Roy Halladay Deal Will Pay Immediate and Long-Term Dividends for Phillies

The hand-wringing that has occurred over the last three days across the Philadelphia region has now subsided. The deal is done, and now all that is left is the debate over whether it was the correct one.

For all of the complaints about the enormity in terms of prospects given up and the departure of Cliff Lee in the process, this deal is positive for the Phillies’ future.

By acquiring Halladay and placing him on top of the rotation for the next four to five years, the Phillies have installed a bona fide No. 1 starter. Perhaps, most important in that sense, Halladay’s presence will take some of the pressure off of Cole Hamels to be his 2008 self.

By alleviating the mental anguish that plagued Hamels in 2009, he can focus on pitching like he knows how and not trying to become a perfectionist on the mound. With a clear mind, Hamels can only contribute to what, on paper, is a great 1-2 starting pitching punch.

The outrage over dealing prospects is understandable. Prospects hold promise for a bright future. However, promises can be broken.

Kyle Drabek may be a future All-Star, or he may become the next Gavin Floyd. Michael Taylor could be Jermaine Dye or become Reggie Taylor. The possibility of a prospect becoming what he is projected to be is very slight . 

Parting with Cliff Lee is the price that had to be paid to replenish the farm system. Lee’s contributions down the stretch and in the postseason were, for the lack of a better word, epic. The same word can be applied to the contract Lee would be seeking to stay in Philadelphia beyond 2010. 

Halladay signing for almost a third of the price of the $160-$180 million that Lee would command is the best move financially when considering that Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Jayson Werth, and Shane Victorino hit free agency in coming years.

Philippe Aumont, the Mariners’ top pitching prospect, could essentially either replace Drabek in the long run or even Brad Lidge in the future. Aumont is currently being used as a reliever, primarily a closer, in the minors. It is not much of a stretch to believe Aumont’s inclusion in this deal would spell the end of Lidge in two years when his contract expires. 

Centerfielder Tyson Gillies has the tools to become the center fielder of the future, according to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., Gillies could be in development to take over for Victorino in 2011 and beyond. The Phillies front office must choose between re-signing Werth or Victorino after the 2010 season. 

By keeping top prospect Domonic Brown in the system, it is apparent that the organization is leaning towards giving Werth a new deal over Victorino. Brown would be the eventual replacement for Raul Ibanez when his deal expires.

This deal benefits this club not only in the short-term, but in the long-term as well. The initial pain of giving away a fan favorite and promising young players will subside by the time No. 34 takes the mound on opening day.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Roy Halladay Deal Will Pay Immediate and Long-Term Dividends for Phillies

The hand-wringing that has occurred over the last three days across the Philadelphia region has now subsided. The deal is done, and now all that is left is the debate over whether it was the correct one.

For all of the complaints about the enormity in terms of prospects given up and the departure of Cliff Lee in the process, this deal is positive for the Phillies‘ future.

By acquiring Halladay and placing him on top of the rotation for the next four to five years, the Phillies have installed a bona fide No. 1 starter. Perhaps, most important in that sense, Halladay’s presence will take some of the pressure off of Cole Hamels to be his 2008 self.

By alleviating the mental anguish that plagued Hamels in 2009, he can focus on pitching like he knows how and not trying to become a perfectionist on the mound. With a clear mind, Hamels can only contribute to what, on paper, is a great 1-2 starting pitching punch.

The outrage over dealing prospects is understandable. Prospects hold promise for a bright future. However, promises can be broken.

Kyle Drabek may be a future All-Star, or he may become the next Gavin Floyd. Michael Taylor could be Jermaine Dye or become Reggie Taylor. The possibility of a prospect becoming what he is projected to be is very slight . 

Parting with Cliff Lee is the price that had to be paid to replenish the farm system. Lee’s contributions down the stretch and in the postseason were, for the lack of a better word, epic. The same word can be applied to the contract Lee would be seeking to stay in Philadelphia beyond 2010. 

Halladay signing for almost a third of the price of the $160-$180 million that Lee would command is the best move financially when considering that Ryan Howard, Cole Hamels, Jayson Werth, and Shane Victorino hit free agency in coming years.

Philippe Aumont, the Mariners‘ top pitching prospect, could essentially either replace Drabek in the long run or even Brad Lidge in the future. Aumont is currently being used as a reliever, primarily a closer, in the minors. It is not much of a stretch to believe Aumont’s inclusion in this deal would spell the end of Lidge in two years when his contract expires. 

Centerfielder Tyson Gillies has the tools to become the center fielder of the future, according to general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., Gillies could be in development to take over for Victorino in 2011 and beyond. The Phillies front office must choose between re-signing Werth or Victorino after the 2010 season. 

By keeping top prospect Domonic Brown in the system, it is apparent that the organization is leaning towards giving Werth a new deal over Victorino. Brown would be the eventual replacement for Raul Ibanez when his deal expires.

This deal benefits this club not only in the short-term, but in the long-term as well. The initial pain of giving away a fan favorite and promising young players will subside by the time No. 34 takes the mound on opening day.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Could Phillippe Aumont Help the Phillies in 2010?

As part of the complicated historic trade that officially took place earlier today, Phillippe Aumont came over from the Seattle Mariners in a package of prospects that sent Cliff Lee to the state of Washington and landed Roy Halladay in Philadelphia.

For the Phillies, Halladay was the cornerstone of the blockbuster as he’ll anchor the starting rotation for the next four years at the very minimum. While parting ways with Lee was a difficult pill to swallow, it was a move that will benefit the Fightins in a couple of years.

To acquire Doc from Toronto, the Phils had to give up highly touted prospects Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis d’Arnaud. In giving up Drabek and Taylor, Philadelphia traded away two of their top three prospects.

On top of saying goodbye to three solid prospects in this mega deal, Ruben Amaro Jr. dealt four prospects in July to acquire Lee from the Cleveland Indians; Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson.

If you do the math, that’s seven players out of the farm system which was ranked fourth best in the league by Baseball America. And while four of those players likely won’t cement to anything, it doesn’t help the team’s depth for years down the line.

By trading Lee, who had one year left on his contract and there was no guarantee that he would have re-signed, the Phillies restocked their farm system by acquiring Aumont, J.C. Ramirez, and Tyson Gillies from Seattle.

Aumont was drafted by the Mariners with the 11th overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft as a starting pitcher out of Gatineau, QC; however Seattle began to groom him into a reliever after injury concerns in 2008.

He was placed on the disabled list twice in the 08 season, and remained on the D.L. from August 21st to the end of the season. The 6’7″, 220-pound right-hander posted a 2.75 earned run average in 55.2 innings with 50 strikeouts compared to 19 walks.

Last year, the Mariners had him played for their Advanced A team, the High Desert Mavericks, to start the year as the team’s closer. In 29 appearances with the Mavericks, Aumont converted 12 saves while owning a 3.24 ERA while opponents hit .195 off him.

Seattle promoted him to their Double-A affiliate, West Teen Diamond Jaxx, where he had a 5.09 ERA in 15 games.

You may remember seeing Aumont pitch in the World Baseball Classic last spring for Team Canada, especially if you watched the United States-Canada game. He pitched the seventh inning, loading the bases before retiring David Wright, Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson.

The scouting report on Aumont describes him as a power pitcher with a fastball that can be tough to pick up, which can reach 95 MPH, a hard breaking ball and an occasional changeup. He has pretty good command according to scouting reports.

With the Phils’ bullpen being one of their few weaknesses, Aumont could get a serious look in Spring Training as a long reliever this coming season, something no one expects him to accomplish this year.

It’s not that far-fetched that the Phillies are planning on him relieving in 2010. Clay Condrey has been let go, Chan Ho Park has been offered a contract but wants to start again, and Scott Eyre hasn’t re-signed as of yet either.

And with the payroll around $131 million already, that leaves Amaro about nine million to spend on relievers for the rest of the off-season. Philadelphia has been linked to Fernando Rodney and John Smoltz as possible bullpen arms.

Last year, the Phils struggled closing games out. Brad Lidge had a miserable season while Ryan Madson had a decent year when he was in the eighth inning role, but when he had closer duties, he wasn’t very good.

Bringing Rodney or Smoltz in to replace Park or Eyre as a late-inning reliever would help shore up the bullpen, but it would still leave holes elsewhere in the ‘pen.

To sign Rodney, it’ll probably require closer money unless he gets a chance to close. I don’t believe Amaro would promise him a chance to replace Lidge as the closer so he’ll have to pay top dollar for him, which would bring him right up to the $140 million budget.

Let’s say Rodney or Smoltz is brought into the fold as a late innings reliever, there’s still a long relieving role up in arms. Pitchers like Antonio Bastardo, Sergio Escalona and Drew Carpenter will be looked at in the Spring, but Aumont shouldn’t be ruled out.

This kid has a live arm with movement on his pitches. He throws three pitches, and has a nasty curveball who can get Major League hitters out. I know it was just the WBC, but he did strikeout Youkilis and Granderson, two MLB All-Stars.

Aumont could be a pleasant surprise for the Phillies this season, or he could stay in the minors and never be heard from again. Who knows.

For more Philadelphia sports coverage, please go to my blog: The Broad Street Scoop.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Could Phillippe Aumont Help the Phillies in 2010?

As part of the complicated historic trade that officially took place earlier today, Phillippe Aumont came over from the Seattle Mariners in a package of prospects that sent Cliff Lee to the state of Washington and landed Roy Halladay in Philadelphia.

For the Phillies, Halladay was the cornerstone of the blockbuster as he’ll anchor the starting rotation for the next four years at the very minimum. While parting ways with Lee was a difficult pill to swallow, it was a move that will benefit the Fightins in a couple of years.

To acquire Doc from Toronto, the Phils had to give up highly touted prospects Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis d’Arnaud. In giving up Drabek and Taylor, Philadelphia traded away two of their top three prospects.

On top of saying goodbye to three solid prospects in this mega deal, Ruben Amaro Jr. dealt four prospects in July to acquire Lee from the Cleveland Indians; Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson.

If you do the math, that’s seven players out of the farm system which was ranked fourth best in the league by Baseball America. And while four of those players likely won’t cement to anything, it doesn’t help the team’s depth for years down the line.

By trading Lee, who had one year left on his contract and there was no guarantee that he would have re-signed, the Phillies restocked their farm system by acquiring Aumont, J.C. Ramirez, and Tyson Gillies from Seattle.

Aumont was drafted by the Mariners with the 11th overall pick in the 2007 MLB draft as a starting pitcher out of Gatineau, QC; however Seattle began to groom him into a reliever after injury concerns in 2008.

He was placed on the disabled list twice in the 08 season, and remained on the D.L. from August 21st to the end of the season. The 6’7″, 220-pound right-hander posted a 2.75 earned run average in 55.2 innings with 50 strikeouts compared to 19 walks.

Last year, the Mariners had him played for their Advanced A team, the High Desert Mavericks, to start the year as the team’s closer. In 29 appearances with the Mavericks, Aumont converted 12 saves while owning a 3.24 ERA while opponents hit .195 off him.

Seattle promoted him to their Double-A affiliate, West Teen Diamond Jaxx, where he had a 5.09 ERA in 15 games.

You may remember seeing Aumont pitch in the World Baseball Classic last spring for Team Canada, especially if you watched the United States-Canada game. He pitched the seventh inning, loading the bases before retiring David Wright, Kevin Youkilis and Curtis Granderson.

The scouting report on Aumont describes him as a power pitcher with a fastball that can be tough to pick up, which can reach 95 MPH, a hard breaking ball and an occasional changeup. He has pretty good command according to scouting reports.

With the Phils’ bullpen being one of their few weaknesses, Aumont could get a serious look in Spring Training as a long reliever this coming season, something no one expects him to accomplish this year.

It’s not that far-fetched that the Phillies are planning on him relieving in 2010. Clay Condrey has been let go, Chan Ho Park has been offered a contract but wants to start again, and Scott Eyre hasn’t re-signed as of yet either.

And with the payroll around $131 million already, that leaves Amaro about nine million to spend on relievers for the rest of the off-season. Philadelphia has been linked to Fernando Rodney and John Smoltz as possible bullpen arms.

Last year, the Phils struggled closing games out. Brad Lidge had a miserable season while Ryan Madson had a decent year when he was in the eighth inning role, but when he had closer duties, he wasn’t very good.

Bringing Rodney or Smoltz in to replace Park or Eyre as a late-inning reliever would help shore up the bullpen, but it would still leave holes elsewhere in the ‘pen.

To sign Rodney, it’ll probably require closer money unless he gets a chance to close. I don’t believe Amaro would promise him a chance to replace Lidge as the closer so he’ll have to pay top dollar for him, which would bring him right up to the $140 million budget.

Let’s say Rodney or Smoltz is brought into the fold as a late innings reliever, there’s still a long relieving role up in arms. Pitchers like Antonio Bastardo, Sergio Escalona and Drew Carpenter will be looked at in the Spring, but Aumont shouldn’t be ruled out.

This kid has a live arm with movement on his pitches. He throws three pitches, and has a nasty curveball who can get Major League hitters out. I know it was just the WBC, but he did strikeout Youkilis and Granderson, two MLB All-Stars.

Aumont could be a pleasant surprise for the Phillies this season, or he could stay in the minors and never be heard from again. Who knows.

For more Philadelphia sports coverage, please go to my blog: The Broad Street Scoop.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Why the Phillies Traded for Roy Halladay: Analyzing the Deal

Now that the dust has settled, Roy Halladay is a Philadelphia Phillie. 

For a franchise that has started the likes of Jon Lieber, Kevin Millwood, and Robert Person on Opening Day, that previous sentence is a pleasant sight to the eyes of Phillies fans.

A lot of people may not understand why the Phillies have decided to trade Cliff Lee. It’s important to understand a few things. Halladay is an upgrade, potentially the best pitcher in baseball the last six years, and Lee was not going to stay here beyond 2009, especially if the Phillies’ front office had anything to say about it. 

This pretty much came to fruition after Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. met with Lee’s agent recently to discuss a potential contract extension for the left-hander.

Lee is signed for $9 million this season. And while it would have been nice to have a rotation that included Halladay, Lee, and Cole Hamels, the Phillies will still have a vaunted rotation in 2010. 

Lee has the opportunity to get $23-25 million over six years on the open market. He’s going to test the free agent market next year, and it’s likely he’ll get that from somebody. 

So for 2010, the Phillies essentially are getting Halladay for Lee. Halladay makes $15.75 million this season. Toronto will send $6 million in the deal, for a total of about $9.75 million in 2010 for Halladay, and what the Phillies pay him in 2009 is similar to what they would have paid Lee. 

The key here is that Lee wasn’t re-signing for what the Phillies wanted. Halladay’s three-year extension at $20 million per season through 2013 (and possibly 2014) is a bargain, much better than Lee at $23-24 million over six years.

The Phillies have taken the stance since the Pat Gillick era began (and to an extent, the Ed Wade era) of not giving pitchers more than three years on a deal. They got what they wanted. 

So what about the prospects? Some will say the Phillies are getting a short stick because they are giving up Lee, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis D’Arnaud.

That’s really not the way to look at it. Back in the summer, Amaro had a choice of Halladay or Lee. He went with Lee because the cost was Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, and Lou Marson. It was a decent haul for Cleveland.

Knapp has a good chance to be a decent starter, and if not that, a good back-end of the bullpen guy.

Catchers don’t grow on trees, and Marson has an opportunity to start for Cleveland next year. While Carrasco’s stock fell, Donald will probably be a solid middle infielder in his career. 

At the time, the Phillies had the option of doing that deal or dealing Drabek, Domonic Brown, J.A. Happ, and Anthony Gose to Toronto for Halladay.

This was too much to give up, bottom line. The Phillies would have lost their best pitching prospect and their best position prospect.

The Phillies get to keep Brown in this deal for Halladay, which is important. It’s going to be fun to watch Brown’s career develop, and he will most likely be the highest-rated prospect in the Phillies’ system now that Drabek is gone. 

In the end, the simple way to look at it is that the Phillies traded Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson for the three months of Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, and Juan Carlos Ramirez. 

Then they trade Drabek, Taylor, and D’Arnaud for Halladay and the $6 million. Not too bad. 

Aumont is 6’7″, and has been bounced between starting and relieving in the minor leagues. It remains to be seen where he will be in 2010 and what role he will be in. 

Gillies has a chance to be the Phillies’ starting center fielder by 2012. He has above-average speed and posted a .916 OPS in the Minors last year, although he played in a hitter’s haven in High Desert, Arizona. 

Juan Carlos Ramirez has electric stuff, with a fastball sitting around 91-92 with room for growth. A lot of people feel he’ll be a solid pitcher in the near future, probably in the middle of a Major League rotation.  

Critics will argue that the Phillies are a cheap organization and that they should have kept Lee to create a potentially dynamic rotation. 

It’s vital to understand that the Phillies do not have a “bottomless pit [of money],” as Amaro explained at today’s press conference.

If it really was about the money, the Phillies would have moved Joe Blanton and his expected $7 million salary in 2010. 

Had the Phillies moved Blanton, however, they would not have gotten the return in prospects that they could get with Lee. 

The Phillies opted to make a bold move, trading Lee and getting three known prospects. At the very least, Amaro is one of the most creative general mangers baseball has seen in the last couple of decades. 

The Phillies are in win-now mode, and Amaro is trying his best to give another championship to the city of Philadelphia. 

So the question becomes, would you rather have had Halladay-Hamels-Blanton-Happ-Moyer, or Lee-Hamels-Blanton-Happ-Moyer?

On the surface it doesn’t look like much of a big difference for 2010, but this is going to be felt further down the road.

There was a good chance that Lee would have walked away after this year, with the best result being the Phillies getting two compensation picks had they offered him arbitration.

Now, instead of pinning everything on Hamels and a patchwork rotation in 2011, the Phillies have a long-term option in Halladay. 

So, Roy Halladay is a Phillie. And we’re all going to enjoy it. When he steps foot on the mound next April, it’s going to be pretty surreal.

Lee will be missed, but there’s a new ace in town. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

Why the Phillies Traded for Roy Halladay: Analyzing the Deal

Now that the dust has settled, Roy Halladay is a Philadelphia Phillie. 

For a franchise that has started the likes of Jon Lieber, Kevin Millwood, and Robert Person on Opening Day, that previous sentence is a pleasant sight to the eyes of Phillies fans.

A lot of people may not understand why the Phillies have decided to trade Cliff Lee. It’s important to understand a few things. Halladay is an upgrade, potentially the best pitcher in baseball the last six years, and Lee was not going to stay here beyond 2009, especially if the Phillies’ front office had anything to say about it. 

This pretty much came to fruition after Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. met with Lee’s agent recently to discuss a potential contract extension for the left-hander.

Lee is signed for $9 million this season. And while it would have been nice to have a rotation that included Halladay, Lee, and Cole Hamels, the Phillies will still have a vaunted rotation in 2010. 

Lee has the opportunity to get $23-25 million over six years on the open market. He’s going to test the free agent market next year, and it’s likely he’ll get that from somebody. 

So for 2010, the Phillies essentially are getting Halladay for Lee. Halladay makes $15.75 million this season. Toronto will send $6 million in the deal, for a total of about $9.75 million in 2010 for Halladay, and what the Phillies pay him in 2009 is similar to what they would have paid Lee. 

The key here is that Lee wasn’t re-signing for what the Phillies wanted. Halladay’s three-year extension at $20 million per season through 2013 (and possibly 2014) is a bargain, much better than Lee at $23-24 million over six years.

The Phillies have taken the stance since the Pat Gillick era began (and to an extent, the Ed Wade era) of not giving pitchers more than three years on a deal. They got what they wanted. 

So what about the prospects? Some will say the Phillies are getting a short stick because they are giving up Lee, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis D’Arnaud.

That’s really not the way to look at it. Back in the summer, Amaro had a choice of Halladay or Lee. He went with Lee because the cost was Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, and Lou Marson. It was a decent haul for Cleveland.

Knapp has a good chance to be a decent starter, and if not that, a good back-end of the bullpen guy.

Catchers don’t grow on trees, and Marson has an opportunity to start for Cleveland next year. While Carrasco’s stock fell, Donald will probably be a solid middle infielder in his career. 

At the time, the Phillies had the option of doing that deal or dealing Drabek, Domonic Brown, J.A. Happ, and Anthony Gose to Toronto for Halladay.

This was too much to give up, bottom line. The Phillies would have lost their best pitching prospect and their best position prospect.

The Phillies get to keep Brown in this deal for Halladay, which is important. It’s going to be fun to watch Brown’s career develop, and he will most likely be the highest-rated prospect in the Phillies’ system now that Drabek is gone. 

In the end, the simple way to look at it is that the Phillies traded Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, and Lou Marson for the three months of Cliff Lee, Ben Francisco, Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, and Juan Carlos Ramirez. 

Then they trade Drabek, Taylor, and D’Arnaud for Halladay and the $6 million. Not too bad. 

Aumont is 6’7″, and has been bounced between starting and relieving in the minor leagues. It remains to be seen where he will be in 2010 and what role he will be in. 

Gillies has a chance to be the Phillies’ starting center fielder by 2012. He has above-average speed and posted a .916 OPS in the Minors last year, although he played in a hitter’s haven in High Desert, Arizona. 

Juan Carlos Ramirez has electric stuff, with a fastball sitting around 91-92 with room for growth. A lot of people feel he’ll be a solid pitcher in the near future, probably in the middle of a Major League rotation.  

Critics will argue that the Phillies are a cheap organization and that they should have kept Lee to create a potentially dynamic rotation. 

It’s vital to understand that the Phillies do not have a “bottomless pit [of money],” as Amaro explained at today’s press conference.

If it really was about the money, the Phillies would have moved Joe Blanton and his expected $7 million salary in 2010. 

Had the Phillies moved Blanton, however, they would not have gotten the return in prospects that they could get with Lee. 

The Phillies opted to make a bold move, trading Lee and getting three known prospects. At the very least, Amaro is one of the most creative general mangers baseball has seen in the last couple of decades. 

The Phillies are in win-now mode, and Amaro is trying his best to give another championship to the city of Philadelphia. 

So the question becomes, would you rather have had Halladay-Hamels-Blanton-Happ-Moyer, or Lee-Hamels-Blanton-Happ-Moyer?

On the surface it doesn’t look like much of a big difference for 2010, but this is going to be felt further down the road.

There was a good chance that Lee would have walked away after this year, with the best result being the Phillies getting two compensation picks had they offered him arbitration.

Now, instead of pinning everything on Hamels and a patchwork rotation in 2011, the Phillies have a long-term option in Halladay. 

So, Roy Halladay is a Phillie. And we’re all going to enjoy it. When he steps foot on the mound next April, it’s going to be pretty surreal.

Lee will be missed, but there’s a new ace in town. 

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

It’s O-Phil-cial: Roy Halladay Now a Philadelphia Philly

It was a sad day for Toronto Blue Jays fans—for the past five months, we had been expecting this day to come, but I don’t think any of us could have prepared ourselves for the heartache that came along with letting go of Roy Halladay.

After watching today’s press conference, there is reason to believe there is a lot of hope for this franchise moving forward. AA kept a very positive tone this afternoon and did a good job of providing the answers that everyone was looking for.

One phrase that Anthopoulos used quite frequently was “young, controllable players.”

Obviously, this is what the Blue Jays were seeking, and is the reason why they didn’t go for a deal with the Los Angeles Angels involving players like Eric Aybar and Mike Napoli.

While being good players, they could either potentially walk in just a few seasons or command quite hefty contracts.

Also, by trading for players with major league experience, you already have a relatively good idea of what their ceiling is and what to expect from them in the future. Whereas with highly-touted prospects, their potential is nearly unlimited.

It’s refreshing to see a general manager who understands the value in having a player under team control for six seasons, rather than a free agent who can command colossal amounts of money and just walk away at the end of their contract.

Expectations will be undoubtedly high on the players the Blue Jays received in return: Kyle Drabek, Brett Wallace, and Travis D’Arnaud.

I don’t think we should bank on any of these guys being the next Roy Halladay, however there is a great deal of potential and promise in each of them.

Even if just one of them turns out of be a success, the Roy Halladay trade would have been all worth it.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

It’s O-Phil-cial: Roy Halladay Now a Philadelphia Philly

It was a sad day for Toronto Blue Jays fans—for the past five months, we had been expecting this day to come, but I don’t think any of us could have prepared ourselves for the heartache that came along with letting go of Roy Halladay.

After watching today’s press conference, there is reason to believe there is a lot of hope for this franchise moving forward. AA kept a very positive tone this afternoon and did a good job of providing the answers that everyone was looking for.

One phrase that Anthopoulos used quite frequently was “young, controllable players.”

Obviously, this is what the Blue Jays were seeking, and is the reason why they didn’t go for a deal with the Los Angeles Angels involving players like Eric Aybar and Mike Napoli.

While being good players, they could either potentially walk in just a few seasons or command quite hefty contracts.

Also, by trading for players with major league experience, you already have a relatively good idea of what their ceiling is and what to expect from them in the future. Whereas with highly-touted prospects, their potential is nearly unlimited.

It’s refreshing to see a general manager who understands the value in having a player under team control for six seasons, rather than a free agent who can command colossal amounts of money and just walk away at the end of their contract.

Expectations will be undoubtedly high on the players the Blue Jays received in return: Kyle Drabek, Brett Wallace, and Travis D’Arnaud.

I don’t think we should bank on any of these guys being the next Roy Halladay, however there is a great deal of potential and promise in each of them.

Even if just one of them turns out of be a success, the Roy Halladay trade would have been all worth it.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

It’s Officially Official: Halladay to the Phils, Cliff Lee to Seattle

After a few days of hammering out physicals and filing paperwork, the Phillies announced on Wednesday that they have traded Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners, and will hold a press conference at 5:00 EST to announce that they acquired Roy Halladay from Toronto.

The Phillies also acquire Phillippe Aumont, J.C. Ramirez, and Tyson Gillies from the Mariners along with $6 million from the Blue Jays. Philadelphia sends Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis d’Arnaud to the Jays, who ship Taylor to Oakland for Brett Wallace.

Halladay will wear No. 34 with the Phillies since Steve Carlton’s No. 32 has been retired by the Fightins.

For more Philadelphia sports coverage, please go to my blog: The Broad Street Scoop.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

It’s Officially Official: Halladay to the Phils, Cliff Lee to Seattle

After a few days of hammering out physicals and filing paperwork, the Phillies announced on Wednesday that they have traded Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners, and will hold a press conference at 5:00 EST to announce that they acquired Roy Halladay from Toronto.

The Phillies also acquire Phillippe Aumont, J.C. Ramirez, and Tyson Gillies from the Mariners along with $6 million from the Blue Jays. Philadelphia sends Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis d’Arnaud to the Jays, who ship Taylor to Oakland for Brett Wallace.

Halladay will wear No. 34 with the Phillies since Steve Carlton’s No. 32 has been retired by the Fightins.

For more Philadelphia sports coverage, please go to my blog: The Broad Street Scoop.

Read more Philadelphia Phillies news on BleacherReport.com

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