We’ve seen renewed speculation over the past 24 hours that the Cardinals could make a run at Roy Oswalt now that Chris Carpenter is sidelined indefinitely due to nerve irritation in his shoulder. While that may still happen, it appears that a surprise team has entered the mix.
Jim Bowden of ESPN.com and MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM reported in the wee small hours of the morning that the Angels have “suddenly” emerged as the frontrunner for Oswalt’s services. He adds that the Red Sox are still in the picture while the Cardinals and Rangers have faded as possible landing spots.
The assumption all winter was that Oswalt preferred to pitch for St. Louis or Texas in order to be closer to his home in Mississippi, but it appears that he’s willing to broaden his scope with a midseason return in mind. As ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick recently noted, Oswalt’s kids will done with school in June, so he could bring his family with him wherever he goes.
The Angels have Jered Weaver, Dan Haren, C.J. Wilson and Ervin Santana leading their rotation, but they don’t have much in the way of quality depth beyond that. Jerome Williams entered spring training as the favorite for the fifth starter gig, but he is working his way back from a hamstring injury. Other possibilities include Garrett Richards, Trevor Bell, Brad Mills and Eric Hurley.