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Roy Oswalt

Odds & Ends: Padres, Oswalt, Farnsworth, Theriot

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We here at MLBTR really appreciate everyone staying up past their respective bedtimes to keep up on all of the latest rumors.  Here's some news from around the web..

Sherman On Oswalt, Harden, Yankees, Padres

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The latest from Joel Sherman of the New York Post:

  • Executives from other teams had no idea the Astros were willing to take on $11MM of Roy Oswalt's remaining $23.5MM.
  • The Mets have discussed Rich Harden internally.  He's a potential August trade candidate.
  • The Yankees have talked to the Rockies in search of a complementary bat, but discussions didn't go anywhere.
  • Officials from multiple teams are upset that the Rangers continue adding salary.
  • The Padres remain in pursuit of a lefty-hitting outfielder.  Sherman wonders if Kosuke Fukudome or Rick Ankiel could be fits.

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Abreu, Mets, Edmonds

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A few assorted links, as the trading finally picks up…

Phillies Acquire Roy Oswalt

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Just one win shy of the Astros' franchise win record, Roy Oswalt is leaving the only team he's ever known.  The 32-year-old righty approved a trade to the Phillies, who sent J.A. Happ and low minors prospects Anthony Gose and Jonathan Villar to Houston for Oswalt and $11MM.  The Astros then flipped Gose to the Blue Jays.  The Phillies will not pick up Oswalt's 2012 option, but will add $1MM to the buyout as compensation.  Seven months after trading Cliff Lee to the Mariners for prospects, the Phillies added a different ace to their rotation to support Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels.  Oswalt has a 3.42 ERA, 8.4 K/9, and 2.4 BB/9 in 20 starts this year.

Oswalt asked the Astros for a trade in late May, and talks ensued with the Phillies, Cardinals, Rangers, Padres, and Dodgers, among others.  Astros owner Drayton McLane dealt directly with Phillies president David Montgomery to complete the complicated trade.  As expected, Oswalt's full no-trade clause, his 2012 option, and the $23.46MM guaranteed to him through '11 were significant obstacles.

Happ, 27, finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year voting last year with a 2.93 ERA in 166 innings.  However, he's tallied only 53 pro innings in 2010 due to an April forearm injury. Happ won't go to arbitration until after the 2011 season and the Astros control his rights through 2014.

Gose, a speedy center fielder playing at the High A level, was ranked sixth among the team's prospects by Baseball America heading into the season.  He rates highly for his speed, defense, and arm tools, but remains a work in progress.

Villar, a shortstop in Low A ball, was ranked 22nd among Phillies prospects heading into the season.  The results haven't been there yet but BA says he has "plus tools across the board except for power."

Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston first reported the agreement late Wednesday night, while Ken Rosenthal, Jayson Stark, Jon Heyman, Matt Gelb, Amy K. Nelson, Jerry Crasnick, and Danny Knobler contributed more information today.

Oswalt Approves Phillies Deal; Option Won’t Be Exercised

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1:53pm: The deal is done, tweets Rosenthal.  Piecing this together, it appears the Astros send Oswalt and $11MM to the Phillies for Happ, Gose, and Villar, with the Phils potentially adding $1MM to Oswalt's buyout but not exercising his option.

A few tweets from Crasnick: the Cardinals and Padres made late runs at Oswalt today.

1:44pm:  Rosenthal tweets that Oswalt's option is actually a mutual one.  With the trade, his buyout will increase from $1MM to $2MM if the Phillies pick up the option and he declines, and remain at $2MM "if he simply opts out on his own."  Rosenthal adds that the third player in the deal will be shortstop prospect Jonathan Villar.  Some sources spell it "Villan," including the Baseball America Handbook.    

1:34pm: Oswalt has accepted the deal, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

12:51pm: Gose and Happ are definitely in the deal, tweets CSN Philly's Jim Salisbury.

12:12pm: Oswalt plans to OK the deal, but it's not official yet, reports Stark.  He adds that the Astros will be sending $11MM.  Rosenthal tweets that Oswalt's 2012 option will not be exercised; he'll be compensated some other way.  ESPN's Amy K. Nelson tweets that Oswalt will get $1MM added by the Phillies to the buyout of his '12 option.  She adds that the details are being worked out now regarding Oswalt retaining his no-trade clause. 

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweets of a rumor that speedy outfield prospect Anthony Gose may be in the deal.  AOL FanHouse's Ed Price tweets that he's hearing Gose and Worley could be in the swap.

10:43am: Rosenthal tweets that he hears Singleton is not in the deal.

10:17am: The identities of the other two players going to Houston remain unknown, but ESPN's Jayson Stark says the Astros have pushed hard for minor league first baseman Jonathan Singleton. 

9:04am: The Astros will receive three players for Oswalt, tweets Rosenthal, while also paying a "very significant" part of his salary.  Happ will be one of the three.  Astros owner Drayton McLane has been negotiating directly with Phillies president David Montgomery, reports CBS' Danny Knobler.

7:37am: SI's Jon Heyman hears the Astros and Phillies were discussing Happ, righty Vance Worley, and two younger pitchers (Twitter link).  Worley, a 22-year-old righty, spent most of 2010 at Double A, posting a 3.20 ERA, 6.6 K/9, and 2.9 BB/9.  Baseball America ranked him 18th among Phillies prospects heading into the season, predicting a future as a back-end starter or middle reliever.

1:08am: The Astros and Phillies have reached an agreement on a Roy Oswalt trade, reports Mark Berman of FOX 26 in Houston.  Berman says the Astros are now waiting for Oswalt's approval, having hammered out the players and money with the Phils.  Wednesday morning, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports had reported that the players were "pretty much agreed on."  Lefty J.A. Happ has been a rumored part of the deal for a while now.

Oswalt's contract has $5.46MM left from his $15MM salary this year, $16MM in 2011, and a 2012 option for $16MM with a $2MM buyout.  It remains to be seen how the Astros and Phillies settled the financials and whether the Phils will pick up Oswalt's option, though SI's Jon Heyman hears that the Astros are sending a lot of money to the Phillies (Twitter link).

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.
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