Oswalt's BFF: Oswalt won't be in Houston long

Jake Peavy, who knows a thing or two about being the ace on a rough-looking team, and is also Roy's BFF (they apparently talked on the phone Monday night), doesn't think Roy will be in Houston long:

"We'll see what happens with him. It's pretty inevitable he's going to be moved off of a tough situation. They have some holes to fill and trading him will help that organization and be a better situation for him...

...It would be nice to play with him, no doubt about that. I wish him the best. He has a lot left in the tank."

Other teams gathering around the Astros. Like vultures.

Add the Phillies and White Sox to the list of teams looking for a dance partner - and may find one - in the Astros.

The Phillies are likely to lose Brett Myers for the season to hip surgery and, according to Smiley Rosenthal, are looking for "an impact pitcher." Erik Bedard of the Mariners, and Roy are speculated upon by Rosenthal as potential matches. And remember, Easy Eddie looooves trading with the Phillies.

And, should you prefer not trading Roy within the League, the White Sox are apparently scouting the Astros. Remember the White Sox had a deal in place to send four players to the Padres for Jake Peavy. Peavy turned them down, so like a middle school dance, maybe the Sox will ask the best friend out:

Special assistant Bill Scherrer is following Houston, which is in last place in the American League Central.

The Sox weren't afraid to take on $63 million if Peavy had accepted a trade. Roy Oswalt, Houston's marquee pitcher, will earn $45 million from 2009-2011, plus a $16 million club option/$2 million buyout.

We'll give the Tribune the benefit of the doubt and assume they meant "last place in the National League Central, but the economics are there. Remember the fallen-through Jon Garland trade? I blame that episode squarely as what led to Pettitte's departure, Andy got his feewings huwt.

McLane is, again, not swayed by what Roy Oswalt wants or does not want

From Jayson Stark's Rumblings and Grumblings column today:

Here's a tale we've heard a couple of different times, from people tight with Oswalt: The Astros ace has lobbied on multiple occasions with owner Drayton McLane to get his club to make a run at Peavy. But that conversation is said to have ended when McLane turned to Oswalt and asked: "Are you gonna pay for half the contract?"

And further on down...

There are still no indications that the Astros are open to dealing Roy Oswalt, according to teams that have felt them out. But scouts who have watched Oswalt lately think he's pitching like a guy who needs a change of scene.

"It's time," said one scout. "The way he's going, I'm actually convinced that team could win more games with the pitchers they get back than they'll win with him pitching the way he's pitching. He's lost his edge. I really think that if he went to a more competitive club, he'd come back to a more competitive plateau himself. He's just not pitching with the kind of commitment a No. 1 starter has to his team."


I find it interesting that a couple of teams have "felt the Astros out" about it.

Peavy update

Jake Peavy may not approve the trade to the White Sox.

Peavy's agent, Barry Axelrod:
"If I had to make a bet on it, I would guess that Jake would say he's not ready to take that step today,'' Axelrod said. "But he wouldn't necessarily preclude it at any time in the future.

"We aren't hiding anything from anybody. Jake has a strong preference to stay in the National League. He has a comfort zone there, he's been successful, and he's won a Cy Young Award. I don't know that on May 21, that preference has eroded very much. From our point of view we may say, 'Let's give (the Padres) more time and see if a National League team might step up over the next six weeks.'

"If this were any one of three or four other teams and they called about him, Jake would jump at it. He would be willing. They know who they are. They know that certain places are more enticing to him."

So Axelrod just threw a lifeline to the Cubs (which someone should tell Axelrod is in the same city as the White Sox), and the other teams? Are the Astros one of those teams? Who's to say? The tentative deal included three minor leaguers and reliever Clayton Richard, and didn't include Gordon Beckham - the White Sox' first round pick from 2008.

What four prospects would you give up for Peavy? Or would you even do it? Whoever gets Peavy gets this pay schedule:
2010: $15 million
2011: $16 million
2012: $17 million
2013: $22 million club option or a $4 million buyout

UPDATE: Other teams have been interested Peavy, but Peavy has told the Padres on numerous occasions that he wanted to stay in the National League, and there were only three places he would go. The three placesup until now were the Cubs, Atlanta Braves and the Houston Astros. The Braves and Astros had long negotiations with the Padres but were unable to come up with a suitable deal for both sides.

White Sox / Padres reportedly agree on Peavy trade

White Sox, Padres reportedly agree on Peavy trade. More later.

UPDATE: Peavy has to waive his no-trade clause in order for the deal to go through.

This really could not have worked out better for the Astros. As mentioned extensively on this blog, Peavy to the Cubs would have been disastrous. A 1-2 punch of Peavy/Zambrano would have killed. Now, not only is Peavy not heading to the Cubs (contingent on his waiving the no-trade clause), he's out of the National League.

Have I mentioned how disastrous it would be if Jake Peavy was traded to the Cubs?

Because, man. That would suck. Like it wasn't bad enough that the Astros had to run into C.C. Sabathia, Ben Sheets, Carlos Zambrano (and his stupid, tainted no-hitter).

However, I don't think Sabathia and Burnett will impact the Yankees like Everyone thinks they will. Burnett will - at best - replace Mussina. Sabathia will only affect 20% of the Yankees 2009 season.

That said. Peavy owns the Astros, but he didn't play Us that often. Two games in 2008 (1-0, with a 2.77 ERA). However, if the Cubs rotation becomes Peavy, Zambrano, Harden, Dempster and Lilly? That would suck. Especially if, in an ideal scenario (a 5-game set), we see Peavy-Oswalt, Zambrano-Wandy, Harden-Hampton, Dempster-Moehler, Lilly-Backe. Maybe - MAYBE - the Astros take two of those games. And only the second if Lance decides he's going to eat Zambrano's face during the game.

Let's see how the Astros fare against Roy's BFF:
Blum - .500 (4x8 - not kidding)
Tejada - .444 (4x9 - still not kidding)
Lance - .250 (8x32)
Lee - .190 (4x21)
Pence - .167 (1x6)
Matsui - .143 (3x21)

That's bad. So to face Peavy four or five times? If this happens, it's the Cubs' division to lose. But then again, don't worry - they've been doing that for 100 years. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha....

But to reiterate: Peavy to the Cubs is the worst thing that can happen to the Astros this season.

Oswalt should have shovel-whacked him

Gordon Edes reports that Jake Peavy was "so jacked up" about becoming a Cub that he was spotted singing "Go Cubs Go" in a bar after a Brooks & Dunn concert he had attended with Roy-O.

While the Astros are NOT going to trade for Jake Peavy (seriously. Who could they give away? Brad Ausmus and Debbie Clemens?), Roy should have punched that turd in the mouth. No one sings "Go Cubs Go" in front of an Astro...

And honestly, of all the sings you could sing in a bar, if you gave me 125 guesses I would not have come up with "Go Cubs Go."