Astros Ace Roy Oswalt Turns 33 on Aug. 29th.
If you look at the wall he’s been up against over the past couple of years, but especially this season, you can’t blame Roy Oswalt for wanting out of his situation with the Houston Astros. Everybody remotely close to things here in Houston and how these things work in baseball can see his point – but also the trouble the Astros are going to have fulfilling his request.
In his 9 games pitched in 2010, Oswalt has pitched well enough to have been 9-0 with a club that can both hit and protect late inning leads. With an ERA of 2.66 and a WHIP score of 1.066, Roy has done the same job this year that he’s done 7 times in his first 8 seasons (2001-08) of putting at least 14 wins in the success column for each of those seasons. This year, as you no doubt already know, he’s off to a 2-6 record that threatens to end up worse than his 8-6 fall in the injury-filled year that was 2009. The victories that eluded Oswalt in 2009 were largely due to his own inability to pitch deep and the pen’s inability to hold narrow leads. In 2010, the problem has been the almost total failure of the offense to give Roy any run support.
Now that Oswalt has finally had enough to shout “get me out of here,” it isn’t hard to see how that might be best for the player and a club that needs total rebuilding. On the surface, it says, “Hey, let’s move Roy to a club where he has a chance of winning and maybe reaching another World Series while the Astros accept some good prospects in return that will help the team begin to paint a clearer picture of the future.
The troubles facing Astros General Manger Ed Wade in this matter hit fast and hard:
(1) Roy Oswalt turns 33 on August 29th and he now has a back injury history that has never been fully resolved. (2) Oswalt is owed 31 million over the next two seasons with a 2 million dollar buyout for the 2012 season. (3) Only a select group of teams have a great chance at the World Series over the next three years, but do those clubs both want to deal and have anything to offer that makes it really worthwhile to the Astros? (4) Are there any qualified clubs out there who want to trade a couple of good young prospects for a 33-year old ace with back trouble history and a heavy salary baggage that comes with him, even if the Astros agree to absorb some of it?
If any of us had the answers here, we could probably be of benefit to Ed Wade, but things don’t work that way. The fact is, Ed Wade may not be able to do anything constructive with Oswalt’s request. In that case, only two choices will remain and neither smacks as good news.
If General Manager Wade can’t move Oswalt in a deal that will at least help the Astros too, he will be forced to (1) appeal to Oswalt’s sense of pride and professionalism for making the best of it here as an Astro, while trying to quell any backlash from teammates; or (2) making a giveaway/salary dump deal just to get Roy out of Dodge because of the morale issue he could become for some of the others.
Jerry Witte & Roy Oswalt, 2001.
I have liked Roy Oswalt from his rookie season and I wish that things had never come down to this kind of situation. The rookie 2001 version of Roy was so nice and respectful to my old friend, the late Jerry Witte, on that night in August that great old former Houston slugger got to throw out the first pitch and Roy Oswalt served as his “catcher.”
“Young man,” Jerry asked of young Roy, “where did you learn to pitch like you do?” “My daddy taught me, sir,” Oswalt said.
“Well, you just keep up the good work,” Jerry added. “You’re a credit to your daddy and you’re going to be big credit to the game of baseball.”
Jerry Witte was right about Roy Oswalt. When I think about Roy and how he so respectfully helped Jerry that night in his one and only trip to the new downtown ballpark, even standing with him through the National Anthem, I hate the thought of knowing that the young gentleman from Weir, Mississippi will soon be moving on.
I know. Business is business. But Astro fans are going to miss Roy Oswalt once he’s gone. At least he’s not leaving over money. He’s leaving, or wants to leave, so he can have a taste of winning the big one again. No matter who the Astros may get for him, it will be our loss, the fans’ loss.
The status of Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio as career Astros is about to grow even larger as a baseball rarity.
Tags: Baseball, Houston Astros, Roy Oswalt
The Pecan Park Eagle 
May 22, 2010 at 1:07 pm |
I suspect the cure for what troubles Roy would emerge in a rapid sale of the Astros by Drayton McLane. McLane is ready to sell and move on, but has no buyers. I think all the players, and most of the fans, now realize that with a lame duck owner, this franchise is not going to be looking to spend money. Thus the willingness to part with Ivan Rodriguez (in mid-season), Miguel Tejada, and Ty Wigginton from a team that was still competitive. It’s clear there will be no further investment in rebuilding for the future for this team while McLane is writing the payroll checks. Maybe we could interest Mark Cuban, or how about Michael Dell?
May 22, 2010 at 2:29 pm |
The problem with the entire situation is that Roy says that he wants out to help the team. What does it do to the morale of the team if thier ACE wants out even before the season is halfway over.It is like Genaral Patton wanting to leave his troops on the battlefield because the situation looks grim.A few years ago they were out of the pennant race and had a hot August and made the World Series.They seems to be a Vacuum when it comes to leadership. Stand up and stand proud ,play your hearts out for the town and fans that have supported you during good times and bad for “The Love of the Game” .Don’t wait for someone else to turn it around, do it yourself. Don’t follow, Lead by example and I would put a copy of Vince Lombardi’s” What it takes to be number one” in the locker room and in each of the player’s stall. If that dosen’t get thm fired up nothing will. ” Hit the ball and touch them all” and let’s “Play Ball”
May 22, 2010 at 4:53 pm |
Backing up the Brinks Truck doesn’t always solve the problem, look at the METS. Rebuilding the whole system will take time . In this I want results now world time never seems to be the answer. It seems like we are going to have to bite the bullet and hope for the best. Like Mr. LJM said, be a man and stand up and earn those MILLION DOLLAR SALARIES. You never know what lies around the corner.
May 22, 2010 at 7:26 pm |
At least Tim Purpura didn’t trade Roy for Miguel Tejada, who has come an gone. (Although, I thought Miggy did a great job here, both on and off the field.)
May 22, 2010 at 10:59 pm |
How about just maintaining a competitive talent level, never mind the Brinks truck …