Reports: Your move, Roy
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Reports: Your move, Roy
Matt Gelb, Inquirer Staff Writer
And now we wait. Apparently. Maybe. Possibly.
Multiple outlets are reporting what KRIV-TV in Houston first reported early Thursday morning: The Phillies and Astros have agreed upon a package of players to be exchanged for righthander Roy Oswalt. The trade has been presented to Oswalt, who has a full no-trade clause, for his consideration.
The two teams have also reportedly agreed on a way to handle the remainder of Oswalt's salary. ESPN is reporting the Phillies have asked the Astros to pay a "significant portion" of the $5 million Oswalt is due for the remainder of this season plus the $16 million Oswalt is due in 2011.
Then, of course, there is the $16 million club option for 2012.
That has been the sticking point all along, a baseball source told The Inquirer earlier in the week.
"Oswalt has [Astros general manager] Ed Wade and everybody else at his mercy because of that no-trade clause," the source said. "I know the Phillies thought they were close to having it done last week, but I think the difference was that option year."
The Phillies and Astros could think they are close to a deal again, but it's all in Oswalt's hands now.
If Houston is to pay a "significant portion" of the money due to Oswalt, that would require the Phillies to surrender better players in return for the pitcher. Lefthander J.A. Happ would go in a deal. So too would righthander Vance Worley, whom The Inquirer first reported was a Houston target.
Beyond that, one or two of the Lakewood pitchers could go: From Jarred Cosart to Brody Colvin to Trevor May or Josh Zeid. Jonathan Singleton has been mentioned as a possible player to move, but the Phillies have insisted before he be kept out of talks.
Initially, the Phillies had hoped to move Jayson Werth, a free agent at season's end, to another contender in return for prospects. Those prospects could be flipped to Houston in a deal for Oswalt.
But now, since Werth is not likely to be traded with Shane Victorino out at least three weeks, the Phillies would have to take on the additional payroll in an Oswalt deal and also surrender some of their prospects.
There are so many things to consider with a possible deal. One: If the Phillies agreed to guarantee Oswalt's $16 million option year, they will have committed $100.45 million to eight players for the 2012 season. That's just not going to work, unless management is committed to expanding the payroll.
That is likely why the Phillies have asked the Astros to pay some of Oswalt's salary.
Two: Cliff Lee? OK, we said it.
At this point, it would be shocking if Oswalt put the kibosh on the trade. No, he may not want to play in Philadelphia. But he demanded a trade back in May. If his monetary demands can be met (by both the Astros and Phillies chipping in cash), how could he reject the deal? He would have the chance to play for a contender.
And so we wait.
The Phillies are not going to outbid the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox for Cliff Lee. If you wait and hope to sign Cliff Lee you won't get him, and in the meantime, the Phillies will lose to the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 NLCS because the Giants will knock Happ and Blanton out in the 4th inning.— Gnip Gnop- Why does this team and the writers worry about payroll. The Phils arbitrary $140 million budget is just that. Baseball does not have a salary cap. The Luxury Tax does not kick in until the $170 million mark. The Red Sox are right at it and of course the Yankees are way over it. Aren't those the two likely teams they would face if they made it to the Series again. They need three top of the rotation starters to match up against them. They have only two and Ruben will not give Worley a chance to be the third. So then get Oswalt to cover your flank on the Lee debacle.— Dull
- Lee again? Why not bring up Fergie Jenkins while you're at it? Let it go, bro! Happ is a good one with alot of upside. Why do the Phillies insist on keeping Singleton when Howard is signed through 2017? A bargaining chip in the future? Unless they try to train him at anothe position he may never be a Phille anyway.— stop2think
- The batboy screws up again. Oswalt is the wrong move-get Scott Downs because, DUH, the Phils need bullpen help. May as well trade for Payton Oswalt......— hoverer
- I think this trade highlights, perfectly, how silly it was to trade Cliff Lee. Although it remains to be seen which prospects of these trades will actually pan out (my inkling is that only Kyle Drabek has starting pitcher stuff after Carrasco's dreadful showing), we've effectively depleted our minor league ranks of potential starting pitching depth. Granted, we're not giving up our top prospect (Brown), but why on earth did we give up Drabek? We could have had Cliff Lee for this season and kept Drabek, ultimately giving him a year to develop until he eventually joined our rotation.— mnnemiro
- I have a question for all the Amaro apologists out there. IF the Phils do trade several prospects to acquire Oswalt, then who do they trade to restock the farm system? Halladay? Howard? Hamels? Someone will have to go. Why? Because restocking the farm teams with mediocre prospects IS what this is all about. ISN'T IT!!!— SkinnyJoey
If the Phillies had kept Lee, we'd be out of Afghanistan by now and would have cured cancer!! People, please let it go.— John621- If this team had kept Grover Cleveland Alexander, they would have won 10 World Series by now!— Mike P
- This whole thing is a huge mess. I have this gut feeling that Oswalt is going to be a bust if we sign him. Hopefully I am wrong, and our possible playoff rotation of Roy H., Cole, and Roy O can carry us.— jphil
- @SkinnyJoey - You and the other haters out there seem to have forgotten that Amaro was TOLD TO TRADE LEE by Phils President Dave Montgomery. I acknowledge that Amaro has made some bad moves on his own, but this constant blaming Amaro for the Lee trade is idiotic. Montgomery told Amaro that the team wasn't going to spend the money to keep Lee and Blanton and to trade Lee to restock the farm system. You're all blaming the wrong member of the front office.— jsk123
I agree that Happ is no big loss. As much as Rubes messed up with the Lee trade, this is a way to get at least partway back where the team needs to be in order to contend for a World Series. I, too, hope Oswalt will see sense, agree to come to the Big Mean East Coast and handle it like Country Cliff Lee, not Country Kevin Millwood.
IDIOT WATCH: if Amaro gives away Happ, Worley and a third pitcher in this deal, he retains the title of IDIOT for depleting the farm system of good young arms. And it's more apparent the Phillies are the only team interested in Oswalt at this point so Ruben is bidding against himself. I guess that answers the question "who's he trying to impress?"
What is Oswalt waiting for? Does he really want to win that badly if he mulling it over this long?- I am not a big Happ fan. He walks too many batters, and if he were healthy all year I think you would have seen hitters catch up to him and he would have had little value. Remember Kyle kendrick took the world by surprise his rookie year. Happ is the left handed version of Kendrick, maybe a step up from that. It shouldnt be a huge loss, then again look at Gavin Floyd now. Time will tell.— Big D phillies fan
- Really would prefer bullpen help. It would impact 60% of our games when our 3,4 & 5 pitchers start. Happ plus a decent bullpen is usually going to get a win. Even Blanton plus a decent bullpen is usually going to get a win. Kendrick plus a decent long man will sometimes get a win. There you have it: .650 baseball!— jamesiri
