Texas Rangers to Meet with Roy Oswalt – a Fan’s Take

I honestly don't know what the Texas Rangers are thinking. The Dallas Morning news announced that Texas is meeting with Roy Oswalt on Monday, Jan. 30.

Another report came that the St. Louis Cardinals was about to sign Oswalt but General Manager John Mozeliak denied those rumors. I really hope Mozeliak is lying because I'd rather see Oswalt with St. Louis than with Texas.

Look, Oswalt is a nice pitcher but he is 34 and his ERA has not been in the low threes since 2007 when he threw a 3.18 for the Houston Astros. Since then, the lowest it has gotten was 3.42 in 2010 and in 2011 he finished with a 3.69 ERA. Add to the fact that, in 2011, he had the lowest strikeout totals of his career (93), and most damaging, went 9-10 for a team that finished with 102 wins.

Oswalt hit the DL twice in 2011, thanks to lower back problems. That is another problem because the last thing Texas needs is another injury prone player. Plus, according to Oswalt's agent, he will start wherever he goes to play. That means Texas has to either move someone else to the bullpen (Neftali Feliz?) or trade someone.

So, how can Oswalt go from the worst pitcher on the Philadelphia Phillies' staff to the starting rotation of the Texas Rangers?

Everyone in the Rangers' rotation is better than Oswalt at this point in his career. The Ranger's "sixth man," Alexi Ogando is better than Oswalt. Why would Texas cut ties with young talent like Matt Harrison, Ogando or a postseason star like Colby Lewis for someone on the decline of his career?

When Prince Fielder was still a free agent, I was not sure if he was a good fit in Texas. No matter how good someone is, or how good they used to be in Oswalt's case, there is a point where adding too many pieces will hurt the rhythm of the team. I don't think Oswalt is a good fit in Texas and adding him might be a really bad decision.

Author Shawn S. Lealos has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma (2000) and has been a Texas Rangers fan his entire life, watching the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate play for over 30 years. While Texas has moved their Triple-A team, Shawn still remains a loyal Rangers fan and awaits the year they finally win the big one.

Source: texasrangers.com

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