Today Toronto Blue Jays GM JP Ricciardi said that he will entertain offers for perennial Cy Young contender Roy Halladay. With the hurler’s contract ending after the 2010 season, the Jays could command a hefty sum for his services—and they will.
It will take a lot to get Halladay. If the Yankees are intrigued (and of course they are), they would probably have to surrender not just Joba Chamberlain, but Phil Hughes as well. Hell, Robinson Cano is a possibility. When it comes to a talent such as Halladay, only a select few is untouchable.
But, odds are, Halladay will remain in Toronto for the remainder of the season. If Ricciardi is not blown away by an offer, he will have no incentive to deal him. For Halladay is under contract for next season as well, and the Bidding War of the Summer of 2010 could be on the threshold.
I believe the team with the most to gain by acquiring Halladay is the Philadelphia Phillies. They have a borderline ace in Cole Hamels, but everything else is up in the air. Halladay would be a brilliant addition to the top of the rotation (but you can say that about pretty much any team I suppose).
I guess my point is this: Don’t expect Halladay to be on the move any time soon. The Jays have no incentive to deal him as of yet. If they never deal him, and Halladay signs elsewhere in the winter of 2010, then Toronto will receive two compensational draft picks. Therefore they must trade the hurler at some point unless he makes it clear to the Jays’ brass that he wants to stay.
Start thinking about it. There are many, many teams’ uniforms that Halladay would look good in.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Blue Jays, Cole Hamels, Joba Chamberlain, New York, Phil Hughes, Philadelphia, Philles, Robinson Cano, Roy Halladay, Toronto, Yankees
[...] I wrote the other day about how acquiring Roy Halladay would obviously be a huge addition to the Phi…, but the addition of Martinez would be a solid Plan B. He pitched very well in the World Baseball Classic, and there is no reason to believe he would not be an effective pitcher at the big league level: A 4.30 ERA out of the number four spot in the rotation would warrant a pro-rated $5 million contract, which is what he was supposedly asking for at the beginning of the season. [...]