The Texas Rangers met with free agent right-handed pitcher Roy Oswalt in a face-to-face lunch meeting in Arlington on Monday, according to sources.

The meeting was described as exploratory and included Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, CEO and president Nolan Ryan, Oswalt, his wife, Nicole, and agent Bob Garber. One source said only that the meeting was "good."

Various reports have put the Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals as the two teams that Oswalt would prefer most as his home in 2012. An ESPNBoston.com report on Friday said Oswalt was close to a deal with the Cardinals, but added that it "wasn't 100 percent."

Oswalt, 34, is currently looking for a home in 2012 after a bothersome lower back landed him on the disabled list twice in 2011. The veteran was 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA in 139 innings (23 starts) with the Philadelphia Phillies, who declined to pick up his option after the season. After Oswalt was dealt to the Phillies at the trade deadline in 2010, he went 7-1 with a 1.74 ERA the rest of the season (12 starts).

He was a consistent starter in Houston, winning 20 games in 2004 and 2005, and has a career 3.21 ERA.