Washington Nationals: Roy Oswalt Chatter.

By now you've all heard this and taken a shot at his personal life, (shame on you), but...

According to SI.com's Hot Clicks writer Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina), in a Tweet posted Monday afternoon, former New York Mets' GM Steve Phillips, "...told [660 WFAN radio host] Mike Francesa if he was Wash[ington], he'd trade Stephen Strasburg for Roy Oswalt." Seriously, Steve? A few hours after Mr. Phillips offered that unsolicited advice, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal was writing, in an article entitled, "Rosenthal: Imagining the Oswalt market", about a hypothetical scenario in which Astros' General Manager Ed Wade talks to Houston owner Drayton McLane about what other teams are offering for 'Stros right-hander Roy Oswalt, who has reportedly asked for a trade in light of the franchise's inability to field a competitive team. Here's how Mr. Rosenthal's imagined conversation begins: 

"Astros general manager Ed Wade walks into owner Drayton McLane’s office, armed with a trade proposal from the Nationals for right-hander Roy Oswalt.

"Who are we getting?" McLane asks excitedly. "Strasburg?"

Wade stiffens.

"No, sir. The Nationals are offering lesser prospects, but three guys we think can play and maybe make an impact."

Both MLB.com's Bill Ladson, in an article entitled, "Nationals express interest in Oswalt" this past Sunday, and Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore, in an article entitled, "Nationals GM Mike Rizzo is mum on Roy Oswalt report", examined the Oswalt to DC rumors, with Mr. Ladson confirming the Nats' interest in the 32-year-old right-hander via an unnamed "baseball source", while Mr. Kilgore writes that the DC GM Mike Rizzo:

"...did not confirm or deny the interest, he intimated the Nationals have been active in pursuing players and praised Oswalt."

Mr. Rosenthal's colleague at FOXSports.com, Jon Paul Morosi, lists the Nationals as one of ten teams interested in Oswalt in an article today entitled, "Potential destinations for Roy Oswalt", wherein Mr. Morosi writes that the Nationals, "...possess a winning record and expect to contend – satisfying key criteria for Oswalt as he considers the destinations for which he would waive his no-trade clause."

The Nationals are not going to offer Stephen Strasburg for Oswalt, and I'll assume that if Mr. Phillips was asked to explain his opinion he'd say that Oswalt is a proven commodity while Strasburg's yet to throw a major league pitch, but it's hard to take the talk seriously as Mr. Rosenthal subtly hints in his parody. Oswalt's made it clear he'd like to pitch for a contender, if he leaves, but in spite of the Nationals' early success, I don't think they fit the definition of a team in contention just yet, but it's clear that the Nationals are always looking at the possibilities that are out there, especially with the injuries that have hit their starting rotation already this season.