Phillies add Oswalt to already potent rotation

THE ONLY THING missing from the dimly lit conference room was a haze of cigarette smoke and a row of slot machines. Wearing a checkered blazer that hung loosely from his shoulders and a thin shadow of whiskers, Ruben Amaro Jr. looked more like a gambler finishing up a weekend on the Strip than a general manager who had just pulled off his third consecutive trade for a marquee starting pitcher. And considering the string of bold decisions that added Roy Oswalt to a rotation that already includes veteran righthander Roy Halladay and rejuvenated lefty Cole Hamels, the appearance wasn't necessarily deceiving.

"These are human beings, and you don't know how they will perform," Amaro said. "But I like our chances with these three pitchers at the top of our rotation, certainly."

On paper, the Phillies took a big step toward re-establishing themselves as the favorites in the National League when they traded lefthander J.A. Happ and a pair of raw prospects - outfielder Anthony Gose and infielder Jonathan Villar - to the Astros for Oswalt and a reported $11 million yesterday.

Oswalt, a 32-year-old righthander with a 3.42 ERA in 20 starts and a slew of Top 5 Cy Young finishes in his career, waived the no-trade clause in his contract to complete the deal and join Halladay (2.21 ERA in 22 starts) and Hamels (3.48 ERA in 21 starts) in Philadelphia. Starting tonight in Washington, D.C., when Oswalt is scheduled to make his debut, the Phillies rotation will feature the type of three-headed monster many had pined for in the wake of the front office's decision to deal Cliff Lee in December. Approximately 36 of their remaining 60 games will be started by a pitcher who lasts an average of at least 6 1/3 innings and allows fewer than 2.5 earned runs per start.

"He's right in the prime of his career," manager Charlie Manuel said. "He's 32 years old. He's got a lot left, and he's going to help us. We got better today."