Roy Oswalt Rumors: Oswalt Favors Rangers and Cardinals
We’ve officially hit February and starting pitcher Roy Oswalt remains a free agent. It didn’t look as if Oswalt would still be available through the weekend, though Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports is reporting that the right-hander’s reported deal with the St. Louis Cardinals was not nearly as close to be completed as initially thought. Rosenthal adds that Oswalt clearly prefers pitching for the Cardinals or Texas Rangers, who he met with yesterday. The Boston Red Sox remain in the mix, but Rosenthal says Oswalt and his agent are focusing in on the Rangers and Cardinals.
Oswalt’s meeting with the Rangers yesterday has been characterized as “good”, with the situation reportedly “ongoing and unresolved”.
This is how things could stand for a while longer unless one of the sides are willing to budge. Oswalt is reportedly holding tight to his desire to pitch for the Rangers or Cardinals, two clubs which are relatively close to his Mississippi home. Bob Garber, Oswalt’s agent, is demanding a one-year, $10 million contract for his client. The Rangers and Cardinals have interest but not necessarily at that price.
While it’s been reported that the Rangers have yet to extend Oswalt an offer, the Cardinals have submitted a bid on the veteran starter. However, Rosenthal hears that Oswalt does not consider St. Louis’s offer “anywhere close to sufficient”.
Rosenthal says this situation would seemingly open up the market for the Red Sox, but it’s unknown if Boston is willing to go any higher than the others in their bid for Oswalt. Even if the Sox dig a bit deeper into their pockets for Oswalt, it does not appear that the 34-year-old is interested in pitching somewhere outside of Texas or St. Louis at this point.
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