Weird... my guess is that Crane knows he will sell tickets, and wants to solidify bonds with former players... sure the GM wants to possibly flip him later.
This is sick. Berkman and Oswalt about to be Cards together. http://tracking.si.com/2012/01/28/report-roy-oswalt-nearing-deal-with-cardinals/ I hope he comes back to the Astros.
No offense, but if I were an older player without a world series title, I don't thing I would sign with the Astros right now.
Well, for some people it's not about getting a ring. He must've loved the city and playing here and he must put a lot of importance on that or we wouldn't be on the list. I'm not sure there's quite the connection in baseball between reputation and winning a ring the same way there is in basketball or for QB's in football. In those situations, it seems like you have to have won a championship in order to be considered great and that doesn't really seem to be the case in baseball.
Multiple sources confirming he's about to sign with Cardinals. But if you could pick him up for $3-5 million and trade him at the deadline, you could get more prospects out of this. Not a bad gamble.
The Astros* are not going to get into a bidding war on Roy O. They don't have the money. * For anybody reading this 50 years from its original post. The Houston Astros were a National League baseball team for the first fifty years or so of the franchise. In a dark moment in their history, they were forced to change their name and move to the American League.
Astros remain in mix as possibility to sign free-agent right-hander Roy Oswalt Stephen Goff Houston Astros Examiner Three-time All-Star right-handed pitcher Roy Oswalt spent the first nine and a half seasons of his career as a dominant force for the Astros. Now, the organization that selected him out of Holmes CC in the 23rd round of the 1996 First-Year Player Draft reportedly wants him back. Mike Silverman of the Boston Herald tweeted Friday night that the Astros, Red Sox and Cardinals remain in the mix to sign him. However, Jim Duquette of MLB Network Radio reported that Oswalt and the Cardinals are close to agreeing to terms on a deal. An MLB source told Examiner.com Friday that Oswalt plans to make his final decision over the next day or two, and that he's leaning toward a one-year deal worth close to $5 million with St. Louis. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com recently tweeted that Boston has offered Oswalt a contract, but was unsure of the pitcher's interest level. The Rangers and Oswalt have also reportedly expressed a mutual interest. Peter Gammons of MLB Network reported that Oswalt would like to play for the Rangers and well-respected pitching coach Mike Maddux. With the Rangers already featuring a full starting rotation for 2012, the chances continue to decrease of him landing with Texas. Plus, multiple reports indicate that Oswalt has rejected a one-year, $10 million contract offer from the Tigers, mainly due to the veteran's desire to play as close as possible to his home in Mississippi. Ultimately, Oswalt found himself with plenty of options this offseason, especially since he's willing to sign a one-year deal. Oswalt, 34, went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA over 139 innings in 23 starts for the Phillies during an injury-plagued 2011 regular season. The veteran had two stints on the DL with back issues. He was acquired by Philadelphia via trade from the Astros on July 29, 2010 and posted a 7-1 record with a 1.74 ERA over 13 games (12 starts) down the stretch for Charlie Manuel's squad. Oswalt joined Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels in what was labeled a "dream team" starting rotation for the Phillies in 2011. Although the Phillies finished with the best record (102-60) in Major League Baseball, they were eliminated in the NLDS by St. Louis. Philadelphia declined their part of Oswalt's $16 million mutual option for 2012 and paid him a $2 million buyout, making him a free agent. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. stated the ballclub would remain in contact with Oswalt about the possibility of re-signing him. The Phillies haven't shown much interest in Oswalt. Despite Oswalt being close to a deal with the Cardinals, the biggest surprise revolves around the Astros' interest in his services. Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow told Examiner.com this offseason that he didn't anticipate the club being active on the market. New owner Jim Crane has echoed the same thoughts, but at the same time, recently stated that Luhnow is controlling the club's payroll. "Jeff's got the budget, and he's on budget," Crane said. "That can certainly change, if something else changes. I think he's been focused on filling some of the holes we have. I think you can expect him to do more as the year progresses and to sign some more later on. He's formulated that as he's gone along. It'll be good to get down to Spring Training and get an update on that from him." At this point, it's hard to believe Oswalt turning down an offer from a contender in order to reunite with a rebuilding Astros squad. Still, stranger things have happened. Oswalt established himself as an Astros icon, as his 143 wins with Houston remain one shy of tying Joe Niekro for the most in club history. Also, he ranks second in club history behind Nolan Ryan with 1,593 strikeouts, third all-time in innings pitched (1,932 1/3) and third behind Larry Dierker and Niekro in games started (303). He was also the 2005 NLCS MVP for Houston. If Oswalt elects to return to the Astros, it would likely increase season-ticket sales and generate additional walk-up interest for home games. That's something Houston desperately needs after finishing the 2011 campaign with the worst record (56-106) in Major League Baseball. By remaining in the mix for Oswalt, it's a smart move on the part of the Astros' front office, considering the worst he can say is "no."
If 5 or 6 million is all he costs i say go ahead and do it. It of course won't make us a competitive team, but it will make the team a little more interesting. And maybe he lights it up and you can flip him at the deadline. Certainly worth it to me.
The Cardinals have dealt with losing Pujols about as well as any fan of theirs could have hoped. They got Beltran on a reasonable contract, they get Wainwright back healthy, they appear to be close to getting Roy Oswalt to be their number four starter, David Freese is coming off a torrid World Series and with Pujols gone, it opens up at-bats for Allen Craig. With the Brewers losing Fielder and (maybe) Braun for 50 games, it's tough to see a scenario where the Cardinals don't win the division.
I agree... Pujols did not seem quite as good the last year or two either. The potential is there for the Cardinals to be an elite team again. However, will Berkman, Oswalt, Wainwright stay healthy and perform like they can? Many question marks for the Cardinals, but their defense should be better and their rotation has the potential to be dominant.... also, they have some very useful players in the minors that can provide depth.
if nothing else I think its a good pr move by the Astros. like someone else mentioned worse thing he could do is say no.
Oswalt is my favorite player of all time... I'll root for him on any team besides the Rangers. Don't turn on me Roy. I hope he goes somewhere to compete for a ring though.
I'm so torn on this. Roy is one of my favorite players in the history of the organization, so I would love to watch him finish his career here. He would also put butts in the MMP seats. But on the other hand, the Astros are in total rebuilding mode and I'm excited to watch the young pitching staff come into their own. The only way to do that is with game experience. I'd still offer Roy 2 years $12 mil. He was always a great teammate and hard worker so he could mentor some of the younger players coming up.. as well as finally claim that elusive "Most Wins by an Astros Pitcher"
