Brian McTaggart of MLB.com says Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan has acknowledged the team’s interest in right-handed pitcher Roy Oswalt.

“You know, we definitely are looking to improve our ballclub, and when you have an opportunity, or might have an opportunity, to acquire someone like that, you have to look at it and evaluate it and see if that’s a possibility and see if it’s doable,” Ryan said.

“There hasn’t been really any conversations I’ve been aware of here in the last week to 10 days,” Ryan said. “I think, from the Astros’ perspective, that would pick up as we would get closer to the [non-tender] Trade Deadline in July.”

Yesterday T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reported that the Rangers have been calling clubs about the availability of starting pitching.

When Oswalt was asked about the possibility of going to the Rangers, he said “I’m open. Just have to wait and see what works for both of us.”

The Rangers are leading the AL West and are actively seeking starting pitching help. The team is somewhat in a bind because they are in the middle of bankruptcy and an ownership transition. They cannot take on a significant salary. If they were to go after a high-price name like Oswalt, they may need to involve a third-team that can pay the salary while the Rangers include prospects in the deal.