Oswalt Would Be Perfect Fit for Phillies
By: Mike Reisman
Word from ESPN's baseball insiders Tim Kurkjian, Jayon Stark and Buster Olney say that the Phillies are working on a deal that would send Roy Oswalt to Philly. I couldn't possibly think of any better (realistic) news.
With the struggles of the the rotation and the recent elbow injury to Jamie Moyer, this deal could not be any better. Oswalt is really the only starting pitcher on the market that could really come in and help the Phillies. Though his record is poor, he (like Roy Halladay) has been a victim of low run support. The main stat that puts him apart from others is his very good 3.12 ERA. Not only is his ERA low but he has only had two games where he has given up more than four runs. He has consistency. That is just what a very inconsistent team such as the Phillies will need if they look to make a run down the stretch.
Not only would getting Oswalt be key but it would also help to give away Werth. Now he may be a fan favorite and key contributor, but, his contract expires at the end of this year so we may as well get a player out of him before he goes. Not only will we get something out of Werth, but this will also leave the door wide open for his should-be replacement Dominic Brown. In my eyes Brown is as major league ready as the come. He has surged since coming to Triple-A hitting four home runs and 16 RBI's in a mere 21 games. Not to mention that his batting average is an incredible .376. All of this and he is not even 23 years old.
Though this deal has been announced as "working on" it, it may fall through. If this happens there are other options for the Phillies but none of them nearly as good. There is always Arizona's Dan Haren which would be a decent acquisition, but Haren has not been pitching well as of late and has not had a win since June 17th his ERA this month is an unacceptable 4.82. Though Haren would probably be a better player for years to come, that is not what the Phillies are looking for at the moment.
No matter what happens by July 31st, one thing is certain. The Phillies need to make a move for staring pitching and Oswalt is the best choice.