Houston TV station says Phils have deal in place for Oswalt

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

It was a 3 year deal with a vesting 4th year that's triggered if he's still breathing after 3

[bmfc1]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Maybe we should just have him killed.

You'd think that would save money but the Wilpons would give the remainder of his contract to his estate and spend to build a giant "75" in the Rotunda.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Had a quick look at Cot's. It's:
2011: $11.5M
2012: $17.5M (or $3.5M buy-out)

[Benjamin Grimm]

Hopefully Omar's successor will wisely opt for the $3.5 million buy-out.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Omar was smart enough to put it in there.

[smg58]

J.A. Happ is just getting back from an injury, but keep in mind that he had a better year than Oswalt last year. John Singleton is an 18-year-old with a .312/.418/.526 line in A ball. There's at least one more player involved, but that's already quite a bit more than they got for Lee.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Agent: Oswalt says OK for trade to Phillies By BERNARDO FALLAS Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle July 29, 2010, 2:20PM James Nielsen Chronicle Astros righthander Roy Oswalt has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and accept a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies, his agent, Bob Garber, confirmed Thursday. The deal is pending Oswalt passing a physical. The Astros are expected to receive pitcher J.A. Happ and at least two prospects from the Phillies. The Astros presented Oswalt with the trade proposal on Thursday morning. Oswalt, under contract through 2011 with a 2012 option, asked the Astros to consider trading him to a contender more than two months ago. From the beginning, Oswalt stated that he is seeking a deal that is mutually beneficial. The Astros are also expected to pick up some of the money owed to Oswalt, currently some $22 million through 2011. As is his policy, Astros general manager Ed Wade declined comment when reached by telephone Thursday morning. Multiple efforts to reach Oswalt and agent Bob Garber via text message and telephone have been unsuccessful. Oswalt has a $16 million option for 2012, but it is unclear at this time whether the Phillies intend to pick it up. The Astros have been taking more phone calls for Oswalt as the trade deadline approaches. The cash-strapped Texas Rangers also made an offer for Oswalt, a person with knowledge of the negotiations has confirmed. Oswalt has spent his entire 10-year major league career with the Astros, in the process becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in team history. He went 143-82 in nearly 10 seasons with the Astros. The Astros picked Oswalt in the 23rd round of the 1996 amateur draft.

[ashie62]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Maybe we should just have him killed.

Exactly..

[smg58]

So it looks like the primary prospect in this deal is not Singleton but speedster Anthony Gose. In the bizarre synchronicity department, Gose is rumored to be shipped out immediately to Toronto for Brett Wallace, who had previously been acquired from Oakland in exchange for Michael Taylor, who the Jays shipped out immediately after acquiring him from Philadelphia in the Halladay deal.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

smg58 wrote: So it looks like the primary prospect in this deal is not Singleton but speedster Anthony Gose. In the bizarre synchronicity department, Gose is rumored to be shipped out immediately to Toronto for Brett Wallace, who had previously been acquired from Oakland in exchange for Michael Taylor, who the Jays shipped out immediately after acquiring him from Philadelphia in the Halladay deal.

That makes four teams for former first-round pick Wallace in less than a year. (He initially went to Oakland in the Holliday trade last year.)

[Frayed Knot]

Wallace is the guy with supposedly the biggest bat in that draft but also an equally big butt and folks were wondering about his defensive prowess before he was even drafted.

[Guest The Second Spitter]

Edgy DC wrote: Omar was smart enough to put it in there.

Not like there was a proliferation of GMs willing to give Fatso a fourth year to begin with -- I can't even recall who the Mets were bidding against at the time.

[Guest Edgy DC]

That's not really my point. You don't have to look far to see my antipathy to signing big contracts for big-time brand-name closers. My point being that I don't think it's worthwhile to worry about Minaya's willingness to exercise a buyout he created in the first place. Or to root for him to be replaced because a replacement is more likely to exercise it.

More nettlesome is that that option has a vesting clause, based on games finished. So those days when Rodriguez finishes up a blowout to get his work in are appearances that may well work against the Mets' interests.

• 55 games finished in 2011, and
• 100 games finished in 2010-11, and
• doctors declare Rodriguez healthy after 2011(?!)

2012 option becomes guaranteed with:

With 40 games finished through less than 2/3 of the season, he's totally on a healthy pace to meet his mark. Nothing wrong with hanging that one on Minaya.

And Manuel!

[Gwreck]

The Second Spitter wrote: Not like there was a proliferation of GMs willing to give Fatso a fourth year to begin with -- I can't even recall who the Mets were bidding against at the time.

Nobody, really. I believe the perception at the time was that it was a buyer's market and Omar actually got Frankie for less than it might have cost in other years -- compare to the Francisco Cordero deal with the Reds (4 years, $46 million, signed after the 2007 season).

[ashie62]

Frayed Knot wrote: Wallace is the guy with supposedly the biggest bat in that draft but also an equally big butt and folks were wondering about his defensive prowess before he was even drafted.

He might be somewhere between Elijah Dukes and Toe Nash.

[Frayed Knot]

Totally different kind of guy then them two.
The problem with those guys was the part about them being considered borderline criminals - and by that I mean you can remove the 'borderline' part.

Wallace isn't (at least as far as I know) a bad guy, he was just already big and slow in his early 20's which led peeps to question what he'll be like later on.
But coming out of that draft his bat was considered as good as any and also as close to ML-ready as you can get.

[Guest Edgy DC]

More of a Prince Fielder parallel perhaps.

[smg58]

So the Astros pair up a big bat with a dubious glove and an all-glove, no-bat shortstop. Interesting.

The key to this deal for Houston is Happ, though. If he's 100% by the start of next year, the trade will work out well for them. The people who've called this deal lopsided have forgotten that Happ's ERA was below 3 last year, while Oswalt's was above 4.

[Frayed Knot]

smg58 wrote: So the Astros pair up a big bat with a dubious glove and an all-glove, no-bat shortstop.

The acquisition of Wallace leads to speculation that Lance Berkman could also be packing before tomorrow night.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

More of a Prince Fielder parallel perhaps.

Wallace doesn't have quite the power, and doesn't walk nearly as much (at least at this point). More like Aubrey Huff/Pete O'Brien in Fielder's body.

smg58 wrote: The key to this deal for Houston is Happ, though. If he's 100% by the start of next year, the trade will work out well for them. The people who've called this deal lopsided have forgotten that Happ's ERA was below 3 last year, while Oswalt's was above 4.

Missing few bats (sub-7 Ks/9, the lowest of his career) and putting up a really low opponent-BABIP, Happ was a very, VERY lucky pitcher to post that ERA last year. Unless something changes with him, last year is probably something like his absolute ceiling, and doesn't figure to be a terribly sustainable one at that.

[Guest Edgy DC]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: More of a Prince Fielder parallel perhaps. Wallace doesn't have quite the power, and doesn't walk nearly as much (at least at this point). More like Aubrey Huff/Pete O'Brien in Fielder's body.

I'm speaking more of how he presented at draft time. The team had to weigh undeniable hitting skills against an undenaibly unathletic frame, and went ahead anyway.

[Fman99]

I'd like to believe that even Omar isn't daft enough to trade some legitimate young talent, like Ike or Josh Thole, for some piece of shit stopgap like Ted Lilly for a team that isn't going ANYWHERE this year.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Fman99 wrote: I'd like to believe that even Omar isn't daft enough to trade some legitimate young talent, like Ike or Josh Thole, for some piece of shit stopgap like Ted Lilly for a team that isn't going ANYWHERE this year.

Reverse jinx? (Or have you joined the "Don't! Stop believing" Club?)