Oswalt to St. Louis? A little "what would you give?" game.

by mtalken on Apr 25, 2008 11:16 PM EDT

Link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/bb/5729414.html

In a Houston Chronicle article, apparently some reporter asked Oswalt about the possibility of a trade, since apparently he's coming up on free agency.

Oswalt's comments basically indicated he's happy in Houston, but that if the team asked him about a trade, he's consider waiving his no-trade clause. Furthermore, while Oswalt himself made no statements concerning who he'd be willing to pitch for and who he wouldn't be, "people close to him say he wouldn't want to pitch in the New York market and that he'd only consider the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves."

First things first. It's crazy to really think this is going to happen, at least at this point. We're trying to get younger, we're trying to build for the future, and we're trying to see who's worth keeping around and who's not. Furthermore, Oswalt is happy and the Astros are certainly far from considering entering selling mode (afterall, we're 20 games into a season after their GM traded for Miguel Tejada). So, please, by no means consider this post to be a legitimate possibility.

The game I thought I'd play though, is twofold.

1) What would you give up to get Roy Oswalt, if we're still in it at the All-Star Break and Houston was willing to trade him?

2) What contract would you be willing to give Oswalt in order to keep him? (Because he would most definitely want a contract extension to waive his no-trade clause.)

Assumptions for the game, so we're all on the same page.

1) Oswalt will waive his no-trade if given a chance to pitch in St. Louis and given a contract extension he is willing to sign.

2) Oswalt will be the same guy he's been the last 3 years (2.94, 2.98, 3.18 ERAs from 05-07) and not the current 6.00 ERA guy he is now.

3) Don't worry about what you think you could get Oswalt for, say what's the most you'd be willing to give up. Of course, we would all assume you'd start lower, and hope the GM would be silly enough to go for a Brad Thompson for Oswalt trade, straight up, but that's no fun. Would you give up Rasmus? Would you give up Garcia? Perez? Izturis? (haha). No dumping players with negative trade value and saying Houston would want them, either, Kennedy and Izturis shouldn't be part of your trade.

Anyway, have at it. What would you give up? What would you offer Oswalt in order to get him to waive his no-trade?

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Comments

Why do we have to assume

"I believe he’s been reincarnated, that he played before, in the twenties and thirties, and he’s back to prove something." - Former teammate Mark McGwire about Albert Pujols

by cardzfan24 on Apr 25, 2008 11:40 PM EDT reply actions

well if he is the same guy

I say Schumaker, Wellemeyer, Ottavino

by from First to Third on Apr 25, 2008 11:45 PM EDT reply actions

I'd want to sling

a 3 yr 27 mil gar. 18 mil in incentives

by from First to Third on Apr 25, 2008 11:47 PM EDT up reply actions

He's not a FA, no extension needed

Oswalt is signed through 2011, with a club option for 2012.

-M.

Any comments, opinions, or observations I post here are mine and mine alone. They should not be taken as any sort of statement on behalf of my employer.

by MatthewHLeach on Apr 26, 2008 1:45 AM EDT reply actions

only reason I bring that up is...

The article discusses it:

“It’s also considered likely that — as is his right — Oswalt would also renegotiate his contract with the team that wants him before accepting a deal.”

by mtalken on Apr 27, 2008 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Oswalt would be nice to have

but I think this team is in more of a need of a productive HR/RBI hitter.
You can never have too much pitching, but if we are going to trade away some talent I think it needs to go for getting another good hitter. A guy that can hit behind Pujols and hit with some consistancy.

Yeah I remember we have Duncan and Ludwick and even Roy Hobbs, but these guys are just too streaky and have never been consistant at the plate to be a REAL threat behind Albert in the line-up.

by KYCards on Apr 26, 2008 2:00 AM EDT reply actions

if he isn't hurt

Anything but APU and AW. At this point I’d even throw carpenter in, if he’d go. Oz’d be incredibly expensive, however, and i was assuming he was hurt before his last start. Still am, actually; guess we’ll see.

With the contract he’s signed to, I’d probably even consider trading for an injured Oswalt who needed TJ, if that’s the problem.

And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill...

by SleepyCA on Apr 26, 2008 2:52 AM EDT reply actions

I'd poop my pants

for an Oswalt/Carp/Wainer rotation. That, my friends, is what we call a playoff rotation.

Rasmus or bust.

by Zoop on Apr 26, 2008 10:35 AM EDT reply actions

Oswalt will not be dealt to a division rival.

By the time he’s a free agent again, he’ll be too old to take on the risk of a long term contract.

She isn't crazy, she's just not impressed.

by jillsinmo on Apr 26, 2008 12:26 PM EDT reply actions

There's zero chance of this

Zero. The Astros would never trade him in the division—if they’d ever trade him at all.

by mojowo11 on Apr 26, 2008 4:24 PM EDT reply actions

agreed.

never would this happen within the division. If the astros ever fell to the level of the pirates, start the discussion at Rasmus and Kozma. Houston would balk at anything less

"Ding-dong the wicked witch is dead!" - Wayne Hagin after the cardinals snapped a losing streak

by The Ghost of Todd Burns on Apr 26, 2008 7:32 PM EDT up reply actions

too expensive

not necessarily money-wise, but talent-wise. Molina and Rasmus would be a fair trade, I think… but I wouldn’t do it. Aggravates more problems than it solves

by the Tewk on Apr 27, 2008 1:12 AM EDT reply actions

geez, you guys are poo-poo'ers

It’s not “do you think it’s possible.”

It’s “What would be the maximum you’d give if Houston actually did consider this?”

I’m fully aware, and stated so in the original post, that this is pretty much close to an impossibility.

by mtalken on Apr 27, 2008 2:56 PM EDT reply actions

no chance, and after this week end..haha

I can't believe i gave up a homerun to that punch and judy hitter-major league 2

by punchinjudy on Apr 28, 2008 12:44 AM EDT reply actions

I wouldn't give

two sh*ts. Pitchers like him (lots of use, big $) are highly paid risks.

I have discovered in twenty years of moving around a ball park, that the knowledge of the game is usually in inverse proportion to the price of the seats. ~Bill Veeck

by bukowski on Apr 28, 2008 10:18 AM EDT reply actions