The Blue Jays told the Phillies that, in order to acquire Roy Halladay, they must give up young hurler J.A. Happ, can’t-miss pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, and highly touted Class A outfielder Dominic Brown. The Phillies said no. Instead, they offered Happ along with three other prospects. The Blue Jays said no.
It does not appear as if any Halladay deal involving the Phillies is going to transpire. The Jays are gung-ho on Drabek and will not accept a deal without him. Since they are able to hold on to the ace this season and deal him over the winter or even during next season, they have all the leverage in this situation. If no one steps up, they have no incentive to force something that does not greatly benefit them.
But someone must step up. And it should be the Phillies. I recently wrote an article for MLB Notebook on just this subject. I argue the Phillies should do whatever it takes to make it happen for reasons that are elaborated upon in the article.
Plain and simple, Halladay is the best pitcher in the game. He averages over seven innings per start and is durable. Moreover, he dominates, in the purest sense of the word, every time he takes the hill.
In my opinion, Halladay will stay put in Toronto. ESPN’s Peter Gammons thinks differently. He certainly knows better than I do, but it just does not make sense for the Jays to give in and take less. So, if the Phillies do not step up their offer, why should Toronto just give him away?
UPDATE: According to ESPN.com, “ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney reports this morning that “The trade talks between the Phillies and Jays about Roy Halladay have not only made little progress, but the dialogue has also gotten heated, as in angry.”
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Blue Jays, Dominic Brown, J.A. Happ, Kyle Drabek, Philadelphia, Phillies, Roy Halladay, Toronto
