Roy Oswalt Rumors: Red Sox and Rangers Updates
By Editorial Staff
It appears that free agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt may eventually get his wish. No, he won’t be signing the multi-year contract that he was initially expecting this offseason and he may have to take less than the $10 million he has been seeking over the past couple of weeks, but Oswalt may land with one of the clubs he’s been targeting. With the Rangers involved in trade talks for reliever Koji Uehara, some believe Texas could look to use any money saved in a deal to sign Oswalt. Meanwhile, the Red Sox continue to say it’s unlikely any significant roster changes are made before the spring.
Jeff Wilson lists three different directions the Rangers could go after finalizing a trade for Uehara. Texas could decide to simply pocket any money they save in a deal. Wilson also hears that the Rangers could look to use the money to sign one of two free agents; Oswalt or left-handed reliever Mike Gonzalez.
Wilson hears that each option is likely from multiple different sources. While it’s hard to say what the outcome will be, as the Rangers still have to find room for Oswalt in their rotation, this development figures to offer the veteran more hope than he’s had in weeks.
It makes sense that one team would eventually realize that they should be proactive and make room for a pitcher such as Oswalt. Matt Harrison, the guy most likely to be removed from the Rangers starting rotation to facilitate an Oswalt signing, is good but he doesn’t have Oswalt’s track record. It’s also not like he couldn’t start games in 2012; pitchers do tend to get injured. Texas will not use the same five guys all season long; rotation depth is not a bad thing, especially for a team looking to do more than just make the World Series this season.
While the Red Sox have again said that their current 64-man roster is unlikely to change as Spring Training begins, I get the feeling that the club is holding out hope for Oswalt. General manager Ben Cherington has yet to close the door on an Oswalt signing, instead deciding to use words such as ‘unlikely’ or ‘most likely’.
Of the remaining teams involved, the Red Sox, Reds, Rangers and Cardinals, who do you believe would benefit from Oswalt’s presence the most?
You can follow Call to the Pen on Twitter at @FSCalltothePen or like us here on Facebook.
You can check out all of the available free agents by position below.