The St. Louis Cardinals are the latest team attempting to make a run for Houston Astro Ace Roy Oswalt.
The Cardinals, now considered the frontrunners, are looking to upgrade their rotation. Oswalt has stated in the past he’d like to pitch for the Cardinals and he might be willing to pass on having his option picked up if traded to St. Louis. I would have to think any deal would be packaged around starting pitcher and Texas native Shelby Miller, their 2009 first round pick. My guess would be outfielder Allen Craig and reliever Eduardo Sanchez being included.
Talks with the Phillies have stalled because Oswalt will only agree to a trade to Philadelphia if they pick up his $16MM option for 2012. Oswalt has a full no trade clause.
One would have to think that adding Oswalt to the Cardinals would seal the NL Central for them. You’d also have to think that this would effect the signing of Albert Pujols. The 2012 Cardinals already have Matt Holliday ($17MM) and Kyle Lohse ($11.875MM) locked, with options on Carpenter ($15MM, $1MM buyout), Wainwright ($9MM, unknown buyout), and Molina ($7MM, $750k buyout), and arbitration raises to Skip Schumaker, Kyle McClellan, Brendan Ryan, Colby Rasmus, Jason Motte, Mitchell Boggs, and Blake Hawksworth among others. If they have to give Pujols $25-30MM, they’ll have a lot tied up in a few players. Will they be able to bring in anyone else? That remains to be seen.
