Roy Oswalt's made no bones about what he wants this season—out of Houston. Understandable. But Ed Wade has also made it clear that Oswalt's requesting a trade won't necessarily lead to one. Also understandable, as Oswalt's very public request softens Wade's position in any potential negotiations.
Today, the 'net is abuzz with talk of a loosely sourced list of three places Oswalt would like to land—including Philadelphia. Also on the list are the Yankees and the Cardinals. Well, yeah. I guess those would all be decent situations to find yourself in later this summer. But how realistic are the Phillies as a potential trade partner?
I'm not sure if Oswalt's camp is aware of the Cliff Lee trade situation that this town still hasn't gotten over and likely never will, but it's our understanding that the prospect cupboard is bare, and the team would be hard-pressed to deal a position player from the current roster while in the hunt for another trip to the World Series. The front office's reasoning for dealing Lee was a need to restock the farm system after dealing for Lee the season before and then for Roy Halladay this off-season. There was also a belief by many that the team needed to trim some salary to accommodate Halladay's arrival and any plans for re-upping current players like Ryan Howard. If Oswalt is indeed the premier pitcher available as the trade deadline approaches, Wade's asking price will only be inflated by that situation. He's also salary-expensive, 33 years old, and coming off of career worsts in wins and ERA.
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But that's not let that get in the way of some epic-losing-skid-inspired speculation! The Phils have shocked us before, right? If anyone needs me, I'll be researching Oswalt's splits to see just how well he hits with RISP as well as his zoowithables.