Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Smilin' Ken: Interest in Roy "limited"

Smilin' Ken Rosenthal knows some things about the Hunt for Roy's October:

The market for Oswalt is “slow,” one source says, with clubs reluctant to trade top prospects while absorbing the rest of the pitcher’s contract. Oswalt is owed about $6 million more this season and $16 million next season.

The Astros are only willing to pay a small percentage of that money, and Oswalt also would ask a team to pick up his $16 million option for 2012 in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause, sources say...

... Oswalt prefers the National League, and the Phillies and Mets are among the teams that have contacted the Astros. But sources say that Astros general manager Ed Wade is “trying to hit a home run” for Oswalt, indicating that his price is high.

The Astros also are fielding offers for right-hander Brett Myers, who is earning $3.1 million this season with an $8 million mutual option or $2 million buyout for 2011.


Rosenthal goes on to note that it is entirely possible for the Astros to trade Myers, and then resign him as a free agent. That would obviously depend on the destination team declining his 2nd-year option (UPDATE: the 2011 option is mutual), which I would imagine is based on how he performs for whatever team traded for him.