Colorado Rockies Sign Roy Oswalt To Minor League Deal

When it comes to rumblings, rumors, and transactions in 2013, there are not many surprises. Between bloggers, sources, and eager and talented beat writers, we typically know what is going to happen well before it actually happens. Surprises are rare and then seem more surprising than they actually are.

Oswalt. Image: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports

In a non-baseball example of this fact, superstar NBA player Kevin Love managed to return to action way ahead of schedule with a broken hand that was on the mend. No whispers. No rumors. He just showed up on the court before the game and then he played.

A player signing with the Colorado Rockies on a minor league contract pales in comparison, profile wise, to what happened with Love. But it is still interesting that there had been no mention of Roy Oswalt whatsoever in recent days, and now he is a member of the Rockies on a minor league deal.

I really do not see much to dislike about this signing. If Oswalt had not been a spectacular failure with the Texas Rangers last season, this would be quite the catch for the Rockies. Now that one season makes him something like a reclamation project, although he has pretty much been a stud in every year of his career save for 2012. He is a lot further from the bottom than other veteran starters on whom the Rockies have taken a flier.

If Oswalt impresses the Rockies and is even 75% of what he was in his best years, he provides an intriguing upgrade for a rotation that still has its holes, even if it has been surprisingly solid thus far in 2013. And if his showing in Texas last season is a sign that he has nothing else to offer, then it is no harm to the Rockies. That is the beauty of these low risk, high reward rebound candidates.