Roy Oswalt & Edwin Jackson Remain in Play for Red Sox
Both free-agent pitchers, Roy Oswalt and Edwin Jackson have been on the Red Sox radar since the off season began. The hot stove would pick up then cool off and at one point, both appeared to be out of reach. Then the Yankees signed Hiroki Kuroda and both Oswalt and Jackson lowered their asking prices. Good news for the Red Sox, but still they have hurdles before either pitcher will sign with Boston. It’s been reported that both pitchers have received an offer from the Red Sox and most recently Oswalt is unclear if he wants to sign in Boston, citing his home in Mississippi being the reason he would prefer to sign with a more southern team.
The Red Sox have offered Oswalt a one-year deal worth $5 million. It’s a far cry from his requested price tag of $8 million and he’s said he’d prefer to pitch for the Texas Rangers or the St. Louis Cardinals. Contrary to previous reports, Oswalt may be running out of interested teams, especially if he wants to play for a contender.
Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston reported Friday night that a source informed him that Oswalt would soon sign with the Cardinals. But as of Saturday afternoon, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Twitter insist that there is no deal in place with Oswalt.
Furthermore, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports tweeted that the Rangers haven’t made an offer to Oswalt. Both clubs do have interest in Oswalt, but he may not be a fit for either thanks to both rotations already five men deep.
Meanwhile, on the Jackson front, the right-hander has received multiple three-year offers according to Ken Rosenthal via Twitter. The Orioles are said to be one of the clubs but Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun doesn’t think the O’s will go to a fourth year, something that Jackson and his client, Scott Boras have been seeking. Three-years plus an option is a possibility for the O’s, but in the end it will come down to money. That could be the difference if the Orioles get him or not. They’ve said they won’t overspend on a pitcher and Jackson would likely need a whopping offer if he is to choose Baltimore.
The Cardinals have also been linked to Jackson, but it’s hard to say to what degree with all the rumblings of Oswalt being close to signing there.
Boston is still very much in the running for Jackson and with an offer on the table, Jackson has said he would consider Boston on a one-year deal.
Both Oswalt and Jackson are the top two remaining pitchers still available via free-agency. Oswalt may not want to play in Beantown, while the Red Sox may not be able to afford Jackson. The drama continues and we’ll hopefully know more in the coming days. When anything changes, we’ll keep you up to speed on all the news.
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