Roy Oswalt Rumors: Blue Jays, Red Sox, Yankees in on Oswalt
By Editorial Staff
Yesterday we learned that free agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt is now seeking a one-year contract instead of the multi-year deal he had originally been hoping for. This figured to get more teams interested in Oswalt, and Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com confirms it did just that. According to Heyman, Oswalt has drawn “some level of interested” from the Red Sox, Nationals, Marlins, Blue Jays, Yankees, Rangers and Twins.
Entering the offseason, Oswalt and his agent told teams that they were seeking a three-year deal. Many, and eventually everyone, balked at this request, as teams were wary of Oswalt’s age and injury history. Just last season Oswalt dealt with back issues that had the right-hander contemplating retirement.
Now armed with a better grasp of the market, Oswalt is prepared to accept a one-year contract offer. This will afford him a season to get healthy and prove he is still productive so that he can hit the free agent market again next offseason in search of a multi-year deal.
Heyman reports that, while the interest in Oswalt has picked up significantly since his announcement, the 34-year-old may not be close to signing. Oswalt may be waiting until available starting pitchers such as Gio Gonzalez and Jair Jurrjens are traded before he signs his new contract.
The Red Sox, Nationals, Marlins, Blue Jays, Yankees, Rangers and Twins have all been tied to Oswalt this offseason.
However, Heyman admits that they are not all necessarily strong suitors. The Rangers interest in Oswalt may have waned since they won the rights to negotiate with Yu Darvish. Heyman says the Yankees “seem to have prioritized” pitchers other than Oswalt to target this winter, and that the Twins may not be able to afford the veteran.
Still, the market for Oswalt figures to pick up over the coming weeks as teams are now able to bring in the veteran for a single season.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.