There are a number of obstacles for the Nationals to overcome before they can acquire Roy Oswalt from the Houston Astros. Even before the decision even gets to Oswalt who can veto any deal, the Nationals have to prepare a package that will entice the Astros to let go of the player who has been one of the faces of their franchise for almost a decade.
Ben Goessling of MASN Sports is the first to take a real in-depth look at what the Nationals could potentially offer.
So would a package of, say, (Shairon) Martis, (Chris) Marrero and someone like Brad Meyers or Tom Milone, coupled with the Nationals picking up a good chunk of the $29 million remaining on Oswalt's deal, get it done? It's hard to say until you know which other teams are involved, though an addition of Stammen to the above package might sweeten the pot enough. But I don't think most of those prospects are revered enough around baseball, with the possible exception of Marrero, to get a deal done.
Trading young prospects for a starting pitcher on the wrong side of 30 is always a risk, but with the division lead in sight, it might be one the Nationals are willing to take.