This has started to feel like some sort of hostage situation or one of those "little girl trapped in a well" TV special coverage-type deals. All this talk the past two days about Roy Oswalt being traded has literally shut down my life. All I can do is follow along on Twitter and hope we get more news. I even have started unabashedly posting trade rumors and speculating on possible destinations. For my sanity, this can't continue until the trade deadline. Do you hear me, Ed Wade?
Before we run down yesterday's hectic (yet-not-so-hectic) Roy Rumors, I did want to highlight something OremLK just mentioned. There was a hashtag floating around on Twitter last night (started, I believe, by Astros County), discussing Roy's demands. Here are some of the highlights:
@allphilla #roydemands crystal pepsi
@tonycottam #roydemands ESPN give him a TWO hour decision show
@BrentJWallace #roydemands ONE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS! MUAHAHAHAHA!!
@AstrosCounty #roydemands that the team trade for J.R. Towles, just so he can send him back to Double-A
@allphilla #roydemands that Zalinsky Motors stay away from Callahan Auto
@allphilla #roydemands naked pictures of Bea Arthur #airheads
@BrentJWallace #roydemands to be trending on Twitter
@allphilla #roydemands that Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin reunite
@AstrosCounty #roydemands Ed Wade buy a Shawn Chacon FatHead for his office
@tonycottam #roydemands to be the fifth head on Mount Rushmore
Back to the rumor mill, it was a strangely busy day that wasn't. Here's a rundown of what we learned.
- Roy really, really would like to be traded to St. Louis. He's willing to waive his option year demands if he goes to the Cardinals or another team he prefers, but needs it picked up if he goes to a team he doesn't like a la Philadelphia.
- The Cardinals want the Astros to pick up something around 25 million dollars of Roy's contract. They're willing to offer two young prospects off their big league roster (John Jay and Allen Craig?), but it'd take the money to get a guy like Shelby Miller.
- When asked about Miller, Cardinals farm director Jeffrey Luhnow refused to call him "untouchable," implying that they'd move him for the right impact player. The Cardinals also basically confirmed their interest in Roy, though not implicitly. The language was something like "we're going after a superstar pitcher, but the money has to work."
- The Twins have also expressed interest, as of last night. No word on how serious they are, or what they'd be willing to offer. In the Trade Deadline Primer, I speculated that it would take a prospect like Aaron Hicks for the Astros to get an outfielder in any trade. Not sure if the Twins would be willing to include him, either.
- No movement appears to be happening on the Rays/Phillies front.
- As of Thursday, neither Brett Myers, Wandy Rodriguez or Lance Berkman appeared likely to be traded. Berkman, though, apparently is the White Sox fourth-best option, should they lose out on Prince Fielder, Adam Dunn and either LaRoche brother.
The main news here, which sparked the hashtag, is Roy's demands in this trade. Whether this is coming from his agent or himself, it really is casting him in an unfavorable light. Some Astros fans will be very jaded by his exit strategy, especially if he gets traded to the Cardinals. As Ken Rosenthal astutely pointed out, the demands are also a little extravagant. You either negotiate a no-trade clause, or you negotiate for your option to be picked up. Roy or Roy's agent is apparently trying to do both.