Roy Oswalt, finally exhausted by the Houston Astros losing, has formally asked the team to trade him. Oswalt is 2-6 this season with a 2.66 ERA. He’s allowed 18 earned runs in his nine starts this season but the Astros still find themselves at the bottom of the National League standings. If Oswalt pitched like that for a team like Tampa Bay or Philadelphia he’d be in the Cy Young discussion. Right now he’s hoping his name comes up in trade talks. Houston Astros GM Ed Wade doesn’t sound like he’s in a hurry to accommodate Oswalt.
“Roy’s contract has a no-trade clause, not a trade-me clause,” Wade said. “There is no rule that allows a player in his contract status to demand a trade. So demand, request, hold your breath until you turn blue, it’s all the same. It’s acknowledged and noted.”
Oswalt changing teams will shift the power of balance and change the odds to win the World Series. The Dodgers are 20-1 to win the series, but bringing in Oswalt would have to chop those odds in half. The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays are 11/2 and 9/2 respectively to win the series. Either of them land Oswalt and they become the clear cut favorite.
In baseball whip (walks+hits/innings pitched) is a key stat. Oswalt’s whip is currently 1.06. He’s damn near allowing less than one base runner per inning. Not much more to ask of Roy. The problem is the offense that’s only scored 18 runs (the same amount Roy’s allowed) in his nine starts.
Oswalt (2-6) asks Astros for trade [ESPN]
It wouldn’t surprise me, being a Phillies fan, to see Ed Wade deal Roy Oswalt near the deadline. Don’t forget, he traded Curt Schilling from the Phillies when they were terrible and he demanded a trade a few days before the deadline. Of course, that deal might be part of the reason he doesn’t want to trade Oswalt. He traded Schilling, and he won a World Series with Arizona while putting up stellar numbers. Maybe Wade is afraid that he will get burned twice (although even with Schilling or in this case with Oswalt, I don’t think either team was at all in a position for the playoffs no matter how well either pitcher pitched/will pitch).