Wednesday's MLB Trade Rumors: Phillies Focused On Roy Oswalt As Other Suitors Drop Out

Wednesday evening brings us an interesting update on the whole Roy Oswalt affair, from Jayson Stark:

Officials of multiple teams that have been speaking with the two clubs said Wednesday they believed the Phillies and Astros were close enough to agreeing on the players who would go to Houston that the players were no longer viewed as a major obstacle.

But then, the players involved are only part of this proposed deal. Another part is money. And, well:

However, one source said there was still "a large gulf" between the teams on how large a portion of the $23 million remaining on Oswalt's contract the Astros would be willing to pay.

The Phillies need the Astros to pick up a big chunk of the tab, but the Astros, at least so far, appear unwilling. And this doesn't even touch on the question of whether Oswalt would waive his no-trade clause and accept a deal to Philadelphia in the first place. Oswalt said that St. Louis was his preferred destination, and he may not be the biggest fan of going to a Phillies team that as of right now is on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

Still lots of time to go, which means plenty more twists.

It wasn't long ago that the Rockies looked primed to make a run at the playoffs, but a post-break slump has dropped them into fourth place in the NL West, eight behind San Diego and six behind San Francisco for the Wild Card. Result? They probably won't be looking to buy, and may even consider selling a little bit. Says Ken Rosenthal:

#Rockies out on Cantu; Helton begins rehab Friday. Cook could go; #Phillies among interested. Hawpe also in play. 4-5 teams on Beimel. #MLB

The Rockies were previously considered strong contenders for Jorge Cantu, along with the Rangers and Giants. Brad Hawpe has a .780 OPS as an offense-first corner outfielder, while Aaron Cook has a 4.78 ERA out of the rotation and Joe Beimel has been moderately effective as a bullpen lefty.

That didn't take long. I hardly had enough time to express the proper amount of skepticism over this afternoon's three- or four-team Roy Oswalt trade rumor before Buster Olney chimed in with an update:

Heard this: A third team that was involved in the Phillies-Oswalt talks has backed out. Philly-Houston now dealing head to head #trades

Those big trades are always so complicated. This is much simpler, even though it's hard to figure out how the Phillies could fit Oswalt into the fold. One has to wonder if there are any other serious suitors, or if, as far as Oswalt is concerned, it's Philly or bust.

I think we all knew from the beginning that any Roy Oswalt trade would be complicated, at least in terms of salary coverage. Buster Olney introduces another layer on top of that one:

Heard this: The Phillies' trade for Roy Oswalt that has been discussed is likely to include three or four teams -- if it happens.

Not much of a surprise, given the trouble the Phillies (and other teams) have had trying to find the right fit for Oswalt. Of course, generally speaking, whenever we hear about three- or four-team trade rumors, we can assume that they'll almost certainly break apart before coming to fruition. Still, this is one to keep in mind. If the Astros intend to move Oswalt to the Phillies, it seems they'll have to get creative.

With Cliff Lee and Dan Haren long gone and Roy Oswalt proving difficult to get, Ted Lilly has stepped up to become maybe the most desirable and acquirable starting pitcher on the market. One issue is the ~$4m he has left in 2010 salary, but indications are the Cubs may be willing to take on some of the cost in order to move him for a return:

The 34-year-old left-hander has more than $4 million left on his $13 million salary for this year. But the Cubs have indicated a willingness in recent days to take some of that money.

By being willing to absorb some salary, the Cubs make Lilly a good fit for both the Dodgers and the Phillies, each of whom is in the market for a starter, and each of whom is working with a very tight budget. As a matter of fact, Ed Price was talking about a possible Lilly/J.A. Happ deal earlier Wednesday afternoon, and while that hasn't come to fruition, Lilly could end up getting traded at any moment. His good command and strong performance over three starts since the All-Star break make him a very appealing piece.

Leading up to the deadline, the Astros knew they didn't have a ton of marketable players. Roy Oswalt was clearly out in front, but there wasn't much behind him. One possibility to get moved was Brett Myers, a starter with a 3.10 ERA and a solid strikeout rate, but apparently he isn't on the table:

Heard from a good source: Brett Myer is untouchable, won't be traded by Astros. #hounews

Myers has been very good so far this season, and with an $8m mutual option coming up for 2011, the Astros would appear to be of the mind to bring him back at what looks like a good price. You have to wonder, though, whether this is really the right move, given the paucity of available starting pitching right now and the fact that the Astros won't be contenders a year from now. If someone offers a good prospect or two for Myers, it sure seems like it would be in Houston's best interests to take it without thinking twice.

Of course, this may not even be true. It is rumor season, after all. As the world turns...

There are now about three full days left until the non-waiver deadline hits, and the Roy Oswalt situation doesn't seem to be developing particularly well. Astros owner Drayton McLane chimes in with what he thinks about the chances of the whole thing reaching some resolution:

"I'd say it's about 60 percent that something could be done and 40 percent that Roy will be here next year," McLane told the Chronicle.

60 percent actually sounds somewhat optimistic, with the Cardinals dropping out and the Dodgers reportedly having trouble finding a match, but the Phillies may get antsy, or McLane and Astros GM Ed Wade may lower their asking price.

For Oswalt's part, he'd prefer not to have to make a quick decision:

"I'm hoping I'm not going to get it dropped on me an hour before deadline to give me a little bit of time to think about it, but I think it will work out," Oswalt said.

This whole story just has the feeling of one that's going to stretch right up until deadline time. In that event, sorry, Roy.

Kansas City Royals left fielder Scott Podsednik is reportedly drawing interest as baseball's trade deadline nears. Podsednik, who is better at the plate this season than he's been in years, is being chased by two N.L. West teams, reports FanHouse's Ed Price:

As of Wednesday afternoon, both the Dodgers and Giants were in discussions for outfielder Scott Podsednik, according to a major league source.

The Dodgers, reports SB Nation Kansas City, are making an especially strong push for Podsenik's services in the wake of a calf injury that has sent left fielder Manny Ramirez to the disabled list.

The Dodgers stand in third place in the West despite a 54-46 record, and given the vastly superior run differentials maintained by the Padres and Giants, they're certainly inclined to mitigate the loss of their best hitter. On its own, this wouldn't be a game-changer, but adding Podsednik and his 30 stolen bases could make sense if coupled with another move before the deadline.

For more, visit our Dodgers blog, True Blue LA, our Giants blog, McCovey Chronicles, and our Royals blog, Royals Review.

Derrek Lee will finish out this season with the Cubs after reportedly invoking the 10-and-5 rule to block a proposed trade from the Angels. Under the rule, any player who has been in the league for at least 10 years with the five most recent all being for the same team can block a trade.

There is no word on what the Angels offered the Cubs.

Lee is a free agent after this season. He’s 34 years-old and having his worst season as a Cub, hitting .248 and slugging just .387.

For more on this, and all things Cubs, head to Bleed Cubbie Blue and SB Nation Chicago.

It's probably a cowboy hat.

Indeed, according to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, the Texas Rangers are the latest team to express interest in the Brewers' Prince Fielder, joining the Angels and White Sox.

The first baseman is slugging .504 with a .905 OPS and a 144 OPS+ in 102 this season. His 24 home runs are second in the N.L., and his 68 walks lead the league.

The Rangers lead the A.L. West by 8.5 games and are the third highest scoring team in the league.

Follow along for more reaction and news with our team blogs: Brew Crew Ball (Brewers) and Lone Star Ball (Rangers).

Nationals slugger Adam Dunn is one of the biggest names being thrown around in the days leading up to baseball's trade deadline (4:00 P.M Eastern on Saturday). Let's first note that Dunn, who will become a free agent after this season, may very well stay in Washington until then:

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo has stated that he needs to be blown away to move Dunn -- same with outfielder Josh Willingham and closer Matt Capps -- saying, "We don't make calls."

That said, at least three teams appear in the running for his services. Jim Bowden, who goes back with Dunn to his days as a Cincinnati Red, tweets:

Yankees, Rays and White Sox are all three in the mix for Adam Dunn in trade talks as of this hour

Dunn's relocation to the Yankees or Rays would certainly make an impact on an especially fierce A.L. East race, in which both teams are over the .600 mark and within two games of each other as of this writing. He would likely serve as a designated hitter on either roster, and would be an especially substantial improvement over current Rays DH Willy Aybar and his .715 OPS.

It's a little more interesting to consider how Dunn fits with the White Sox. He would certainly be an upgrade if he were to usurp Andruw Jones in the DH role, but if he were to serve as a left fielder, his .925 OPS would be a dramatic improvement over Juan Pierre's .612.

Keep up with Dunn and the teams involved in this rumor with our Nationals blog, Federal Baseball, our White Sox blog, South Side Sox, our Yankees blog, Pinstripe Alley, and our Rays blog, DRaysBay.

The Cardinals are no longer in the running to trade for Roy Oswalt, according to Ken Rosenthal, who also tweets that the Dodgers are making “no progress” in their pursuit of the Astros pitcher.

This leaves the Phillies as the only remaining team (somewhat) legitimately in the hunt for Oswalt. The two issues now: how much are the Phillies willing to give up in prospects, and will Oswalt require Philly to pick up his $16 million 2012 club option before agreeing to a trade?

MLB.com reports that Oswalt would still agree to waive his no-trade clause and head to Philly even without the club picking up the ’12 option. If true, that would make dealing Oswalt to the Phillies much easier.

The Rockies are interested in the Cubs' Ryan Theriot, this according to the Denver Post, and are willing to part with pitcher Aaron Cook before Saturday's trade deadline -- assuming Colorado is a buyer and not a seller, of course.

The Rockies currently sit in fourth place in the N.L. West, eight games back from the Padres, and are 5.5 games back in the Wild Card. They are just 10-12 in July, 2-8 in their past 10 games and are in the midst of a seven-game losing streak. Depending how their series goes with the Pirates -- the Rox dropped the opener Tuesday night -- will likely determine how Colorado acts before July 31, and whether they're adding players, or unloading them.

"Dan and his guys are meeting and they're going to talk about some different options,'' said [owner Dick] Monfort. "We'll just have to see. It's a matter of how much (payroll) and what you've got and what you've got to give up. It just depends on if it's the right situation.

"I wouldn't say we're going to be real active, but we're sure going to listen and try. We've got some injuries and issues. They're talking about it and we'll listen to see what's out there.''