Oswalt Requests Trade (1 Viewer)

[whoknew]

The Astros have foolishly refused to rebuild the last couple of years. Maybe now they will.

Oswalt would be an awfully nice pickup for a team in contention.

Link

Roy Owalt reportedly requests trade from Houston Astros

Sporting News staff reports

Roy Oswalt has asked Houston Astros management for a trade, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Oswalt, who has spent his entire 10-year career in Houston, reportedly asked owner Drayton McLane Jr. for a trade. A three-time All Star, Oswalt is having one of his finest seasons, with a 2.66 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 61 innings. Despite those numbers, he is 2-6 for the last-place Astros. Houston has scored a major league-low 122 runs, 14 fewer than the next-worst offense.

Oswalt is in the fourth year of a five-year contract. He is due $15 million this season and $16 million next year. His contract also contains a $16 million team option for 2012 or a $2 million buyout.

 

[RnR]

Not sure Tampa can afford him, but how nice would it be to add him to the fold for a deep playoff run this year?

 

[Arsenal of Doom]

I was impressed by how well he pitched against the Rockies yesterday. It looks like he has a lot of life left in his arm. The Rockies wouldn't take on a contract like that, but I wouldn't mind it at all if they did.

 

[Abraham]

He's an overpaid two-pitch pitcher, but he is having a nice season. AS an AStros fan, I fully support them trading him. This team is going absolutely nowhere and the farm system is a joke. I'd be trading everyone on the roster except most of them have no value.

 

[Balco]

I can't see them gettting alot for him, but they need to get rid of that salary.

 

[RnR]

He's an overpaid two-pitch pitcher, but he is having a nice season. AS an AStros fan, I fully support them trading him. This team is going absolutely nowhere and the farm system is a joke. I'd be trading everyone on the roster except most of them have no value.

Not sure how you can say he's overpaid. The results kinda speak for themselves. He's a legit front-liner and has been for the better part of a decade.

 

[shadyridr]

He's an overpaid two-pitch pitcher, but he is having a nice season. AS an AStros fan, I fully support them trading him. This team is going absolutely nowhere and the farm system is a joke. I'd be trading everyone on the roster except most of them have no value.

This is one of the best pitchers of the last decade.

 

[guru_007]

LOL at overpaid two pitch pitcher having a nice season.

Dude has the 4th best career ERA of active pitchers with a min of 1000 IP

#1- Mo Rivera

#2- Trevor Hoffman

#3- Johan Santana

#4 - Roy Oswalt

oh, and #5 Jake Peavy

Astros should get something very similar in return to what the Pads got for Peavy, a couple of ML ready players, and a couple of guys with some high end potential. Rockies and Rays would be ideal destinations, although I doubt the Rays will be able to afford him.

 

[Premier]

The Rays probably have the best starting pitching in baseball. Not that Roy wouldn't help, but why would they pay him $16M and give up prospects when they would have to give up one (in order to give him a slot) of Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price and Davis AND they also have Hellickson in the hole in AAA?

Makes no sense.

 

[guru_007]

The Rays probably have the best starting pitching in baseball. Not that Roy wouldn't help, but why would they pay him $16M and give up prospects when they would have to give up one (in order to give him a slot) of Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price and Davis AND they also have Hellickson in the hole in AAA? Makes no sense.

please, we are 40 games into the season. While I agree that they may not pay the price or salary to get him, he would immediately become the best pitcher on that staff. As good as the Rays are playing, you can always use more pitching. It's not as if Niemann or Davis are proven commodities, Price has no long track record as a shut down starter, and in any playoff series, the Rays are probably not going to have the better starter.I think the Rockies would be a better spot personally for Oswalt....plus he would get to stay in the NL.

 

[RnR]

The Rays probably have the best starting pitching in baseball. Not that Roy wouldn't help, but why would they pay him $16M and give up prospects when they would have to give up one (in order to give him a slot) of Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price and Davis AND they also have Hellickson in the hole in AAA? Makes no sense.

please, we are 40 games into the season. While I agree that they may not pay the price or salary to get him, he would immediately become the best pitcher on that staff. As good as the Rays are playing, you can always use more pitching. It's not as if Niemann or Davis are proven commodities, Price has no long track record as a shut down starter, and in any playoff series, the Rays are probably not going to have the better starter.I think the Rockies would be a better spot personally for Oswalt....plus he would get to stay in the NL.

Was about to reply with almost the same thing. The only thing the Rays are lacking is a sure-fire #1 starter. Their current five has been unbelievable, but that team is a World Series favorite with a steady stud like Oswalt to compliment their young arms.

 

[MAC_32]

The Rays probably have the best starting pitching in baseball. Not that Roy wouldn't help, but why would they pay him $16M and give up prospects when they would have to give up one (in order to give him a slot) of Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price and Davis AND they also have Hellickson in the hole in AAA? Makes no sense.

If the Tigers starting pitching doesn't improve soon I could see Illitch and Dom at least exploring the option. It really depends on the price, and by price I mean prospects. If all it will take is a collection of B and C level prospects then I think Illitch will give the thumbs up to take on the salary. If Strieby heats up he could be a real intriguing trading piece because he's blocked by Miggy and can't play the OF.

 

[Premier]

The Rays probably have the best starting pitching in baseball. Not that Roy wouldn't help, but why would they pay him $16M and give up prospects when they would have to give up one (in order to give him a slot) of Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price and Davis AND they also have Hellickson in the hole in AAA? Makes no sense.

please, we are 40 games into the season. While I agree that they may not pay the price or salary to get him, he would immediately become the best pitcher on that staff. As good as the Rays are playing, you can always use more pitching. It's not as if Niemann or Davis are proven commodities, Price has no long track record as a shut down starter, and in any playoff series, the Rays are probably not going to have the better starter.I think the Rockies would be a better spot personally for Oswalt....plus he would get to stay in the NL.

Are we talking about 2007? Or 2010? Because both Garza and Price appear to be front-line guys right now, and based off of their stuff (ie, they're not flukes) there is no reason to expect them not to be top of the rotation guys this year. If the Rays get to the playoffs, Davis won't start a game and Niemann would be a game 4 starter. Garza/Price/Shields/Niemann is going to win you playoffs series, all combined at a quarter of the price of Oswalt and with none of the prospects being given up. To be honest, Tampa may be the very last place he goes, even if you don't consider salary. Makes no sense.

 

[MAC_32]

The Rays probably have the best starting pitching in baseball. Not that Roy wouldn't help, but why would they pay him $16M and give up prospects when they would have to give up one (in order to give him a slot) of Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price and Davis AND they also have Hellickson in the hole in AAA? Makes no sense.

please, we are 40 games into the season. While I agree that they may not pay the price or salary to get him, he would immediately become the best pitcher on that staff. As good as the Rays are playing, you can always use more pitching. It's not as if Niemann or Davis are proven commodities, Price has no long track record as a shut down starter, and in any playoff series, the Rays are probably not going to have the better starter.I think the Rockies would be a better spot personally for Oswalt....plus he would get to stay in the NL.

Are we talking about 2007? Or 2010? Because both Garza and Price appear to be front-line guys right now, and based off of their stuff (ie, they're not flukes) there is no reason to expect them not to be top of the rotation guys this year. If the Rays get to the playoffs, Davis won't start a game and Niemann would be a game 4 starter. Garza/Price/Shields/Niemann is going to win you playoffs series, all combined at a quarter of the price of Oswalt and with none of the prospects being given up. To be honest, Tampa may be the very last place he goes, even if you don't consider salary. Makes no sense.

Not to mention the financial costs, this is a 1 1/2 year commitment to an organization that's already indicated they're cutting payroll after 2010. How are they going to do that with a $16 mil Oswalt on their books?

 

[Balco]

The Rays probably have the best starting pitching in baseball. Not that Roy wouldn't help, but why would they pay him $16M and give up prospects when they would have to give up one (in order to give him a slot) of Shields, Garza, Niemann, Price and Davis AND they also have Hellickson in the hole in AAA? Makes no sense.

please, we are 40 games into the season. While I agree that they may not pay the price or salary to get him, he would immediately become the best pitcher on that staff. As good as the Rays are playing, you can always use more pitching. It's not as if Niemann or Davis are proven commodities, Price has no long track record as a shut down starter, and in any playoff series, the Rays are probably not going to have the better starter.I think the Rockies would be a better spot personally for Oswalt....plus he would get to stay in the NL.

The Rays will not even show interest in Oswalt. They cannot afford him, and they don't need him. Not only do they have fantastic young putchers at the major league level, they have some studs in the minors as well.

 

[Balco]

LOL at overpaid two pitch pitcher having a nice season.Dude has the 4th best career ERA of active pitchers with a min of 1000 IP#1- Mo Rivera#2- Trevor Hoffman#3- Johan Santana#4 - Roy Oswaltoh, and #5 Jake PeavyAstros should get something very similar in return to what the Pads got for Peavy, a couple of ML ready players, and a couple of guys with some high end potential. Rockies and Rays would be ideal destinations, although I doubt the Rays will be able to afford him.

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

 

[coolnerd]

LOL at overpaid two pitch pitcher having a nice season.Dude has the 4th best career ERA of active pitchers with a min of 1000 IP#1- Mo Rivera#2- Trevor Hoffman#3- Johan Santana#4 - Roy Oswaltoh, and #5 Jake PeavyAstros should get something very similar in return to what the Pads got for Peavy, a couple of ML ready players, and a couple of guys with some high end potential. Rockies and Rays would be ideal destinations, although I doubt the Rays will be able to afford him.

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

Don't think they will get Peavy type stuff back, but that should be the goal. While I am not wishing an injury on anyone, if a contender has someone go down that would probably be the best case for them. Think that don't have to just dump him @ bargain bin prices, but probably can't get full value unless someone gets desparate.

 

[Balco]

LOL at overpaid two pitch pitcher having a nice season.Dude has the 4th best career ERA of active pitchers with a min of 1000 IP#1- Mo Rivera#2- Trevor Hoffman#3- Johan Santana#4 - Roy Oswaltoh, and #5 Jake PeavyAstros should get something very similar in return to what the Pads got for Peavy, a couple of ML ready players, and a couple of guys with some high end potential. Rockies and Rays would be ideal destinations, although I doubt the Rays will be able to afford him.

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

Don't think they will get Peavy type stuff back, but that should be the goal. While I am not wishing an injury on anyone, if a contender has someone go down that would probably be the best case for them. Think that don't have to just dump him @ bargain bin prices, but probably can't get full value unless someone gets desparate.

The only team I can think of who has the $$$ and might offer a trade is the Mets. Yankees, no. Red Sox, no. Dodgers would be a perfect fit, but they are not taking on any salary. I can't think of any other teams that would make sense financially. Rays don't need Oswalt, nor do they have the cash. And the Rockies also don't have the cash.

 

[coolnerd]

Do you (well anyone) knows how the Mets system is considered in terms of having prospects?

Also, which systems are prospect rich that the Astros should be trying to talk into trading even if Roy would be a luxury for that organization?

 

[Balco]

Do you (well anyone) knows how the Mets system is considered in terms of having prospects?Also, which systems are prospect rich that the Astros should be trying to talk into trading even if Roy would be a luxury for that organization?

I think the Mets farm is pretty bare.

 

[Balco]

Do you (well anyone) knows how the Mets system is considered in terms of having prospects?

Also, which systems are prospect rich that the Astros should be trying to talk into trading even if Roy would be a luxury for that organization?

Baseball America: Top Ten Prospects for Each TeamJust click on team icon.

 

[shadyridr]

Do you (well anyone) knows how the Mets system is considered in terms of having prospects?Also, which systems are prospect rich that the Astros should be trying to talk into trading even if Roy would be a luxury for that organization?

Mets farm system has improved a lot in the last few years but its still not great. They wont trade Ike or Jenrry IMO. Maybe Fernando Martinez but thats obviously not enough for Roy. Didnt the Mets trade for Roy a few years ago but something happened to overturn the trade?

 

[Balco]

Do you (well anyone) knows how the Mets system is considered in terms of having prospects?Also, which systems are prospect rich that the Astros should be trying to talk into trading even if Roy would be a luxury for that organization?

Mets farm system has improved a lot in the last few years but its still not great. They wont trade Ike or Jenrry IMO. Maybe Fernando Martinez but thats obviously not enough for Roy. Didnt the Mets trade for Roy a few years ago but something happened to overturn the trade?

Martinez is more than enough for Oswalt, and I would be surprised if the Mets parted with him.

 

[shadyridr]

Do you (well anyone) knows how the Mets system is considered in terms of having prospects?Also, which systems are prospect rich that the Astros should be trying to talk into trading even if Roy would be a luxury for that organization?

Mets farm system has improved a lot in the last few years but its still not great. They wont trade Ike or Jenrry IMO. Maybe Fernando Martinez but thats obviously not enough for Roy. Didnt the Mets trade for Roy a few years ago but something happened to overturn the trade?

Martinez is more than enough for Oswalt, and I would be surprised if the Mets parted with him.

really? The guys lost a bit of his luster for whatever reason.

 

[The Kansas Comet]

The Dodgers could sure use him, but McCourt wouldn't pony up the cash to pay him and would have to overpay with prospects as a result.

 

[guru_007]

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

I guess you don't watch baseball? Have you watched him pitch this year? He's still very good, and 32 is not exactly 37. And he is only under contract for one year after this so it's not a long term financial commitment. And Peavy has a pretty substantial injury history and had a torn sheath in his ankle at the time of the trade. And Peavy is under contract for the next 3-4 years, and is due something like $22/M per year at the end of the contract. And Oswalt has been remarkably consistent over the course of his career.Another very possible destination for Oswalt is the Dodgers. Obviously best case for the Astros is multiple teams showing interest, and I'm pretty sure that come summer time this will be the case. They are going get major league ready talent. Why would they part with their best player for some low minor league guys? Doesn't make sense. Sure, they shed some payroll, but who the hell is going to go to the games? Trade their most popular player for nothing? You may not want to quit your day job. Now, if Carlos Lee was on the block, then yes, the Astros should ditch him for a couple of low A guys to shed that massive contract. Lee is no longer all-star caliber player or even close.

 

[Balco]

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

I guess you don't watch baseball? Have you watched him pitch this year? He's still very good, and 32 is not exactly 37. And he is only under contract for one year after this so it's not a long term financial commitment. And Peavy has a pretty substantial injury history and had a torn sheath in his ankle at the time of the trade. And Peavy is under contract for the next 3-4 years, and is due something like $22/M per year at the end of the contract. And Oswalt has been remarkably consistent over the course of his career.Another very possible destination for Oswalt is the Dodgers. Obviously best case for the Astros is multiple teams showing interest, and I'm pretty sure that come summer time this will be the case. They are going get major league ready talent. Why would they part with their best player for some low minor league guys? Doesn't make sense. Sure, they shed some payroll, but who the hell is going to go to the games? Trade their most popular player for nothing? You may not want to quit your day job. Now, if Carlos Lee was on the block, then yes, the Astros should ditch him for a couple of low A guys to shed that massive contract. Lee is no longer all-star caliber player or even close.

The Astros attendance has been poor the last several years even with their most popular player on the team. If I was a fan of the Astros, I would realize that as constructed, the team is not going anywhere anytime soon. I would want my gm to shed salary, and spend that saved salary on the draft and foreign free agents. 17 mil is a ton of money for 1 33 year old pitcher, who, although he has pitched well to the start of the season, has steadily dropped in dominance the last couple of years. He is a solid pitcher, but he does absolutely nothing for the Astros right now. And the team that acquires him gets a 33 year old pitcher with a sky high salary. Most teams in MLB are shedding payroll. Giving up "major league ready talent" (I am assuming you meant a couple major league ready players), would be an unbelievable deal for oswalt. Trade a 33 year old, who is making in excess of 16 mil per the next two years, for 2 players who will have very low salaries and be under team control for several years? No brainer for the Astros. Questionable for any other team not named the Yankees.I am a Red Sox fan who would be irate if the Sox gave up a couple major league ready prospects for Oswalt, despite the pitching woes they currently have.Astros trade Oswalt for a couple Double A/Single A players, and use some of the cash savings on the draft/international players.

 

[RnR]

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

I guess you don't watch baseball? Have you watched him pitch this year? He's still very good, and 32 is not exactly 37. And he is only under contract for one year after this so it's not a long term financial commitment. And Peavy has a pretty substantial injury history and had a torn sheath in his ankle at the time of the trade. And Peavy is under contract for the next 3-4 years, and is due something like $22/M per year at the end of the contract. And Oswalt has been remarkably consistent over the course of his career.Another very possible destination for Oswalt is the Dodgers. Obviously best case for the Astros is multiple teams showing interest, and I'm pretty sure that come summer time this will be the case. They are going get major league ready talent. Why would they part with their best player for some low minor league guys? Doesn't make sense. Sure, they shed some payroll, but who the hell is going to go to the games? Trade their most popular player for nothing? You may not want to quit your day job. Now, if Carlos Lee was on the block, then yes, the Astros should ditch him for a couple of low A guys to shed that massive contract. Lee is no longer all-star caliber player or even close.

The Astros attendance has been poor the last several years even with their most popular player on the team. If I was a fan of the Astros, I would realize that as constructed, the team is not going anywhere anytime soon. I would want my gm to shed salary, and spend that saved salary on the draft and foreign free agents. 17 mil is a ton of money for 1 33 year old pitcher, who, although he has pitched well to the start of the season, has steadily dropped in dominance the last couple of years. He is a solid pitcher, but he does absolutely nothing for the Astros right now. And the team that acquires him gets a 33 year old pitcher with a sky high salary. Most teams in MLB are shedding payroll. Giving up "major league ready talent" (I am assuming you meant a couple major league ready players), would be an unbelievable deal for oswalt. Trade a 33 year old, who is making in excess of 16 mil per the next two years, for 2 players who will have very low salaries and be under team control for several years? No brainer for the Astros. Questionable for any other team not named the Yankees.I am a Red Sox fan who would be irate if the Sox gave up a couple major league ready prospects for Oswalt, despite the pitching woes they currently have.Astros trade Oswalt for a couple Double A/Single A players, and use some of the cash savings on the draft/international players.

Lots of dumb in this thread. No offense.

 

[Balco]

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

I guess you don't watch baseball? Have you watched him pitch this year? He's still very good, and 32 is not exactly 37. And he is only under contract for one year after this so it's not a long term financial commitment. And Peavy has a pretty substantial injury history and had a torn sheath in his ankle at the time of the trade. And Peavy is under contract for the next 3-4 years, and is due something like $22/M per year at the end of the contract. And Oswalt has been remarkably consistent over the course of his career.Another very possible destination for Oswalt is the Dodgers. Obviously best case for the Astros is multiple teams showing interest, and I'm pretty sure that come summer time this will be the case. They are going get major league ready talent. Why would they part with their best player for some low minor league guys? Doesn't make sense. Sure, they shed some payroll, but who the hell is going to go to the games? Trade their most popular player for nothing? You may not want to quit your day job. Now, if Carlos Lee was on the block, then yes, the Astros should ditch him for a couple of low A guys to shed that massive contract. Lee is no longer all-star caliber player or even close.

The Astros attendance has been poor the last several years even with their most popular player on the team. If I was a fan of the Astros, I would realize that as constructed, the team is not going anywhere anytime soon. I would want my gm to shed salary, and spend that saved salary on the draft and foreign free agents. 17 mil is a ton of money for 1 33 year old pitcher, who, although he has pitched well to the start of the season, has steadily dropped in dominance the last couple of years. He is a solid pitcher, but he does absolutely nothing for the Astros right now. And the team that acquires him gets a 33 year old pitcher with a sky high salary. Most teams in MLB are shedding payroll. Giving up "major league ready talent" (I am assuming you meant a couple major league ready players), would be an unbelievable deal for oswalt. Trade a 33 year old, who is making in excess of 16 mil per the next two years, for 2 players who will have very low salaries and be under team control for several years? No brainer for the Astros. Questionable for any other team not named the Yankees.I am a Red Sox fan who would be irate if the Sox gave up a couple major league ready prospects for Oswalt, despite the pitching woes they currently have.Astros trade Oswalt for a couple Double A/Single A players, and use some of the cash savings on the draft/international players.

Lots of dumb in this thread. No offense.

No offense taken. Please elaborate. Are you saying that the Astros should get more? Are you disputing that Oswalt's skill set hasn't declined the last couple of years? Are you saying that Astros fans are cool with the team as set up and don't think they should shed salary and rebuild?Would love to hear from Astros fans.

 

[Premier]

Lots of dumb in this thread. No offense.

Wow, way to come off like a doosh. I think Balco is 100% correct here. Who can afford $31 million over the next two years for this guy? You can whittle the list of teams in baseball down to 5-7. From there, the Yanks, Phils and Sox already have a ton invested in their rotation, the Mets suck and probably won't spend the money, the Astros would probably be hesitant to send him to the Cardinals and Cubs and that's probably it. Maybe the Angels.There will be a market for him, but not as big as people think.

 

[guru_007]

The Astros attendance has been poor the last several years even with their most popular player on the team. If I was a fan of the Astros, I would realize that as constructed, the team is not going anywhere anytime soon. I would want my gm to shed salary, and spend that saved salary on the draft and foreign free agents. 17 mil is a ton of money for 1 33 year old pitcher, who, although he has pitched well to the start of the season, has steadily dropped in dominance the last couple of years. He is a solid pitcher, but he does absolutely nothing for the Astros right now. And the team that acquires him gets a 33 year old pitcher with a sky high salary. Most teams in MLB are shedding payroll. Giving up "major league ready talent" (I am assuming you meant a couple major league ready players), would be an unbelievable deal for oswalt. Trade a 33 year old, who is making in excess of 16 mil per the next two years, for 2 players who will have very low salaries and be under team control for several years? No brainer for the Astros. Questionable for any other team not named the Yankees.I am a Red Sox fan who would be irate if the Sox gave up a couple major league ready prospects for Oswalt, despite the pitching woes they currently have.Astros trade Oswalt for a couple Double A/Single A players, and use some of the cash savings on the draft/international players.

ughhhhhhhhhhAstros attendance was so-so last year. They averaged over 31,000 per game (stadium only holds about 38,000), and the team was out of contention by August. Their attendance the year previous was nearly 35,000 per game, for over 90% capacity. Their attendance has not been poor the past few years.I think most fans of the Astros DO realize the team is not going anywhere anytime soon, but your notion to accept two low A guys for Roy O is never going to fly. Oswalt is only 32, still. He doesn't turn 33 until August.yes, $16 mil/year is a lot of money for a pitcher. But the guy is still one of the best pitchers in the game. As I've already stated above, he has the second best ERA of any active starter with 1000IP. And this year he is sporting a 2.6 something era....and Minute MAid is hardly a pitchers park. HE may not have 4-5 years left in him, but 1 1/2 is certainly within reason.Obviously the Red Sox are not going to go after Oswalt,....but he is making LESS than Lackey whom the Red Sox just signed in the offseason....and for my money, OSwalt is the better pitcher between those two, so it's not exactly like Oswalt is getting paid some ludicrous sum of money.I think more than a handful of teams can afford a $16/million pitcher. And I willnot get into the Astros GM making smart moves, because frankly Wade is piss poor in my eyes. Pedro Feliz? Seriously? The Astros are handcuffed for sure, but Oswalt is their one good chip and I don't think they just dump him for salary shedding. Unless McClain is intending on selling the team (a distinct possibility).

 

[igbomb]

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

I guess you don't watch baseball? Have you watched him pitch this year? He's still very good, and 32 is not exactly 37. And he is only under contract for one year after this so it's not a long term financial commitment. And Peavy has a pretty substantial injury history and had a torn sheath in his ankle at the time of the trade. And Peavy is under contract for the next 3-4 years, and is due something like $22/M per year at the end of the contract. And Oswalt has been remarkably consistent over the course of his career.Another very possible destination for Oswalt is the Dodgers. Obviously best case for the Astros is multiple teams showing interest, and I'm pretty sure that come summer time this will be the case. They are going get major league ready talent. Why would they part with their best player for some low minor league guys? Doesn't make sense. Sure, they shed some payroll, but who the hell is going to go to the games? Trade their most popular player for nothing? You may not want to quit your day job. Now, if Carlos Lee was on the block, then yes, the Astros should ditch him for a couple of low A guys to shed that massive contract. Lee is no longer all-star caliber player or even close.

The Astros attendance has been poor the last several years even with their most popular player on the team. If I was a fan of the Astros, I would realize that as constructed, the team is not going anywhere anytime soon. I would want my gm to shed salary, and spend that saved salary on the draft and foreign free agents. 17 mil is a ton of money for 1 33 year old pitcher, who, although he has pitched well to the start of the season, has steadily dropped in dominance the last couple of years. He is a solid pitcher, but he does absolutely nothing for the Astros right now. And the team that acquires him gets a 33 year old pitcher with a sky high salary. Most teams in MLB are shedding payroll. Giving up "major league ready talent" (I am assuming you meant a couple major league ready players), would be an unbelievable deal for oswalt. Trade a 33 year old, who is making in excess of 16 mil per the next two years, for 2 players who will have very low salaries and be under team control for several years? No brainer for the Astros. Questionable for any other team not named the Yankees.I am a Red Sox fan who would be irate if the Sox gave up a couple major league ready prospects for Oswalt, despite the pitching woes they currently have.Astros trade Oswalt for a couple Double A/Single A players, and use some of the cash savings on the draft/international players.

Lots of dumb in this thread. No offense.

No offense taken. Please elaborate. Are you saying that the Astros should get more? Are you disputing that Oswalt's skill set hasn't declined the last couple of years? Are you saying that Astros fans are cool with the team as set up and don't think they should shed salary and rebuild?Would love to hear from Astros fans.

Oswalt's skill set hasn't declined at all. Since 2004, his K/9, BB/9 and WHIP are all incredibly consistent. He's the same pitcher he was six years ago.

 

[TommyGilmore]

Too late, I already cut him.

 

[RnR]

??? This is 2010. Oswalt has had a nice career, but he will be 33 and is owed a lot of money. They would be very lucky to get what the Pads got for Peavy, who is 4 years younger.If the Astros get 10 cents on the dollar, they need tom trade Oswalt to shed the salary from their payroll. Gettiig a couple low minor guys with upside should be their goal. Their major league team is atrocious and their minor league system is even worse. This team needs to shed salary and start from scratch,

I guess you don't watch baseball? Have you watched him pitch this year? He's still very good, and 32 is not exactly 37. And he is only under contract for one year after this so it's not a long term financial commitment. And Peavy has a pretty substantial injury history and had a torn sheath in his ankle at the time of the trade. And Peavy is under contract for the next 3-4 years, and is due something like $22/M per year at the end of the contract. And Oswalt has been remarkably consistent over the course of his career.Another very possible destination for Oswalt is the Dodgers. Obviously best case for the Astros is multiple teams showing interest, and I'm pretty sure that come summer time this will be the case. They are going get major league ready talent. Why would they part with their best player for some low minor league guys? Doesn't make sense. Sure, they shed some payroll, but who the hell is going to go to the games? Trade their most popular player for nothing? You may not want to quit your day job. Now, if Carlos Lee was on the block, then yes, the Astros should ditch him for a couple of low A guys to shed that massive contract. Lee is no longer all-star caliber player or even close.

The Astros attendance has been poor the last several years even with their most popular player on the team. If I was a fan of the Astros, I would realize that as constructed, the team is not going anywhere anytime soon. I would want my gm to shed salary, and spend that saved salary on the draft and foreign free agents. 17 mil is a ton of money for 1 33 year old pitcher, who, although he has pitched well to the start of the season, has steadily dropped in dominance the last couple of years. He is a solid pitcher, but he does absolutely nothing for the Astros right now. And the team that acquires him gets a 33 year old pitcher with a sky high salary. Most teams in MLB are shedding payroll. Giving up "major league ready talent" (I am assuming you meant a couple major league ready players), would be an unbelievable deal for oswalt. Trade a 33 year old, who is making in excess of 16 mil per the next two years, for 2 players who will have very low salaries and be under team control for several years? No brainer for the Astros. Questionable for any other team not named the Yankees.I am a Red Sox fan who would be irate if the Sox gave up a couple major league ready prospects for Oswalt, despite the pitching woes they currently have.Astros trade Oswalt for a couple Double A/Single A players, and use some of the cash savings on the draft/international players.

Lots of dumb in this thread. No offense.

No offense taken. Please elaborate. Are you saying that the Astros should get more? Are you disputing that Oswalt's skill set hasn't declined the last couple of years? Are you saying that Astros fans are cool with the team as set up and don't think they should shed salary and rebuild?Would love to hear from Astros fans.

I apologize, I probably shouldn't have been so dramatic. Wasn't even your post that really made me feel that way.Oswalt is 32. His contract ends a month after he turns 34. That's still perfectly within the starting pitcher wheelhouse of "prime" seasons. I'm not denying that his 2009 was a little underwhelming for what we've come to expect from him, nor am I denying that he may have lost a MPH or two on his heater that he may have had 3 or 4 years ago. What he does offer is a skill set that is very much desirable to a contending team. Career 6.6 IP per start, 7.4 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 3.21 ERA, sub 1.20 WHIP... these are numbers that scream "front-line starter." Combine that with the bulldog mentality and professional approach, you've got yourselves an ace and someone that instantly makes your staff better in all facets of the game.I challenge you to find me even ten pitchers in baseball that have this kind of proven track record. It just isn't out there. Even a guy like Josh Beckett doesn't line up to Oswalt in terms of being consistently productive, yet no one would bat an eye at paying Beckett that kind of money for the next two seasons (Disastrous start to 2010 aside). I would agree that the market for his contract is somewhat limited given that most teams are already at or near their budget for the 2010 season. I'll also agree that acquiring MLB ready talent will not be an easy task. There's probably a market of 10-12 teams that could realistically: 1- Afford him. 2- Use him as a boost for a playoff run. 3- Have the talent required to acquire him via trade.If 3 or 4 of those potential teams recognize Oswalt as a commodity that helps them take the next step in 2010 and 2011, I think that makes for a market that should bear fruit for the Astros.

 

[Berserker]

I think the Rangers could be a good fit. Most of their young bats are already up and not tradable. But they have an insane amount of good pitching prospects. They probably won't let Perez go, but maybe Scheppers and Ogando for Oswalt...throw in Chris Davis?

 

[heckmanm]

He's an overpaid two-pitch pitcher, but he is having a nice season. AS an AStros fan, I fully support them trading him. This team is going absolutely nowhere and the farm system is a joke. I'd be trading everyone on the roster except most of them have no value.

Didn't even know he posted here. What did Joe ban him for?

 

[Dr. Awesome]

The Dodgers could sure use him, but McCourt wouldn't pony up the cash to pay him and would have to overpay with prospects as a result.

I can't think of a better fit for him.

 

[oso diablo]

if they weren't in same division, i could see a nice fit with the Reds

 

[guru_007]

if they weren't in same division, i could see a nice fit with the Reds

especially considering he is like 23-2 lifetime against them Actually he would be a great fit for the Cubs, Cards and Brewers too....I think all NL Central teams may have to pay a premium though

 

[guru_007]

"We believe we can win with the guys that we have here,” Wade said. “I still think that as the offense continues to improve, and it will improve, that we have a chance to get back into this thing.”

I feel sorry for Astros fans. Ever since Hunsicker left, they've been run into the ground by incompetence.

 

[cheese]

if they weren't in same division, i could see a nice fit with the Reds

I actually think these 2 would work together if they thought it could help them. Although, based on some of the offers that I've seen thrown out from other teams, I don't think the Reds would bite at the price. They would probably offer something like Alonso, Harang, Heisey for Oswalt and Lindstrom. If the Astros can get that level of player somewhere else without taking salary for this year in return, they should do it in a hearbeat. If not, I expect the Reds will try to push them someone making money in the deal. Probably Harang with the assumption that he will be bought out (2.5M IIRC) after the season.

 

[Dr. Awesome]

"We believe we can win with the guys that we have here,” Wade said. “I still think that as the offense continues to improve, and it will improve, that we have a chance to get back into this thing.” I feel sorry for Astros fans. Ever since Hunsicker left, they've been run into the ground by incompetence.

Worst franchise in baseball? Certainly amongst the worst.