Roy Oswalt Rumors: Oswalt Not Expected Before June

Yesterday we heard that while free agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt may still prefer to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals or Texas Rangers, neither club is expressing much interest in the veteran.  Both have key starters dealing with injuries, but each team is prepared to turn to in-house alternatives rather than pursue Oswalt.  Now, according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, Roy Oswalt isn’t expected to return to the majors anytime soon.

A baseball source told Morosi that Oswalt still isn’t expected to “pitch in the majors before June”.  Oswalt and his representation made it clear that the right-hander was willing to wait until mid-season to sign, and the decision isn’t simply money-driven.

With early offers for Oswalt in the $5 million range, some have speculated that the 34-year-old could earn nearly as much by latching onto a contender closer to the All-Star break.

While this could certainly play into Oswalt’s decision making, the veteran hurler apparently also likes the idea of postponing his signing until his children hit summer break.  At that point, Oswalt would be able to pick up his family and move wherever he ultimately signs on.

This seems to jive with recent reports that Oswalt is now willing to pitch anywhere.  Though anywhere likely means any team that has a legitimate chance at a World Series title, this still opens things up from Texas and St. Louis.

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