Philadelphia Phillies: 15 best trades in franchise history
By Tim Boyle
13) Best Philadelphia Phillies trade: Roy Oswalt from the Astros.
Not the first or last entry on this list to include the Astros, Roy Oswalt was a teammate of Pence’s before getting traded to the Phillies in mid-2010. Hopeful they could make it to their third straight World Series and come away with a win this time, Philadelphia was eager to add one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last decade.
Oswalt had gone 143-82 with the Astros while posting a 3.24 ERA. He was tremendously successful but also a high-priced player nearing free agency. His best days may have been behind him, but in 2010, he had a memorable run for the Phillies.
Oswalt went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in his 82.2 innings of work. It was exactly what the team needed as they were attempting to bolster the rotation in preparation for a playoff run. They would come up short in the NLCS but Oswalt remained excellent. In his 14.2 innings of work against the San Francisco Giants, he had a 1.84 ERA.
The following season, Oswalt would go 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA. Injuries took their toll on the aging starter who had already been around for more than a decade and frequently logging over 200 innings. Still, the trade was well worth it. The Phillies gave up Anthony Gose, J.A. Happ, and Jonathan Villar in the move. While all three would have some success in the big leagues and even continue to as of 2022, the Phillies desperately needed Oswalt in 2010.