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Report: Texas Rangers the favorite to sign Roy Oswalt

Sources say the Texas Rangers are the favorite to land free agent pitcher Roy Oswalt. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Roy Oswalt

Free agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt is receiving interest from a few big-market teams, but sources told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the Texas Rangers are the clear favorite to land his services.

"I would be shocked if he doesn't go to Texas,'' a baseball official told Crasnick. "A team is going to have to greatly outbid Texas to keep him from going there.''

Crasnick reports that Oswalt is close with Rangers president Nolan Ryan.

Besides Texas, Oswalt has worked out for the Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Each has a need for starting pitching.

The Rangers lost starting pitcher Neftali Feliz to a shoulder injury. The Dodgers placed Ted Lilly on the DL yesterday with shoulder inflammation. Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay has a sore shoulder. The Red Sox are in last place in the AL East but still are only 4.5 games back.