Philadelphia’s Conundrum

What’s in a name? 

Can one name make the difference?

Yesterday starts the official beginning of the Philadelphia Phillies 2010 Championship run. 

Early Thursday morning, Phillies front office members gathered to put together an offer for Roy Halladay. The offer should be made official sometime today, but will not be a final offer. The Phillies will make a strong competitive move, making sure to hold their ground on some prospects.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jays do not want to deal Roy to a division rival, and will take a good hard look at the Phillies’ offer. Pat Gillick was in town yesterday for the first time in a couple of weeks. For this trade to be made, Ruben Amaro will need Gillick’s help, as he doesn’t have the skills to go it alone.

But with all of this talk in Philadelphia of “selling the farm” for one player, they need to wonder, is any one player worth all of this hype?

Last year, the Philadelphia Phillies became “The World Champions of Baseball” as a team.

There was no “I” in this team. They were 25 strong, all with the same mentality and same goals. Everyone stepped up when they were needed. Cole Hamels was dominant. Joe Blanton was hitting home runs. Shane Victorino was flawless. Even Pat Burrell stepped up. Bench players, like Geoff Jenkins, came through in important game situations.

So, what’s in a name?

The Philadelphia Phillies are at a crossroads.  They could take the path of winning now and thinking of the future later.  Or they could take the other road, the road that could lead to a dynasty.

The Phillies are good right now. Would Roy Halladay or another top two pitcher make them great? Would it guarantee them a championship? If the Phillies choose to move ahead with a couple minor deals, save the prospects and hope they turn into the next group of Cole Hamels, Chase Utley, and Ryan Howard, then this team could be dangerous for a long time.

Players like Ryan Howard and Jimmy Rollins have already shown that they could be on a decline. Is it worth saving a “five tool” player like Michael Taylor as a kick start to this lineup in the next two years?

Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels as a one-two punch could be pretty lethal. It may be the best one-two in baseball and make them the team to beat.  But is it as lethal as Cole Hamels, Kyle Drabek, Joe Savery, J.A. Happ, and Carlos Carrasco as a one-two-three-four-five punch?

We may never know the answer to that question.

Philadelphia fans are just asking one thing:  “Please don’t make us wait another 25 years.”