3:45pm: Oswalt said he has been told he cleared waivers three weeks ago, Sullivan reports. The right-hander's contract doesn't include a no-trade clause.
12:23pm: The Rangers are talking to other teams about Oswalt and a trade is "possible," MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reports. The Rangers are looking for utility infield help and aren't sure if they'll be able to move Oswalt.
9:46am: Roy Oswalt has cleared waivers, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). The Rangers can now trade the 35-year-old right-hander to any MLB team without waiver-related restrictions.
Oswalt earns a base salary of $5MM this year — approximately $1MM between now and the end of the season — and he will hit free agency this fall. He has posted a 5.94 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 1.8 BB/9 in 50 innings for Texas as a starter and reliever. Rosenthal reports that Oswalt wants to start and suggests the Dodgers could be a possibility. Los Angeles is known to be seeking starting pitching depth.
Here’s MLBTR’s list of players known to have cleared waivers.
The White Sox are looking for warm bodies to throw baseballs… I wouldn’t be opposed to an Oswalt or a Matsuzaka.
I wouldn’t be opposed to the Sox getting Oswalt or Dice K either.
-Every Tigers fan
In actuality you should be praying that The WSox stick with Gavin Floyd… a pitcher coming in a rebounding is a higher likelihood than him all of a sudden not being inconsistently and mind-numbingly mediocre. If the Tigers are going to catch the Sox it will be due to a lack of starting pitching depth/innings eaters, which is exactly what these guys would provide.
What a long strange trip it’s been for Mr. Oswalt in 2012.
I was annoyed with him because of his attitude.
I know the O’s allegedly had some interest.
PLEASE TRADE THIS GUY TO THE DODGERS!
Sincerely,
A Rangers Fan
Can he be any worse than Beckett, seriously?
Beckett wasn’t so terrible yesterday…
Agree. Considering the ball is REALLY flying out of Coors field again these days, Beckett did a decent job yesterday.
Beckett still profiles as a decent No. 3 or 4 on a really good team.
Not really all that interested in Oswalt unless the Rangers would be willing to do a Uribe for Oswalt swap. 🙂
Heck, I’d throw in Adam Kennedy just to be nice.
somebody broke the humidor!
Worse than Beckett? Beckett has far more upside, though I agree this year he isn’t great. Oswalt is at the end of his career.
okay have jaun uribe
or adam kennedy, or both.
Stay away from the Cardinals please. In the offseason I wanted him, glad that didn’t work out.
I think the Cards should give it a try, honestly. Oswalt is obviously familiar with the NL Central, and it’ll cost them a bag of prorated beans. Roll the dice…Make junk happen.
I haven’t watched him so I have to ask: What’s Oswalt’s problem this year? 8.5K/9 and 1.8BB/9 are strong marks. Velocity looks strong, only down 1.7mph from the his peak of the last five years and 1mph from the last time he was what I would consider a dominant pitcher. The only thing I can see from the stats is that he’s not throwing his slider nearly as much any more and that he’s getting hit around hard — BABIP is way up and so is HR/9. Bad luck? Bad location? Bad pitch mix? Bad fit for an AL team? I thought maybe it was Arlington but he’s actually been better at home. Anybody who has actually been watching him pitch have some insight?
Location, location, location. Applies to fastballs just like in real estate!
You got it pretty much, he’s just gotten hit around almost everytime out. Most of that I think is because location, but a bit is from hitters sitting on fastballs, which you caught with the small amount of sliders he’s thrown. I think the slider hasn’t felt right since he came back so he isn’t as comfortable throwing it as he had been in years past.
I know he came close to signing with the Dodgers. He’s an upgrade over Blanton (duh) and might benefit from starting some games in Petco, At&t and LA down the stretch.
Someone the Dodgers can pass on, thanks.
Giants Fans Roy Oswalt would be a great 4th starter behind Bumgarner, Cain, Zito. Lincecum should be doing long relief. I always liked Roy Oswalt.
If anything he would knock Zito out of the rotation, and that’s not going to happen with his salary.
Their front four is (in no particular order) Lincecum, Cain, Bumgarner, and Vogelsong. That’s not going to change.
We’ll give M. Ciaro and Wilson Valdez! I’ll take a solid pitcher that has playoff experience! Walt make it happen!!
Thank you for not being our GM.
Really I am sorry M. Ciaro is batting .167 and Valdez is batting .208 they both can go we have 2 solid “utility men” in the minors that can hit much better than these two! Unless you mean the Rangers GM and I understand what you mean, we don’t want them either!!
At first I was thinking that the Dodgers would make a run at him. Now i’m starting to think the smarter option would be to just give Erik Bedard a look. Would cost them nothing and really there isn’t much difference between the two at this point. Though Oswalt does get the benefit of the doubt for struggling in a tougher division I guess.
given the news on the release of eric bedard, the pirates should definitely take a chance on him. they coveted him in the offseason so why not take a flyer on him at a discounted price? could provide some must needed innings for them down the stretch.
Maybe trade him to the Astros. Oswalt has said he would like to finish & retire as an Astro.He surely can help them.