As we've come to expect, the innanet has no shortage of reactions and opinions regarding the Phillies trade for Roy Oswalt. This post is a very small sampling of what the multifaceted media had to say in the immediate aftermath. Many praise Ruben Amaro Jr. for improving the Phils without giving up a top prospect or irreplaceable roster player, all while not breaking the bank (like, at all). Others, however, raise a few doubts about Oswalt at this stage of his career, and of course there remains the unending chorus of Why Not Just Keep Lee? We've limited that last discussion because frankly, we're absolutely tired of it and have been for months. Lee is the Philadelphia definition of spilt milk, and there's still a crybaby line out the door. Gods help us if the Phils face the Rangers in the World Series.
Sorry got a little sidetracked there. Onto the links.
First up is the articulate voice to many of my fledgling feelings on the trade, and really, the current Phillies situation overall. And then some. James at PhuturePhillies.com quickly (but not hastily) put together a great summary of both sides of the trade, then the deal's place in the recent Phillies' continuum and the overall trade market in baseball. I'm not going to block quote it, because I'm too tempted to copy and paste the whole thing. Go read this, you'll feel great. The section on "The Real Purpose of Prospects"... makes me want to drink a lot, in that good way.
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Up next, three separate posts at FanGraphs, all'em good and worth a read while you pretend to work. Dave Cameron, he of USS Mariner, and yeah, even the Wall Street Journal, takes an objective look at the trade from the Philadelphia perspective. Cameron covers some angles we don't often (ever) get into here, but angles that interest us nonetheless, like Oswalt's monetary value in terms of the wins he adds to the team.
FanGraphs' Joe Pawlikowski gets into it from the Houston perspective, and really, the best that can be said for the Astros is the traditional "we'll have to wait and see." Perfectly sensible given that they're on the prospect-yielding end. The best part of this piece to me was the discussion of the trade market for pitchers at the very end. Remember how Ruben fleeced Cleveland, then got fleeced by Seattle, and how Arizona got robbed for Dan Haren? Meanwhile, the best available pitchers in the most recent swing periods each took less than perceived market value to come to the Phillies (Halladay's deal in the off-season, and Oswalt allowing his option to not be mandatory in waiving his NTC).
Finally, Eno Sarris uses sorcery to predict the future looks at how Roy Oswalt projects to pitch as a Phillie. The cherry on top of this trade is Oswalt's upcoming opponents, but also of interest is a tight summary of which pitches are working for Roy2 right now and how that compares to his career numbers.
Lot of in's, lot of out's, lot of what-have-you's, but FanGraphs seems to agree that this is a net win for the Phils.
News
Yesterday, someone in the comments asked how this—a SECOND ROY—would affect Zoo With Roy's special purpose. Here's your answer.
But just when we're getting comfortable, Jayson Stark quotes a few NL scouts and execs who micturate on our rug, saying that Oswalt hasn't looked the same lately. Understandable, guys. I usually look for reasons why the move that will put our rivals over the top has holes in it too. Especially a major piece that was obtained without really having to diminish any other part of the Phillies' hopes for contention this year or next. Fortunately, former Inq man Stark reigns it in by rattling off Oswalt's brilliant 2010 numbers (worth the click just to see those...), a stat-laden segue to this: "So if this is how this man pitches when he's not into it, imagine what the Phillies might get if this trade gets his adrenaline pumping again."
Meanwhile, back in Philly, Bob Ford, a columnist I enjoy, seems to have drawn the "negative angle" straw. The aforementioned "They should have just kept Cliff Lee" article. Don't hate on Bob though. There's a lot of ink on this trade, and someone had to write this side. I don't agree with some of the points made, but there's no doubt many fans do. Before clicking through, remember that Philly.com has autoplay ads, so hit up the mute button right quick.
Many Phillies prospects have come and gone in the past two years. I've known little more than someone else's opinion about any one of them, which I assume is the case for most Phillies fans. Yet we viscerally react to their being dealt, because of a fear of being in last place four years from now, even though more often than not, the prospects don't end up doing what everyone screams they will on the day they're traded. For a look at the farmhands who've come and gone, head over to Kevin Czerwinski's summary at CSNPhilly.com.
Finally, the perspective of Roy Oswalt himself both leading up to the trade and upon its consummation. Brian McTaggart, who blogs about the Astros for MLB.com, has some great quotes here. Next time you're pissed at Brad Lidge, remember that he seems to have been a very positive force in bringing Oswalt to Philly. Sure, Oswalt wants to win one before he retires, but he had to weigh that desire against moving out of Houston after a decade with the club, plus possibly leaving some money on the table. It's not as easy as deciding you'd like to ride on a parade float, which as we know is far from guaranteed.
Read anything else good in the wake of the trade? Share those links or your thoughts on the links above in the comments.
Sexy time? Sexy time.