Jayson Stark of ESPN.com is reporting that Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt has agreed to a deal that will send him to the Philadelphia Phillies for J.A. Happ and two minor leaguers, Jonathon Villar and Anthony Gose. In other words, the Phillies keep their top two hitting and top two pitching prospects.

That would be the equivalent of trading Bobby Parnell or Jon Niese, plus Lucas Duda and Scott Moviel. Basically, Oswalt straight up for Niese or Parnell. <shakeshead>

Give it up for the Phillies GM, who once again swoops in and lands the biggest fish in the sea for his team and fanbase.

The Phillies mean business and they will stop at nothing to deliver another winner to the city of Philadelphia.

With their offense finally clicking and posting huge numbers again, Oswalt should just about seal the deal for the defending National League Champs, and barring inury or a Mets-like choke, they will once again be printing post season tickets for their fans come September.

The Astros will pay $11 million of the approximately $23 million Oswalt has guaranteed through 2011, and most likely the Phillies will exercise the 2012 option as part of the agreement.

That will give the Phillies a 1-2 punch of Roy Halladay and Roy Oswalt through the next three seasons; two of the premier pitchers in baseball.

Cole Hamels goes from number two pitcher, to probably the best number three pitcher in the league if not the game.

If great pitching really does beat great hitting, and if pitching is 90% of the game, then the Phillies have just gotten a ton better.

Let’s ask Johan who the best pitcher in the NL East is again, because a lot has changed since last March.

Original Post 9:19 AM

According to KRIV in Houston, the Philadelphia Phillies have made a deal with the Houston Astros for Roy Oswalt.

The deal is now pending Oswalt’s approval as he would need to waive his no-trade clause.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com says Oswalt could require the Phillies to guarantee his club option for 2012 in exchange for waiving his no-trade clause. He does not want to go to Philadelphia, according to one source with knowledge of his thinking. But Oswalt told reporters earlier this week, “location doesn’t matter.”

Jon Heyman of SI.com via Twitter writes that the Astros and Phillies were discussing J.A. Happ, RHP Vance Worley, and two younger pitchers.

Obviously, if Oswalt approves the trade, this will bolster the Phillies for a strong finish and another post season run.

As for the Mets, they were never in it. They never spoke to the Astros about Oswalt and never had any intention of taking on his salary. In fact, several reports now say that they are not in the mix for Ted Lilly or Brett Myers.

More to come…

With the trade deadline only five days away, things are getting kind of dicey. Lee and Haren are already gone, but there’s still some solid choices out there for the Mets who could use a starter or a shut down reliever.

The choice is yours, the choice is yours… 

Roy Oswalt (6-12, 3.42 ERA 1.109 WHIP)

You Can Go With This…

6.15 ERA

Or You Can Go With That!

Ted Lilly (3-8, 3.88 ERA, 1.121 WHIP)

You Can Go With This…

1.975 WHIP

Or You Can Go With That!

Joakim Soria (2.25 ERA, 1.124 WHIP, 27 Saves)

Or You Can Go With This…

7.9 BB/9

Or You Can Go With That!

Fausto Carmona (10-7, 3.51 ERA, 1.283 WHIP) 

Or You Can Go With This…

3 Wins Since Signing $36MM Deal

Or You Can Go With That!

Zach Grienke (6-9, 3.59 ERA, 1.134 WHIP)

But This Is Kinda Phat!!!

Doo… Dah… Dippity!

1. Dan Haren, Diamondbacks, starting pitcher. One GM said he heard the asking price for Haren, who is reasonably salaried (he’s due $12.75M next season) for a bona fide young ace and signed through 2012, is two starters plus bullpen help. Good luck identifying the team that can meet that price. Another GM said he concluded Haren isn’t really available at all, but yet another GM insisted, “All their guys except (Justin) Upton and maybe (Ian) Kennedy are available.” With Arizona wanting to revamp, there surely is some price for Haren — though it’s understandably high.

2. Joakim Soria, Royals, relief pitcher. It’s a long shot that he’ll go anywhere; the Royals are usually reluctant to trade off big pieces because they sometimes think they’re still in contention even though no one else does. But if he becomes available — and that’s a big “if” — it’ll be a feeding frenzy. Could help just about any team, starting with both New York teams, but not nearly ending there. A trade of Soria would “surprise,” one competing GM said. “They do a very good job of believing they’re in it every year,” he added.

3. Roy Oswalt, Astros, SP. This, says one GM, is a “problematic” trade. It appears no team, not even the Yankees or Red Sox, wants to spend the $25 million left on Oswalt’s deal through next season. Plus, some GMs say they are under the impression Oswalt wants his $16 million option for 2012 picked up, which could be a deal killer for many, if not most, teams. And while the Astros have signaled they might be willing to contribute toward that amount, they’d want big-time prospects back to do so. Then there’s the matter of Oswalt’s no-trade clause. “I hear he only wants to go to a couple teams,” one GM said. Oswalt demanded a trade but isn’t making it easy.

4. Ricky Nolasco, Marlins, SP. Marlins executive Larry Beinfest said they will consider just about anything, and while Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez are assumed to be staying, they have other very good players who could help plenty of teams. The 27-year-old Nolasco, who is 9-6 with a 4.55 ERA, should have very good value.

5. Ted Lilly, Cubs, SP. A few GMs said they believe the Mets make the most sense. And they probably do, since Lilly has been a winner in the National League and seemed to enjoy his time in New York, where he pitched for the Yankees from 2000-02. His numbers and velocity aren’t at their peak, but teams believe he’s a bulldog and can help. And with $6 million remaining on his contract before he becomes a free agent at year’s end, the Cubs might actually get a decent piece back for him. The Cubs aren’t sellers yet, and some competing execs think that order would likely have to come from ownership. “Certainly, this is (Lou) Piniella‘s last year, and he can’t be anxious to be a seller,” one GM said. Even if they are, they’re stuck with Alfonso Soriano ($136 million, eight-year deal runs through 2014), Carlos Zambrano ($91.5 million, five-year deal runs through 2012) and Kosuke Fukudome ($6 million to go this year and $13.5 million next year; “good luck moving that one,” one competitor said.)

6. Fausto Carmona, Indians, SP. All-Star pitcher has had a nice turnaround, from 5-12 with a 6.32 ERA last year to 8-7 with a 3.64 ERA this year. “They like their rotation,” said one GM who envisions Cleveland holding on to Carmona. Another noted that the club has three option years for 2012, ’13 and ’14 on Carmona, sand said, “They have to figure they’ll be a factor within four years.” Probably will stay.

7. Jake Westbrook, Indians, SP. Solid starter, who missed most of 2008 and all of 2009 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. In the words of one competing GM Westbrook “could be a year away from full strength.”

8. Octavio Dotel, Pirates, RP. He’s thrived in Pittsburgh’s pen this year, and with Evan Meek there, he looks like an obvious trade chip. His original team, the Mets, could be a fit, as could several others.

9. Shaun Marcum, Blue Jays, SP. Another one in the speculative category, but opposing GMs are wondering. Though one said, “I don’t think they’d move their young starters. That’s what’s gotten them where they are.”

10. Edwin Jackson, Diamondbacks, SP. The no-hit man isn’t really an ace but he has a high salary (he’s owed $8.35M next year) that will limit his value. But he’s obviously pitching better lately.

Check out Heyman’s full article for the rest of the list.

Lots of things have to bounce right, but it feels good knowing the Mets have a great shot at the postseason and a more-than-we-thought-before shot at actually reaching the Fall Classic.  Hence my opening line, which is only partially in jest.

It sure would be nice if we added a Roy Oswalt, who would look great as a true #2 starter behind Johan, but this team will probably win 85 to 90 games either way.

Are you optimistic?  Are you pessimistic?  Honestly, since we weren’t picked to win, and since no one expected the Mets to finish about fourth place, all the pressure was off.  And combined with great chemistry, unbelievable pitching and the resurgence of David Wright, it’s made this team a contender again.  So let’s do this thing.  Let’s get into the second half on a roll and make a statement that the Mets are for real, and might just be for real into October.

It sure has been a while since the Mets were playing for the division lead this late in the season.  And this time it feels different, not only because we’re battling the Braves for supremacy, but because this team was not expected by most people to contend.  I was one of those folks, and even suggested they might be a last place team.  And I have no problem admitting I was wrong and being quite happy about being wrong.  This is a team that has played above its collective head, or at least played up to its potential.  And even when we lose a couple games, we win a few more.  There is just something special about the roster as it’s constructed right now.

There are questions, yes.  Will Mike Pelfrey get it back together after his Monday night implosion?  Will K-Rod also stop imploding?  How will Carlos Beltran be able to contribute after major surgery?  And was Johan’s gem last night the shape of things to come or not? And of course, will Cliff Lee or Roy Oswalt be wearing Mets’ blue any time soon?

I don’t know the answers to those questions, but I sure do like that we’re asking them in mid-July.  Let’s go beat the Reds tonight, and then let’s sweep the Braves and really make a statement heading into the all-star break.

What’s happening is a good thing.  Fans are excited again as the Mets play inspired ball on the field   Team chemistry, sorely lacking in the past, has blasted off into the stratosphere.  That is a far cry from last year’s disastrous season and the disappointments of the underachieving teams of 2007 and 2008.  Citi Field will likely not turn into a morgue this summer.  Instead it will be alive and abuzz with excitement.  Tickets are in demand.  I know because my season’s tickets are selling for full face value instead of 10 cents on the dollar as they were last year.

So what’s my angle in this post.  The title infers some type of dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs.  I’ll tell you that my excitement is tempered by the thought and fear that the Mets front office will blow their wad this year in hopes that the Mets will make the playoffs this year.  And that these moves might inhibit the building of a great team for many years to come.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again.  You don’t make major moves in hopes that they will make you good enough to make the playoffs.  You don’t mortgage the future for the goal of simply making the playoffs.  The time to make the big splash of a trade is when that move will catapult the team to the top of the heap of teams making the playoffs.  In other words, you make a deal to make the team the favorite to make it all the way to the World Series.

I am actually confident that Omar is thinking the same way.  Remember, he has traded nary a prospect during the last year.  Omar is in a rebuilding mode and will hopefully not make the mistake of trading his top prospects for a short lived run in 2010.

That all said, the Mets can and should make moves to strengthen their pitching.  But in my opinion it should not be a Cliff Lee rental at a high cost of prospects.  Neither should it be a trade with a window for signing Lee to a four or five year extension.  Haven’t we learned the lesson that long term deals for pitchers, even in their prime, but in their early thirties are too risky?  Cliff Lee will be 32 years old this August.  Thus a four or five year extension for $20 million a year would make him a highly paid Met through age 37. I say no to Cliff Lee as a rental or for the long term.

Mets fans have to hope that Johan Santana regains his form in the second half of the season.  Otherwise, despite a major move, this team will not go deep into the playoffs.  Also, let’s see Jason Bay start hitting, and Carlos Beltran return at full strength.  That would be equivalent to two trade deadline moves that will improve the team significantly.

Yes, let’s get a starting pitcher.  Roy Oswalt would be a great addition at a lesser cost;  and maybe as good as Lee.  He’d be a Met for 2011 too.  If not Oswalt, Kevin Millwood would be a solid rental at almost no cost except a few million dollars.  He can’t beat the Yankees and Red Sox.  But my bet is that he can beat the National League teams with a bulls eye on the NL East’s contingents.

In my opinion, Ike Davis, Jenrry Mejia, Jon Niese and Reese Havens are the top prospects which are now untouchable.  I want to see these players develop into stars for the Mets.  Adding them to the core of Wright and Reyes is the team I want to be rooting for during the next five years.

Have patience until 2011.  That’s what I’m aiming for.  So Mets fans, we can hope for the playoffs this year.  It’s not a fantasy anymore.  But as far as winning it all; wait till next year!

Since then there have been more Cliff Lee/Roy Oswalt stories than Charlie Sheen has DUI’s. I think Michael Branda (Jessup) said it best in his article, Ranking The Potentially Available Pitchers:

“I decided last night that I am officially tired of Cliff Lee and Roy Oswalt.”

With that said I’m going to make one final push for Lee. But of course you are Mr. Spector; why let the better angel of your nature just let it be? My apologies to Abe Lincoln but, Abe wasn’t a Met fan.

Johan Santana, for whatever reason, is not the same Santana the Mets traded for. Be it age, or injury or just pure luck, Johan hasn’t been as sharp as he was in Minnesota. That said, I’d still do the trade for him in a heartbeat.

He’s a warrior and his skill level is still head and shoulders above a majority of Major League pitchers. Remember the Mets are the team that at one time boasted Al Leiter as it’s number one. Don’t get me wrong I loved Al Leiter.  Johan, even with his few shaky starts this year, and still recovering as he has said from off-season elbow surgery, is more than worthy of being considered a number one.

However, I like to have insurance. Cliff Lee, could be to the Mets what Aflac is to us regular folk. Lee as we all know comes with his own set of baggage, but I prefer to think of it as the Louis Vuitton variety.

None of us are completely sold on Lee here, as I said regarding Jessup. Our very own Taryn Cooper wrote an article recently over at My Summer Family, Weighing in on Cliff Lee.  I totally get the skepticism surrounding Lee, especially if Seattle’s demands become unworkable.

Even the best sports writers with all the access they have or think they have, really don’t know what goes on behind closed doors. When the Mets made the move to acquire Santana, the Yankees if you recall, were the team that all the writers felt he was going to.

It was a done deal. Fini. The Mike Piazza deal took everyone by shock since nobody had a clue the Mets would land Piazza after the Marlins acquired him from the Dodgers.

We don’t know if Omar Minaya can work a deal for Lee that mimics the Johan deal; leaving a 72 hour window to negotiate an extension. Lee’s agent has stated that he wants to test the free agent market. That’s all well and good until the dollar signs are flowing.

Will it be wise to lock Lee into a 5 year deal at around 16 million per, it’s more than debatable. If you really think the Mets are better off doing nothing, relying on the likes of an R.A. Dickey or Takahashi to solidify the rotation, I’m sorry but I can’t agree with that.  Nor can I argue for going after one of the slew of second and third tier pitchers either.   Pretending to get help isn’t the same as being serious about wanting to win the whole enchilada.

Sure Takahashi and Dickey have been inspirational and fun to watch but at the same time, the league hasn’t really seen them enough to create a detailed scouting report on them. The more they go out there the more their weaknesses will be revealed.

The arguments against Lee some say outweigh the reasons the Mets should get him. I’m the last one in favor of depleting the minors for Lee. However I’m not convinced yet that he would bolt New York after the season. I’m also not resigned to think that Omar has to unload the minors for him either.

It’s in Seattle’s best interest at this point, not to hold on to him and just get a draft pick or two. Lets face it, if Lee stays in Seattle and signs with a top tier team next year, Seattle will get their first round picks, further down in the draft. I’m sure they would like more bang for our buck.

The way the Mets have played this year have at times been quite frustrating, however, as fellow MMO writer Ed Leyro pointed out the Mets since starting the season at 4-8 have a record of 35 and 22.. That’s pretty damn good no matter how you dissect it.

The road has been this teams’ nemesis, sporting a record of 15-20. However this past week, these GoodFellas seem to be re-writing this season’s script having won 7 of their last 9 on the road.

The culmination of which ended Sunday in Yankee stadium as the Mets finished the 2010 Subway Series with a split, having won 2 out of 3 at Citifield and losing 2 out of 3 at Yankee Stadium.

If fortune really does favor the bold, then the next few weeks will probably determine the course the Mets take for the remainder of the season. Rumors and hopes of trading for a starter continue to meander around. Whether it be Lee, Oswalt or a cavalcade of lesser talents, a move does seem to be quite inevitable if not necessary.

Yet one thing remains constant with this team and thankfully so; they are gamers. Be it a result of the past few debacle seasons where the Mets self-destructed their way into the bowels of sports history or an organizational wide feeling that this is it –do or die– or expect wholesale changes.

The Mets, even in their losses, never fail to give 100 percent. Regardless our collective opinions of Jerry Manuel, he does deserve credit for demanding and eliciting this effort.

Take into account there are only 2 teams that seem to have had the Mets number so far this year. All in all, in spite of their issues, in spite of all of our griping, most of which is valid, the Marlins have won 6 out of 10 games against the Mets and the Nationals have won 5 out of 8. Those two teams have done the most damage to the Mets in 2010. Unfortunately both are divisional rivals, neither of which Ryan Howard or Roy Halladay play for.

There are 3 prominent axioms in baseball that have stood the test of time. Two of those being that pitching and defense wins championships. June has been a complete swoon for the Mets pitching staff having posted a 13-4 record and an ERA around 3. Defensively the Mets have committed 36 errors which ranks them 4th in the NL, with only 9 accounted so far in June.

The third axiom; to contend you have to play at least .500 on the road. Few teams have made the playoffs with losing road records. The latest being the 2008 White Sox when they compiled a 35-46 road record. The 2006 St Louis Cardinals bucked the trend. They finished that season with a road record of 34-47, and a World Series Championship.

Only two other teams in the last 15 years have won the World Series with a losing road record, both of which are the Florida Marlins of 1997 and 2003. It’s not impossible to win it all with a losing road record, but trepiditiously difficult.

As we’ve all come to witness, the 2010 Mets are unpredictable. When you think you have them pigeon holed as a certain “type” of team, anchoring the bottom of the National League East, they flick the switch and shift into that extra special gear. Win or lose, these Mets are warriors.

Considering what we’ve all felt the past 3 years it’s hard to find fault with the character of this group. We can’t demand perfection or be deterred by a single loss. Be proud of this team for its hustle and professionalism. Who knows what the next few months have in store.

 ”You know, we always called each other goodfellas. Like, you’d say to somebody: You’re gonna like this guy; he’s all right. He’s a goodfella. He’s one of us. You understand? We were goodfellas, wiseguys…er..ummm….New York Mets.”

Depending on what “friend” you talk to, Oswalt would also accept trades to Philadelphia, St. Louis, the Yankees and Washington Nationals. However, if it means getting out of Houston, a chance at the playoffs and perhaps an extension, the list of places suddenly favorable to Oswalt could grow.

The Mets have been getting sterling pitching from rotation fill-ins RA Dickey and Hisanori Takahashi– together they are 9-2, but Takahashi is only 2-1 as a starter – but that’s not to say all their pitching concerns have been answered.

We don’t know how long this run will last as neither Dickey nor Takahashi are proven over the long haul. We don’t know that about Jon Niese, either, and John Maine continues to throw 88.

If the Mets are to get Oswalt, they should strike now while it is early. The closer to the deadline, the more the Astros will be asking.

After standing pat over the winter in the pitching market, general manager Omar Minaya has a chance to add an ace that would make his rotation arguably the best in the National League withJohan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and Oswalt.

However, there comes a price tag, not only in terms of prospects, but in dollars.  Oswalt is owed $31 million for the remainder of this year and $16 million next season, and a $16 million club option for 2012 (also includes a $2 million buyout).

That’s pricey, but he would make the Mets formidable for the next three years.

Oswalt also makes more sense than Cliff Lee in that his cost is definable, while Lee wants to test the market. Trading for Lee over Oswalt would be foolish, as it would be dealing for a hired gun because he’s gone after the year.

Oswalt would represent less a risk than Lee. He is somebody the Mets should roll the dice with — now.

Check out New York Mets Report for more Mets coverage.

The Mets need another pitcher for the starting rotation; there is no doubt about that.  It looks like if/when John Maine returns from the DL he’s going to be placed in the pen. Oliver Perez has lost his locker as he is now on the DL and who knows when we’ll see him again.  Takahashi did a great job but it looks like the league is starting to catch up to him, especially the 3^rd time facing the lineup.  That’s not a knock on him; if you look at his numbers the opposing team hit him better after the 5^th inning.  He excelled when he was in the pen as the long man and if you really think about it the bullpen has suffered a bit since he went into the rotation.

There are 3 pitchers that will be available: Roy Oswalt, Cliff Lee and Kevin Millwood.  If you paid attention closely this season you can see the Mets have been busy building trade chips.  Once Daniel Murphy got injured and Ike Davis became the 1^st baseman the Mets decided they were going to make him a jack of all trades.  Murphy is a natural 3^rd baseman and he played a decent 1^st base last year.  The Mets also were going to have Murphy work on playing both the outfield and 2^nd base in the minors.  Unfortunately for the Mets Murphy was the victim of a cheap slide last week in Triple A and is out for the season.

The Mets over the weekend cut ties with Garry Matthews Jr.  They also put 2^nd baseman Luis Castillo on the DL.  They called up Ruben Tejada from Triple A and the plan is for Tejada to get most of the playing time while in the majors.  Just to remind you guys Tejada made the team out of camp and was very impressive in the field but his bat needed work.  Tejada went down, worked hard and improved his offense.  He had some good hits over the weekend.  What some may not know is that the Mets have another 2^nd baseman in the minors who is tearing it up and is projected to be the future 2^nd baseman of the team, Reese Havens.  I’ve read online over the last few weeks that he could be ready for 2011.  The Mets don’t need 2 futures at 2^nd base and I think that the Mets are showcasing Tejada to trade him at the deadline.

As of this writing there is speculation that the Mets are going to call up 31 year old outfielder Jesus Feliciano.  Feliciano is a career minor leaguer who has never really gotten a chance.  As he has gotten older he has dominated Triple A pitching.  He has been hitting close to .400 this year in Buffalo.  The Mets do plan on Carlos Beltran coming back and Angel Pagan has more than earned his spot on this roster, so once Beltran comes back they won’t need an outfielder.  If I had to guess I’m guessing that like Tejada Feliciano is trade bait.

The Mets need pitching and if these guys are packaged in a trade for a pitcher then so be it.  Now I would guess F-Mart and perhaps another minor leaguer will have to be part of a package for Cliff Lee.  Lee would be great to have on this team.  This guy wants to stick it to the Phillies.  If it wasn’t for him it’s a good chance the Phillies would have been swept by the Yankees in the World Series.  He has proved that he can pitch in New York and think of a front 3 with Santana, Pelfrey and Lee.  Add Dickey and Niese into the equation and you have a pretty formidable rotation.  I know that he will be a one year rental and that’s why the Mets cannot trade Mejia for him.  If the Mets cannot sign him next year then they can get the draft picks from the team that signs him and rebuild what they lost in the trade.

I don’t want Oswalt on this team.  He’s had back injuries and he’s owed a lot of money.  I would rather the Mets go after Millwood.  I think Millwood on a good team can help a rotation.  He might not be in Lee’s league but I believe that he would be more beneficial than Oswalt.

Overall the Mets are in a good position.  The Mariners wouldn’t mind cutting salary as I’m sure the same can be said about Baltimore.  Barring injury, the Mets can add a good to great pitcher at the trade deadline and they won’t have to sell the farm to get him.

According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the Mets will not part with “B Level” prospect Ruben Tejada, even if it meant acquiring a top of the rotation starter like Houston Astros Ace, Roy Oswalt.

The Mets are so high on rookie infielder Ruben Tejada, their fill-in second baseman for the injured Luis Castillo, that they’d be reluctant to include him in a trade for a pitcher such as Astros right-hander Roy Oswalt.

I don’t really comprehend the wisdom in that if it’s true, but it does give a clear indication that the Mets will not make any moves to bolster the rotation as had been believed by many.

Minaya committed to Mets fans that his priority would be to add a top of the rotation starter in the offseason, but that never happened. He then said he was keeping the savings so that he could upgrade the rotation mid-season, but that no longer appears to be the case.

The Mets have yet to show any indication that they have interest in Oswalt, Cliff Lee or any other top flight pitcher.

I hope they know what they’re doing, because it seems like they are going to ride Hisanori Takahashi and R.A. Dickey for the rest of the season, and their backup plan looks like Oliver Perez and John Maine.

I can see not wanting to part with Jenrry Mejia or Wilmer Flores or even Dillon Gee, but Ruben Tejada? Really?

It doesn’t make sense especially when you consider that they have Reese Havens projected to be their second baseman of the future about a year away?

Sach C has done an impressive job by breaking down the many high school and college prospects recently. It’s a definite must read and I recommend everyone to check those out.

The Mets last two first round picks were in 2008 when they had the 18th pick – Ike Davis and the 22nd pick – Reese Havens. I’ve always been adamant that the Mets need to build from within and draft picks, while always a gamble, can sometimes yield very nice results – the aforementioned Ike Davis being one.

As much as I stress having a stocked farm system, it’s always welcome to have a few teams willing to part ways with a gem or two. As we get closer to the trade deadline of July 31st, the Mets find themselves in the hunt to assemble an elite starting pitching triple punch core , the likes of which are only talked about in that OTHER New York borough. Two ace starting pitchers are on the market.

Roy Oswalt’s non-demand, demand to be traded may have rubbed a few of his fellow Texans on the Astros the wrong way. With a record as of today of 3 – 8 and an ERA slightly over 3, Oswalt, who’s silver bullet is a no-trade clause in his contract, has seen the writing on the wall and yes Houston we have a problem. The Astros are in a serious decline and Roy Oswalt wants a ring. I can’t blame him. He’s option one.

Option two is out on the left coast and plays in the Siberia of baseball, Cliff Lee of the Seattle Mariners. The only thing that would have been worse for Lee, when the National League Champion Phillies traded him this past off season, would have been if Lee’s plane ticket read : one way – Baltimore/Washington International Airport. The TSA probably would have had a few issues that day.

To this day I’m still oddly annoyed at the treatment of Lee by the Phillies. Then again anything the Phillies do tend to annoy me. I realize Roy Halladay is THE stud pitcher in baseball right now but call me sentimental; didn’t Cliff Lee pretty much pitch his gluteus maximus off during his brief tenure?

He went 7 – 4 with an ERA of 3.39 for them last season. The postseason is where he was truly off the charts. He went 4 – 0 with a minuscule 1.56 ERA, winning Philadelphia’s only 2 games in the World Series.

Now I understand the business complexities of baseball but isn’t there something to be said for a little loyalty anymore, especially when it comes to the guy who carried his team’s water in the postseason?

Not only did Philly go out of there way to trade for Halladay, but constructed a four team deal that required Ralphie’s Little Orphan Annie decoder ring to decipher. The result of which supplanted their 2009 postseason “hero” into baseball exile.

Allow me to explain. You ready? You may need to sit for this. The Phillies sent Lee to Seattle then sent prospects – catcher Travis d’Arnaud , pitcher Kyle Drabek and outfielder Michael Taylor to the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays then sent Taylor to the A’s for first baseman Brett Wallace.

In return the Phillies received Halladay, pitching prospects Phillipe Aumont and Juan Ramirez and outfielder Tyson Gillies from Seattle. I almost forgot they also pick pocketed six million in cash from Toronto.

Now I’m not sure if I’m annoyed at Lee’s disrespect by the Phillies, or that the Phillies had the stones to get this done- and who the hell knew Canada had six million dollars just laying around? I mean it’s Canada…really?

Now what does all this mean to the Mets you ask? Great question. First off I’m leaning towards Omar making a move for Lee, as soon as possible. The Mets and just about every other buyer come the July 31st trade deadline, could be in the driver’s seat for Lee.

The Astros still have Oswalt under contract until the end of next year, trading him, in spite of his unhappiness, isn’t a major priority, unless of course he has a major league Oliver Perez style hissy fit in the next few weeks. Now that would just be downright ugly and not to mention would completely lack originality and I’m a man that likes originality baby. There can only be one big A…I mean O and it’s not you Oswalt.

The Mariners gain nothing by keeping Lee for the remainder of this year unless of course they plan on offering him arbitration knowing he’ll decline and in turn score themselves a draft pick. They’re in last place and unless they collectively have a complete out of body experience, it’s going to remain that way.

I find it hard to believe that at 32 years old and to have already tasted postseason play, that Lee will decide to stick around for a few “rebuilding” years in Seattle.

What would it take to pry Lee from Seattle? Not much if Omar plays it right. It’s like a game of poker and Omar knows that Jack Zduriencik, the General Manager of the Mariners, has a weak hand and the river card is about to be dealt.

I could see a deal involving mostly minor leaguers. Perhaps going so far as to offer Fernando Martinez, Brad Holt and perhaps Kirk Nieuwenhuis. I’d be more apt not to let F-Mart go, but I swear every time I hear about another F-Mart injury the name Alex Escobar comes to mind and we all know what a storied career he had.

If Omar really wants to test his creativity and Zduriencik’s will, he could try prying Chone Figgins along with Lee. But let’s not jump ahead of ourselves; that may cost the Mets some serious coin and it’s not like this is Toronto where 6 million clams are sitting around stuck in a zamboni. The key to the deal would be for Omar to do what he did in the Johan Santana trade when he worked out an extension simultaneously.

Imagine a rotation that includes Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and Cliff Lee. Imagine Chone Figgins and Jose Reyes in the same lineup? That my friends, could be a huge advantage and take us to the post season and if you don’t think that deep down Cliff Lee would absolutely love to stick it to the Philadelphia Phillies, then I’d bet my rather impressive MMO salary on it. If by any chance you win, just reach out to Joe D for the payout. I hear he pays in Euro’s.

This morning one of our readers commented about possibly making a trade for Roy Oswalt of the Astros. And although I totally disagreed with having to give up Mike Pelfrey for him, the thought of adding Oswalt seemed quite intriguing.

1. Johan Santana
2. Roy Oswalt
3. Mike Pelfrey
4. Oliver Perez
5. Jon Niese

Since then, WFAN has been abuzz with talk of Oswalt, but now I came across this post by Adam Rubin which seems to put a damper on the whole idea.

A source familiar with the Houston Astros’ thinking doesn’t believe right-hander Roy Oswalt will end up with the Mets, assuming he does get traded.

“They may sniff, but have no chance,” the source said regarding the Mets.

Oswalt, 32, has long been a topic of trade rumors involving the New York Mets going all the way back to 2006 and every trade deadline and offseason ever since.

He has a no-trade clause which might complicate matters as he’s never indicated any interest in playing for the Mets.

Oswalt is set to earn $15 million this season, $16 million next year and has a 2012 option with a $2 million buyout.