Roy Oswalt Rumors: Angels the Frontrunner; Red Sox In the Picture

Just when you thought the Roy Oswalt situation might be clearing up, it appears things are as muddied as ever.  ESPN’s Jim Bowden tweeted yesterday that the Los Angeles Angels were “suddenly the frontrunner” for Oswalt.  Bowden added that the Boston Red Sox “remain in the picture” while the Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals are fading.

Before yesterday, Oswalt was being most seriously tied to the Cardinals and Rangers.  Each club is dealing with an injury to a significant starting pitcher, Neftali Feliz and Chris Carpenter.  It was reported this week that Oswalt prefers the Cardinals, and with word of Carpenter’s expected extended trip to the disabled list, many thought Oswalt-to-St. Louis made a whole lot of sense.

But Bowden said the Cardinals and Rangers are fading compared to the Red Sox and Angels.  Boston’s had its name tied to Oswalt for much of the offseason, and they continue to be in the market for starting pitching.  Oswalt initially said he’d prefer to pitch close to his Mississippi home, but has changed his tune and is now reportedly willing to pitch anywhere.

The Angels are the newest team to enter the Oswalt sweepstakes.  While LA already has four solid starters on its roster, the Angels have reportedly been seeking another arm this offseason.  The club has been tied to Joe Blanton and John Lannan recently.

In speaking with Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com last night, Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said that he’s “not particularly” interested in adding a starting pitcher.  Dipoto admitted that one can never have enough starting pitching, but that he is also very happy with where the Angels pitching is at this time.  Dipoto’s statements seem to contradict Bowden’s report, though you can never be sure what moves GMs have up their sleeves.

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