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Roy Oswalt Rumors: Wednesday

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The lowdown on Roy Oswalt, with the newest buzz up top…

  • The Phils and Astros have a deal in place that would send Oswalt to Philadelphia, according to Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports in Houston. Oswalt, who is aware of the potential deal, can make it official by waiving his no-trade clause. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman are working to confirm the story on Twitter.
  • Talks between the Phillies and Astros have intensified in the last day, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. The clubs have more or less agreed on players – J.A. Happ and prospects would go to Houston – but they can’t agree on how much salary the Astros will absorb. Jayson Werth is off the market, so taking on payroll won’t be easy for the Phils.
  • The Dodgers are now more focused on trying to obtain Ted Lilly or Paul Maholm.
  • The Phillies and Astros are now dealing one-on-one, with no other teams involved, according to Olney (via Twitter). Jon Heyman of SI.com says the Phillies are the favorites to acquire Oswalt and notes (on Twitter) that the Yanks inquired once.
  • Three or four teams will likely be involved if the Phillies acquire Oswalt, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (via Twitter).
  • Astros owner Drayton McLane told Zachary Levine of the Houston Chronicle that a trade seems likely. "I'd say it's about 60% that something could be done and 40% that Roy will be here next year," McLane said.
  • Oswalt is telling friends that he can’t wait to leave Houston, according to Newsday’s Ken Davidoff. The righty says he won’t necessarily insist that teams pick up his 2012 option.
  • Oswalt wants ample time to decide on any trade, reports MLB.com's Brian McTaggart.  He doesn't want the Astros coming to him an hour or two before Saturday's deadline.
  • The Reds made a cursory call on Oswalt, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, but no names were exchanged.  John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer wrote today that Oswalt is too expensive for the Reds.
  • The Cardinals are out and the Dodgers are making no progress, reports Rosenthal.  The Phillies' front office is still divided about giving up prospects and taking on Oswalt's contract, though the players they'd send to the Astros are "pretty much agreed on."  Earlier today, Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote that the Cardinals remain in contact with the Astros for Oswalt. 
  • If Oswalt takes the mound Friday night against the Brewers, "the odds of him being traded are down to almost nothing" says Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.  ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Astros are "working very, very hard" to find an acceptable Oswalt deal despite all the obstacles. 
  • The Phillies "remain top contenders" for Oswalt, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. Zolecki's source thinks Oswalt's 2012 club option "is not the sticking point it has been made to be."  On the other hand, ESPN's Jayson Stark feels that if the Phillies retain Jayson Werth as expected they won't have a way to clear 2010 payroll for Oswalt.

Stark On Werth, Willingham, Cantu, Theriot

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Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth told ESPN's Jayson Stark he's "not up late reading the blog sites" regarding trade rumors, but he doesn't expect to be dealt.  Stark agrees, though he notes that the Phillies did toss Werth's name out there to many teams.  On to Stark's other rumors…

  • The Dodgers are looking at Ted Lilly, but they haven't completely abandoned the idea of acquiring Roy Oswalt.  Still, the impediments to an Oswalt deal remain significant.  Lilly appears certain to be traded.
  • Josh Willingham is drawing interest from the Braves, Rays, and Red Sox.  Adam Dunn remains a trade candidate as well, but the Nationals would only deal one of the two.
  • Money might be holding up a Jorge Cantu-Rangers deal, as the Rangers can't add any payroll and would want the Marlins to pick up the entire $2.25MM tab.
  • The Padres have been linked to infielders Ryan Theriot and Jeff Keppinger, as outfield targets such as David DeJesus, Corey Hart, and Jayson Werth drop out of the picture for various reasons.
  • Don't look for anything major from the Red Sox outside of some bullpen tweaking.  They will prowl the waiver wire in August, though.

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Tuesday

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Yesterday we learned that location doesn't matter for Roy Oswalt, but he will require his $16MM option for 2012 to be picked up upon a trade.  The Astros' asking price remains high even as the number of suitors dwindles.  Today's rumors, with the latest bullets added up top throughout the day…

  • The Rangers looked into acquiring Oswalt even after completing the Cliff Lee deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  There is no match in terms of players, and the money would've been extremely challenging.  Still, the inquiry shows that the Rangers are not messing around.

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Monday

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Roy Oswalt is the best available starter with Dan Haren off the board, though there's no guarantee that the Astros move the righty. He has a substantial contract with a no-trade clause and the Astros are demanding lots in return for their ace. Here is the latest on Oswalt, with new bullets added at the top throughout the day…

  • Oswalt told MLB.com's Brian McTaggart that "location doesn't matter," in case any doubt remained. Earlier today, Oswalt told Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle that he would accept a deal to the East Coast under the right circumstances. "That’s not an issue," he said.
  • Oswalt will not approve any trade unless the acquiring team picks up his 2012 option, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Oswalt would consider deferring money, but he will not accept a deal unless the team trading for him picks up his $16MM option (Twitter link).
  • A source tells Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports that Oswalt does not want to play for the Phillies.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Astros seek "a young, front-line player off the big-league roster, two high-end prospects and one more prospect" for Oswalt, making a trade far from a sure thing.  Stark contends that Astros owner Drayton McLane will require a return he can brag about.
  • The Cardinals "don’t feel confident in their ability" to acquire Oswalt, reports Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.  The Cards face the added wrinkle of playing in the same division as th Astros.  GM John Mozeliak, speaking in general terms, told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "I can't say I'm encouraged" about making a major pitching move.
  • The Phillies could acquire Oswalt without moving Jayson Werth, writes MLB.com's Todd Zolecki.  Morosi feels that the Phillies represent "one of the more viable landing spots for Oswalt." 

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Sunday

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The Phillies, Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals were among the teams that had scouts watching Roy Oswalt's start against the Reds last night. Oswalt didn't exactly dazzle, allowing six runs over five innings, but there still seems to be plenty of interest in the right-hander, according to yesterday's round of Oswalt rumors. Here are today's updates, with the latest notes being added to the top of the list throughout the day:

  • With Haren off of the trade market, Houston's asking price for Oswalt will likely be too high for the Cards' tastes, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  • MLB.com's Brian McTaggart writes that Oswalt's pursuit of becoming the all-time wins leader in Houston won't affect his trade status. One win shy of the record, Oswalt says it would be nice to reach the mark, but won't veto a trade to make it happen.
  • In an update for FOX Sports, Rosenthal says the Astros are having trouble matching up with the Cardinals and Dodgers, leaving the Phillies as the most logical suitor. However, in a pair of tweets, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports that the Phils are exploring the possibility of swapping Werth directly for a starter if they can't work out a deal for Oswalt or Dan Haren.
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweets that the Phillies, as opposed to the Dodgers and Cards, are best positioned to acquire Oswalt if they move Jayson Werth. However, Rosenthal hears from an executive that Philadelphia's demands in a Werth deal appear to be changing daily.
  • Astros president Tal Smith tells Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe that he expects Oswalt to be moved. According to Smith, the Astros' ace is drawing "considerable interest," with at least "three or four" teams attempting to acquire the 32-year-old.
  • Cafardo also hears from an Astros official that New York might be too "big time" for the quiet Oswalt, meaning there's a chance the righty may not waive his no-trade clause to play for a Big Apple team.

Odds & Ends: Reds, Happ, Edmonds, Rangers, Tigers

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Links for Sunday, as Jim Thome cranks his 576th career home run….

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Saturday

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Astros righty Roy Oswalt indicated yesterday that he would be willing to re-structure his contract to accommodate a trade to the Cardinals, and that his 2012 option worth $16MM would not be a deal-breaker if the team approached him about a deal. The Phillies are still trying to unload Jayson Werth to help facilitate a trade for Oswalt while the Dodgers and Astros have exchanged some names. The Twins, however, are not in on the 32-year-old right-hander.

That's a quick summary of what we learned yesterday, so here is today's batch of Oswalt rumors…

  • Philadelphia remains more focused on Oswalt than Haren, tweets Heyman.
  • The Phillies could swing a three-way trade involving Jayson Werth in order to land Oswalt, writes Ed Price of Fanhouse.  Earlier tonight, we learned that the Phillies could also use Werth to get the prospects needed to land Dan Haren.
  • Astros owner Drayton McLane says that there's nothing imminent right now, writes Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
  • In addition to the aforementioned Phillies, the Yankees, Dodgers, and Cardinals will all be watching Oswalt's start tonight, according to the Houston Chronicle's Zachary Levine.
  • The Dodgers' chances of landing Astros ace Roy Oswalt do not look good, Rosenthal says in his latest Full Count.  In fact, some major league executives think that Houston won't trade Oswalt at all.  The fact that the Astros were seeking both major league-ready position players and prospects in a deal with Los Angeles may indicate that they're not all that anxious to move the hurler.
  • The Phillies, along with a dozen other clubs, will scout Oswalt tonight as he takes the mound against the Reds, tweets Jim Salisbury of CSN Philadelphia.
  • Rosenthal tweets that the Astros asked the Dodgers for both big league-ready position players and prospects in a deal for Oswalt.
  • Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says that the Astros rejected a proposal from the Cards earlier this week that would have sent Brendan Ryan and one other player to Houston. 
  • The Yankees may be in on Dan Haren, but they aren't in on Oswalt, according to FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal.

Olney’s Latest: Royals, Managers, Dunn, Berkman

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In today's blog post at ESPN (Insider req'd), Buster Olney says that even though things aren't going so well for the Royals at the big league level, rival scouts and executives gush about the quality of their farm system. "Our goal is by 2012 and 2013 to have as many homegrown guys playing as we can," said GM Dayton Moore, which Olney likens to the way the Twins and Rays are built.

Here are the rest of his rumors…

  • One scout opined that we're likely to see more managerial changes this offseason than ever before. Olney lists 12 teams that could be looking for a new manager this winter, and reminds us that Tony LaRussa, Joe Girardi, and Dusty Baker do not have contracts in place for beyond this season.
  • The Nationals are concerned about whether or not Adam Dunn's body will hold up during a three or four-year deal, but Olney spoke to one AL evaluator who pointed out that Dunn's ability to hit homers is gaining more value as time goes on. 
  • The Diamondbacks have prioritized the acquisition of a closer, hence their request for Joba Chamberlain in a potential Dan Haren trade.
  • Olney speculates that Lance Berkman could be a fit for the Rays next year, since they'll need to replace Carlos Pena.

Odds & Ends: Lilly, Braves, Reds, Berkman

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Links for Friday night….

Minor League Transactions: Vazquez, Rabelo, Calero

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The focus at this point in the season is on major league transactions – trades, to be precise. But that doesn't mean the minor league transactions stop. Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the latest on the minor league transactions that occurred between July 6th and July 13th:

  • One year after posting a 1.95 ERA in 67 major league games, Kiko Calero finds himself a free agent once again. He signed with the Mets and then with the Dodgers, but the Dodgers released him after he posted a 3.00 ERA in 15 minor league appearances. Calero struck out 11 and walked seven in 15 innings.
  • The Tigers released Mike Rabelo, a backup catcher who spent parts of 2006-08 with Detroit. The 30-year-old struggled through 36 plate appearances at Triple A before the Tigers let him go.
  • Ramon Vazquez hit much better in the Astros' system than he did in the Mariners', but the Astros released the former Pirate anyways. The 33-year-old had a .900 OPS in 64 plate appearances.
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