I hope you like that One-Way Ticket series with all the rumors and rumblings about Oswalt, because it could go on for a while.
ESPN's Tony Jackson is reporting that the Astros are not currently shopping Oswalt:
A source with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Tuesday that despite Oswalt's request, the Astros aren't looking to trade the right-hander and three-time All-Star at this point. But that could change as the summer moves along and the July trade deadline nears, especially if the Astros continue to languish in the National League Central cellar.
So one thing is for sure: The Astros will continue to languish in the NLC cellar. While I would like the Astros to shut Roy down until he's traded (his value can only go down from this point forward), this isn't the worst idea Ed Wade could have. As teams continue to figure out if they have a shot at the post-season, or as teams pull away from their competition, it could help determine who are the real players for Roy, and make them a tad more desperate. But they'll also be interested in Cliff Lee and Ben Sheets. Risky move, but I get it.
We didn't come out here to play tiddlywinks, son.
-Hal Smith
