If he really wants to cash in next offseason like he’s said, he needs to show he can stay healthy over a full season. Something that isn’t possible if he doesn’t sign until June/July.
He has less leverage now because it’s spring training and teams don’t feel they have a need for their services. At mid year there will be teams with injured starters, teams that are fading and trying to hold on, and surprise teams in the hunt for a playoff spot who suddenly covet a starter. He’ll be able to better pick a contending team.
Yea but those teams should also take into account that he hasnt played since the previous September so its not just half a season. I always thought he had a good attitude but what his indecisiveness tells me is that he doesnt have the drive to play anymore. Any ball player that has desire to play isnt going to waste half a season sitting at home observing which team he wants to play for.
So I guess this clearly shows he doesn’t wanna pitch in Boston? Probably waiting for the Rangers or Cardinals to have an open spot midseason.
He’s probably hoping that Westbrook gets hurt.
He shares that sentiment with a lot of Cardinals fans.
Just sign with the Astros and let them trade you midseason instead. At least there’d be a reason to go to the games for half a season.
An elderly Roy Oswalt would give you reason to go to Astros games? Hmmm….
He’s one of the better pitchers in team history. Sure it does.
34 is elderly now?
He’d be better off pitching relief with the Rangers than not pitching at all
I agree to a certain point. For his future carreer, he really needs a starting job. However, he had offers, but chose to sit out instead.
For this year, though, there is bound to be a team that gets desperate later in Spring Training or during the season. They may come up to his demands if they need him bad enough.
I think what this guy is trying to do is stay relevant, obviously all he cares about is a ring
If all he cared about was a ring, he had several opportunities to sign and compete for one.
The Tigers offered him $10 million, it wasn’t close enough to home. The Cardinals offered him $5 millionish, but it wasn’t a guaranteed starting job.
The Rangers were interested, if he would pitch from the bullpen. The Red Sox were interested, if he would take $5-7 million. The Reds were interested, if they could fit him in the budget.
All four of those teams are going to be competitive this year, and any of the four could go to the World Series. Obviously, two of them DID last year.
If all he wanted was a ring, he’d be signed by now. He wants the ring, the money, the location, the starting job… etc….
You bring up excellent points but at this stage in his career he is in no position to be picky
he’s in every position to be picky.
how so? The guy almost had to walk away from the game because of his back, there’s a reason why the Phillies (a perennial contender mind you) didnt resign him…it went from the big 4 in that rotation to the big 3. remember the hype of that rotation with him included?
It’s merely a question of how bad he wants to play. If he’s willing to sit out the season if he doesn’t get everything he wants, then he can be as picky as he likes.
It’s not like he hasn’t made a bit of money over his career, and longevity is about the only thing he has left to prove.
So if the phillies don’t want you = you suck… phillies would LOVE him back.. for cheaper than Oswalt is prepared to sign for
but when the tigers, red sox, and tons of other teams all offer him contracts it means what exactly?
The Red Sox offering you a contract also means you suck, didn’t you know?
how so? The guy almost had to walk away from the game because of his back, there’s a reason why the Phillies (a perennial contender mind you) didnt resign him…it went from the big 4 in that rotation to the big 3. remember the hype of that rotation with him included?
Maybe he is jealous of Lebron and is trying to build up hype so he can have his own “The Decision” but then ESPN will tell him that hes not relevant anymore and he will retire.
First team to offer him another bulldozer will be the team he signs with.
No you didn’t.
So what he’s saying is he’s too big of a wimp to play for Boston and pitch in the AL East. Either that or he’s allergic to fried chicken and beer.
You can be allergic to BEER?!?! <(`o`<)
February 19th, 2007 for me. It’s called being a celiac.
Damn, that sucks. On the positive side it might help you get a job with the Sox.
haha, it would be a vodka and unbreaded chicken wing conspiracy instead.
that sounds delicious
Yeah, I’m very much of the belief vodka is delicious with most things.
Ciroc is so tasty.
Indeed. Very true words.
its so hard to get in Canada, only duty free has it.
Funny Canadian celiac story (and by funny, I mean horrible.) I took a trip to Montreal for vacation in spring of 2010. Arrived in the city probably around 9PM and was shocked absolutely nothing was open. So we go to a grocery store to buy alcohol because we had to be trashed that night, our first night in a foreign country (I was with my GF and three friends). Everything in the supermarket was wine (which I just voluntarily don’t drink) or beer (which I can’t drink)…..So I found this thing called “Poppers”. Looked like, was packaged the same as and appeared to be exactly like Smirnoff Ice. So the ingrediants are in French and I try to google if it’s gluten free or not and the internet has never heard of it. I buy it anyway figuring it can’t be THAT bad. I had three of them to pregame before going to the bar. Long story slightly shorter, I lasted at the bar less than one hour before I was in so much pain I had to hobble, hunched over back to my hotel about 10 blocks away and then collapsed on the bathroom floor because I was in so much pain. Poppers has malt and I will hate them forever. Also, why the heck do liquor stores close so freaken early in that city!?
Liquor stores arent big in Quebec. Supermarkets, Gas stations, convenience stores etc are all allowed to sell alcohol so the liquor stores are used more for specialty or high end items and close at regular business hours..
If you think thats bad, in Ontario, you can only buy booze at the government run ‘beer store’ and ‘lcbo’ which close at 9pm too..
Sucks about your story though, I’ve actually seen poppers before but never tried it.. Montreal is one of my favourite cities, hopefully that incident didn’t ruin it for you!
does gluten-free beer work or is it not even worth it?
Kinda depends. In a lot of cases it has as much or more alcohol content, so if you’re asking based on “will it get me drunk’ than yes, it will.
I wasn’t a HUGE beer drinker yet because I was halfway through my soph year of college when I was diagnosed and I didn’t drink in high school, so taste wise is a different story. Gluten free beer is generally made from sorghum and tends to taste like a dark beer (think, Killians). It’s not my preference of taste as I was a classy bud light drinker when I drank beer. I much prefer hard ciders (they taste better and I can drink faster) and vodka (the easiest to get drunk off of) to gluten free beers, but if you like the taste of beer it’s a suitable substitution. Personally, I can’t drink enough without getting full.
I feel ya dude, by work I meant if it didn’t really cause symptoms too bad. While I kind of am a dark beer guy I completely hear what you are saying sir
Oh man….Beer, only behind malt and grain alcohol is THE WORST. I wouldn’t be able to stand.
And yes, GF beer works. It does not bring me any pain.
He’s from the deep south, no way is he allergic to fried chicken and beer.
The teams he wants to play for dont have room for him. So he’s holding out see if one of the has an injury or poor performance and come knocking..
Solid decision on his part. He’s going to lose money but looks like thats not important to him at this point.
I’m just curious how he plans on reestablishing his value while he’s sitting at home? Just sign the discounted contract and pitch wherever there’s a spot. And if it’s not a contender accept a trade to one come July provided he’s pitching well and is healthy. If not go home.
clearly its not about reestablishing value to him.
Its about being on a contender in a perferable destination.
clearly its not about reestablishing value to him.
Its about being on a contender in a perferable destination.
Clearly he wants to prepare his home
For tornado season
I’m not really sure that he loses all that much money anyway. According to reports he was being offered about $5M at this point, I can totally see a team on the verge of contention, desperate for that little edge to put them over the top and in need of pitching giving him close to that just for the stretch run (I wouldn’t be shocked at all if he got $3-4M in June/July).
Funny to hear him talk as if he has any value at all. Don’t wait by the phone, Roy.
Pretty sure that in a league where the likes of J.A. Happ can survive long enough to make 28 starts in a season that yes, Oswalt has value.
I agree he is no Doc Halladay, but J.A. Happ has a job this year.
Ironically his #1 comp through Age 33 is Roy Halladay…the rest of his list is pretty damn impressive too with HOFers and near HoFers.
no
Goodness Gracious!
big baseballs of fire?
big baseballs of fire?
I like this. Do some hunting, play your xbox, and wait for the regular season to wind down. Then sign with a competative team.
I would like it better if he signed with Houston, and agreed to be traded for some prospects, but oh well.
Do what’s good for you, Roy.
don’t see the logic, obviously if your waiting till half season, you’ll only get half the money. That means he’s gonna be losing money since what he gets now is prob more than what he’d get midseason.
Unless it’s about a ring, or his health. I will say right now that if anyone else did this I would be critical of them. Roy is my favorite player, though.
Unless it’s about a ring, or his health. I will say right now that if anyone else did this I would be critical of them. Roy is my favorite player, though.
Just as I figured…
Good. I had him going back to Philly for the free agent contest.
Boooooo to you Oswalt!
I think Old Oswalt needs a “French Taunting” from Monty Python.
Well this has been a long road… to get no where.
Reminds me of Sarah Palin’s bridge
You watch too much MSNBC and those ill informed dolts who know nothing, but misquote everything intentionally..
The only thing Palin had to do with the Bridge to Nowhere.. Was to reject funding of it AFTER it was approved..
Fact check over..
an actual fact check will prove you have no clue what you’re talking about. stick to baseball.
You watch too much MSNBC and those ill informed dolts who know nothing, but misquote everything intentionally..
The only thing Palin had to do with the Bridge to Nowhere.. Was to reject funding of it AFTER it was approved..
Fact check over..
Reminds me of Sarah Palin’s bridge
Is he related to THE indecisive Brett Favre?
Not related. Oswalt doesn’t retire and un-retire. Favre did that what 3 or 4 times?
Neither of them can make their minds up but at least Roy isnt texting any woman pictures of his manhood
I’m so done with this guy. The last thing the Red Sox need now is another prima donna.
Red Sox would take him on in a heart beat if they could, get over it.
Red Sox would take him on in a heart beat if they could, get over it.
edit removed
Oswalt shouldn’t be mentioned in the same paragraph as Clemens and Martinez. Not as good then, now or in the future
That’s obviously not the point of the paragraph, but you’re free to cherrypick pieces of sentences to make a moot point. By 2009 & 2007, Pedro and Clemens were finished and still got work, at least Oswalt had a good 2011.
Why are so many people trashing him for doing this? He is being smart. This way he gets to wait it out to see if there is a serious injury or a rookie who isnt panning out he can step in. He actually gives him self more option this way. And it’s good for what ever team signs him. Because he gets more time to get healthy thus the signing team won’t worry about him fading down the stretch. Or his back acting up.
Because they either got their hopes up that they’d get him for dirt cheap or are insulted that he doesn’t want to play for them. I’m totally fine no matter what Oswalt’s decision is and it baffles me that tons of people don’t agree.
Mets?
This is the equivalent of a 2 hour long foreplay only to have the girl say she’s tired and go to bed
After 30 minutes of foreplay I’D be falling asleep.
Poor you.
Nope, I like to get down to business. If they need more than 30 minutes to get going something’s wrong. I wonder how long until this conversation get’s deleted lol.
Not what I was getting at.
Yeah 2 hours IS a bit long haha
that’s what ..
nevermind
It’s not his fault no one wants Blanton.
Someone will get injured and have to call Oswalt. There obviously wasn’t a market for him. Better to wait than sign with a team you really don’t want to play for I guess…
I hope nobody signs him. Congrats Roy on throwing away then end of your career.
Someone will sign him. He can still pitch. It almost makes him more appealing if he waits. It reduces the injury risk, thereby making the investment less risky. Plus the team will have a better idea if they are going to be competative or need pitching.
I understand why this would bother people, but he will get signed.
I don’t think he’ll get someone to pony up mid season like NY did with Clemens.
It would make more sense to sign with the Astros or another non-contender and agree to get traded to the team of his choice. Oh well, play some Call of Duty and stay ready. The team that calls will be the one to miss the wild card by 1 game.
Sign to a contender now!
I like the move. He’s not seeing a situation he wants. He’s already turned down a lot of money from the Tigers, so this isn’t just about cash. If there’s a need and a good fit with a team he wants to play for, he will take it. For all the disdain we heap on players for looking for the last dollar, I think he deserves a little credit.
Clearly a big part of this is Oswalt wanting more time at home. But just for the sake of argument… is there not any way for a player to sign a partial season contract to *start* the season? That is, is there no way a guy like Oswalt could sign with say, Kansas City through the first of July, with him then being free to join a new team after that? Seemingly all contracts run through the end of a season. Is that just convention or is it a rule?
Article VI, Section A-C of the CBA (which can be found on MLB’s website) denotes contracts to be termed by “championship season” and a championship season to last from the first game of the season to the last playoff game.
That’s why whenever a player signs a contract, it’s prorated from the start of the season.
The important question here is…. “How does this decision impact the free agent contest?”
I did so bad on that thing it’s not even funny
I might have gotten every one wrong.
At least I can sign him from the Free Agent pool in MLB the show.
Roy Oswalt is the ultimate troll.
Roy Oswalt is the ultimate troll.
These “midseason” signings are a joke. Oswalt is only 34 years of age (?) and suddenly acting like a spoiled diva. Boo, boo, boo!
Who advised him that this was a good business decision?
LAZY
Oswalt wants to win. I bet if NY loses one of its starters, they’ll sign him. What a slap in our face.
I can’t believe I let myself expect that a decision would actually come today. I don’t even care anymore, he and the media should just be quiet until he makes his decision… However, that never happens.
Wow Olswalt is a drama king. It seems like he is enjoying being the only noteworthy FA left