MLB.com first reported Friday night that Nolan Ryan doesn't deny interest in Roy Oswalt:
↵↵↵"You know, we definitely are looking to improve our ballclub, and when you have an opportunity, or might have an opportunity, to acquire someone like that, you have to look at it and evaluate it and see if that's a possibility and see if it's doable," Ryan said.
↵"There hasn't been really any conversations I've been aware of here in the last week to 10 days," Ryan said. "I think, from the Astros' perspective, that would pick up as we would get closer to the [non-waiver] Trade Deadline in July."
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Ryan added this weekend:
↵↵↵"I think he's phenomenal," Ryan said of Oswalt. "I think he's been one of the top four or five pitchers in the league for quite a while. He's a big-game pitcher and consistent with his stuff, as we see this year, with the way he's approached each game he's been in. He's special."
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Oswalt was open to it as well:
↵↵↵"I'm open," he said. "Just have to wait and see what works for both of us."
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Earlier in the week Craig Calcaterra rebutted reports that snuffed out his initial story that the two clubs were near an agreement on the talent involved in a potential deal:
↵↵↵My view is that I pass on what I hear from credible sources (and my source for the Oswalt report is credible), attempt to give enough context to the information I've received to where people can at least attempt to judge it on its merits and do my best not to oversell what I'm hearing, which is what I've done here.
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The key is ownership transfer. As Buster Olney and Calvin Watkins outline, chances are slim that the Rangers can pull anything off without new owners. To take that a step further, I can't imagine many enticing scenarios where the club can add talent without adding payroll. The alternative is drastically overpaying in young talent, and that is just not a good idea.
↵Adam Morris said yesterday that since the price may not be terribly high, he's getting on board with the notion. BBTiA talked last week about Oswalt's likely value, given his salary. The problem for the Rangers is a thin second tier of prospects behind their top group of arms - Tanner Scheppers, Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland, Tommy Hunter and Martin Perez. Blake Beavan's progress this season could help in this regard, as could Michael Main's return to health and the emergence of Alexi Ogando and Omar Beltre. These guys will all likely be pitching in Double-A or higher by next month. Younger arms Robbie Ross and Robbie Erlin could be appealing as well, after pitching very well in their first taste of full season ball.
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