Roy Oswalt pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers' management last week in Starkville, Miss. The Dodgers are interest in signing the former Astros and Phillies pitcher.
According to Yahoo's Tim Brown, the Dodgers have in fact offered Oswalt a contract. However, the team believes that Oswalt wants to sign with his desired team, the Texas Rangers. The Rangers lost Neftali Perez to a shoulder injury and could use Oswalt to fill his spot in the rotation.
The Dodgers too, have an opening in their starting pitching rotation after left-hander Ted Lilly was placed on the 15-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. It is his second stint on the DL this year. Lilly is one of the best pitchers on the Dodgers, who sport baseball's best record. He is 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA. The Dodgers are expected to call-up Nathan Eovaldi from Double-A Chattanooga to start for Lilly.
Other possible landing sports for Oswalt include the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles.
Oswalt, 34, was reportedly offered a $10 million contract by the Detroit Tigers this offseason, which he declined. In February, he announced to all major league clubs that he planned to sign with a team and return to baseball in midseason. He has set a goal of returning to pitch by June 15.
Oswalt is 159-93 in 11 seasons, most of them spent in Houston. He has been an All-Star three times and has been in the top five of the National League Cy Young voting. Last year with the Phillies, Oswalt started 23 games. He went 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA while battling back problems that forced him to the disable list twice.
