5/23 16:48: Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post says Nats GM Mike Rizzo did not confirm or deny the interest in Oswalt.

“We have interest in a lot of people,” Rizzo said. “We’re always on the phones, we’re always doing our due diligence on players. Oswalt is a tremendous competitor and a tremendous pitcher.”

5/23 14:19: Bill Ladson of MLB.com says the Washington Nationals are looking to improve their rotation an dhave expressed interest in trading for Houston Astros right-handed pitcher Roy Oswalt.

Ladson adds that if the Nationals could work out a deal, Oswalt, 32, and right-hander Stephen Strasburg would be a perfect 1-2 combination in the rotation. It is unclear what the Nationals are willing to give up in order to acquire Oswalt.

Ladson reminds us of Oswalt’s no-trade clause. Yesterday, Buster Olney of ESPN the Magazine said that Oswalt may be reluctant to go to a team that lost 103 games a year ago.