(via chron.com)
Astros righthander Roy Oswalt has agreed to waive his no-trade clause and accept a trade to the Philadelphia Phillies.
“I’m gone,” Oswalt said. “It’s pretty tough packing up my locker. It’s tough to leave Houston, but I’m going to a good situation. Philly has a good situation, but now I have to hurry up and pack my locker up.”
In exchange for Oswalt, the Astros received lefthander J.A. Happ and minor league outfielder Anthony Gose and shortstop Jonathan Villar. The Astros also sent an undisclosed amount of cash to the Phillies.
The Astros traded Gose to the Toronto Blue Jays for first base prospect Brett Wallace.
Happ is scheduled to start for the Astros against Milwaukee on Friday at Minute Maid Park. He went 1-0 with a 1.76 ERA in three starts for the Phillies this season.
To make the deal happen, Oswalt’s agent Bob Garber said the pitcher dropped his demand for the Phillies to pick up his $16 million option for 2012.
The Astros are expected to receive lefthander J.A. Happ and two prospects from the Phillies. Happ was runner-up for last year’s National League Rookie of the Year award.
The Phillies were the only team the Astros presented Oswalt with a trade scenario, Garber said.
Garber said the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals expressed interest in Oswalt.
Oswalt, under contract through 2011 with a 2012 option, asked the Astros to consider trading him to a contender more than two months ago. From the beginning, Oswalt stated that he is seeking a deal that is mutually beneficial.
The Astros are also expected to pick up some of the money owed to Oswalt, currently some $22 million through 2011.
Oswalt has spent his entire 10-year major league career with the Astros, in the process becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in team history. He went 143-82 in nearly 10 seasons with the Astros.
The Astros picked Oswalt in the 23rd round of the 1996 amateur draft.
Originally a St. Louis Cardinals prospect, Wallace was traded to Oakland in the Matt Holliday deal, to Toronto in the aftermatch of the Roy Halladay deal with the Phillies and then to his fourth organization on Thursday. Wallace will report to Class AAA Round Rock.
Villar, 19, hit .272 with 18 doubles, four triples, two homers and 38 stolen bases at Class A Lakewood. Villar will be assigned to Class A Lancaster.
