Slow down, we just doubled the titles last year

Crasnick

...the Toronto Blue Jays ace on Monday estimated his chances of being dealt before the July 31 trade deadline as 50-50.

"For me, it would be a flip of the coin,"...

Halladay, who deftly maneuvered around a barrage of questions for more than 15 minutes, said he would not mind going to the National League or a bigger market.

"I'd rather hit than face Jeter, A-Rod, Matsui and Teixeira," Halladay said.

He added: "I think there is so much that goes into it. I'm still not 100 percent sure which direction we're going in in Toronto. If Toronto does decide to do something, it's really going to be something that helps the organization. There's going to be a lot of pieces; it's going to be complicated. I think it's going to be kind of 50-50."

Halladay, who is under contract for next season at $15.75 million, has a no-trade clause and would have to approve any deal. He did not say whether an extension would have to be part of any deal.

The Blue Jays have sent scouts throughout the majors and minors as they try to gauge the talent pool they might get back for one of the game's best pitchers.

"It's a tough situation, but you always want to win," Halladay said. "You want that chance to win, that's every player's dream. For me, I'm looking [at] it as they're exploring options. Something may come of it, something may not. I'm trying to keep the emotions out of it as much as I can."

must not fap

Roy Halladay was interviewed by Jody Mac and Harry Mayes on 950 ESPN earlier today and it sounded so promising...

...then, Randy Miller came on a bit later and said that his sources are telling him that the Phillies have no problem with Halladay's salary for 2010...it's the rest of his 2009 salary that his sources tell him the Phillies can't afford.

Now, that seems ridiculous. Jody & Harry, while respecting Randy (and his sources), are going over the numbers now and can't understand how that can be true.

myers is on the books.

myers is not on the books for next year

I hope Rube sits tight for a couple of weeks. As this gets closer to the deadline, more pitchers will be available, hopefully driving down Toronto's price, as buyers choose other options. I can't see Ricciardi taking this into the off-season either. I have to be believe Halladay's value is at it's peak right now - teams in a pennant race, with 1 1/2 years left on the contract.

philsfan1979 wrote:Roy Halladay was interviewed by Jody Mac and Harry Mayes on 950 ESPN earlier today and it sounded so promising...

...then, Randy Miller came on a bit later and said that his sources are telling him that the Phillies have no problem with Halladay's salary for 2010...it's the rest of his 2009 salary that his sources tell him the Phillies can't afford.

Now, that seems ridiculous. Jody & Harry, while respecting Randy (and his sources), are going over the numbers now and can't understand how that can be true.

Middleton has some walking around money they can tap.

I wouldn't trade Taylor for anyone but Halladay. But Halladay is a difference maker.

Most deadline deals, I think, are better off not being made. Remember when we were all excited about trying toget Steve Finley a few years ago? I don't know what we would have had to give up, but it would not have been worth it.

That said, Roy Halladay is not just any deadline deal, not with a year and a half left on his contract.

I'm sympathetic to both sides of this argument. What builds great teams, ultimately, is the farm system. The Phillies best two runs (1975-1984, and 2001-now) have been built on their farm system. Not only that, but it's true everywhere: for all the hemming and hawing people do about the Yankees (and I did aout the Yankees in their most recent glory years), the team that did the most was built on its farm system (1994-2001) - Jeter, Posada, Williams, Rivera, Pettite, etc. And, unless you're the Yankees, you need system players who can contribute because they are cheaper: cheaper at the beginning, of course, but, usually, cheaper over the long haul to, as many players will willingly sign below-market deals before they hit free agency in exchange for the security they provide.

Unles the payroll is to expand ever outward, then, teams not named the Yankees or Red Sox will always need players like Victorino (which is why I thought threads ragging on him earlier this year saying he should be traded were crazy - Vic is good value for the money, people (of course, that's clearer now than it was in April)!) and Werth - players who will contribute at a reasonable price. THAT, more than anything else, are what champions are built on, because it frees up payroll to sign a big free agent or two to plug holes elsewhere, and allows you to have 8 good every day players for the price of 6 at full-market. These Phillies have already committed to Utley, Rollins, and to a lesser degree Howard long-term. Hamels is coming.

Thus, for the Phillies to continue their run, they are going to need to replace players they haven't locked up, like Victorino and Werth, as they become too expensive, painful though that may be. This is what makes Taylor and Brown so valuable to the Phillies specifically (and, obviously, their low cost right now makes them valuable to any team).

HOWEVER, this core is all around 30. They have a team that can win. This year and probably next year too. Flags fly forever. Drabek, IMHO, is completely expendable, as pitchers tend to mature later than hitters on average (he is, therefore, further away from being a help to the Phillies now, and, when he actually comes into his own, he will be closer to being a FA-to-be and therefore more expensive in terms of $/production than either of Taylor or Brown).

If the Phillies can get this deal done with Drabek, Knapp, and Donald, that's the one IMO to do. Taylor should only be included as a last resort, and only in place of one of those three, not in addition to one of those three.

Halladay, I would guess, has as many as four good years left in him. Taylor could probably make the club next year if the Phillies were so inclined, and then they could flip Victorino for a mid-level starter or some relief help, though Victorino's cost will be up significantly soon and thus his value down (I'd bet the Yankees might take him, though, to replace Damon, and you might be able to get one decent arm from the deal).

Anyway, getting Halladay while keeping Taylor and Brown maximizes the chances for the team's near-term success, IMHO, and thus should be the most aggressively sought option. I would include Taylor, but only if I'm keeping Drabek or Knapp.

Dealing away BOTH Drabek and Knapp would be insane, bro

jamiethekiller wrote:myers is on the books.

myers is not on the books for next year

Yes, that has been addressed. But the money that is being talked about is $6M or $7M. If the Phillies are letting that stand in the way of a pretty good chance of returning to the World Series, that is crazy.

Also, they pointed out that Phillies home games are at 101% capacity for the season...and Jody Mac is trying to figure out how the team budgeted for that. His argument is that it should be giving them a little more money to play with.

That may or may not be the case, but it's a good point.

Bedard made his Philly radio rounds last year too, so I wouldn't read too much into Halladay's media jaunts.

cshort wrote:

philsfan1979 wrote:Roy Halladay was interviewed by Jody Mac and Harry Mayes on 950 ESPN earlier today and it sounded so promising...

...then, Randy Miller came on a bit later and said that his sources are telling him that the Phillies have no problem with Halladay's salary for 2010...it's the rest of his 2009 salary that his sources tell him the Phillies can't afford.

Now, that seems ridiculous. Jody & Harry, while respecting Randy (and his sources), are going over the numbers now and can't understand how that can be true.

Middleton has some walking around money they can tap.

I'll throw in $50.

karn wrote:Dealing away BOTH Drabek and Knapp would be insane, bro

Roy Halladay is what Drabek and Knapp dare only dream to be. Knapp is 19.

Ever heard the only fable about a bird in hand being better than two in a bush? Halladay is a bird in hand, and the Phillies are in precipice right frigging now of back to back championships, and maybe a run at a third too.

Drabek and Knapp, promising as they appear to be, are two in a bush, who can only help the Phillies in a future where they may or may not be difference makers.

phils have the best OPS and most runs scored in the NL, and while three teams have a better OBP, two of those are the natinals and clippers. short of getting victor martinez or something, the best way i see for us to (further) separate ourselves (smug, don't care, we're the WFC) is getting this dank sauce stud.

950 ESPN will be replaying the Halladay interview at 1:45 p.m., by the way.

If we can't get Roy Halladay, I think the least the Phillies can do is sign Ray Holliday.

philsfan1979 wrote:Roy Halladay was interviewed by Jody Mac and Harry Mayes on 950 ESPN earlier today and it sounded so promising...

...then, Randy Miller came on a bit later and said that his sources are telling him that the Phillies have no problem with Halladay's salary for 2010...it's the rest of his 2009 salary that his sources tell him the Phillies can't afford.

Now, that seems ridiculous. Jody & Harry, while respecting Randy (and his sources), are going over the numbers now and can't understand how that can be true.

Randy Miller is an idiot...............and he hates Amaro with a passion since he was chosen over his BFF Mike Arbuckle.

Brantt wrote:

philsfan1979 wrote:Roy Halladay was interviewed by Jody Mac and Harry Mayes on 950 ESPN earlier today and it sounded so promising...

...then, Randy Miller came on a bit later and said that his sources are telling him that the Phillies have no problem with Halladay's salary for 2010...it's the rest of his 2009 salary that his sources tell him the Phillies can't afford.

Now, that seems ridiculous. Jody & Harry, while respecting Randy (and his sources), are going over the numbers now and can't understand how that can be true.

Randy Miller is an idiot...............and he hates Amaro with a passion since he was chosen over his BFF Mike Arbuckle.

Miller is awful and what he says, as usual makes no sense.

The whole 2009 money thing doesn't make any sense whatsoever. It wouldn't surprise me if the Phils weren't a little cautious about anticipating a huge jump in ticket sales with the economy slumping--I would guess if it were a more normal economy, you'd have seen a much bigger bump in ticket prices than you did. But CBP has been full, a lot. I would guess that they're doing better in terms of revenue than they thought they would. They've got the 6 or 7 million.

Now, if they're really being cynical and bottom line about this whole thing, they may calculate that with the NL East being weak, they get to the post season with or without Halladay, and the post season is unpredictable no matter who you sign, so they'll make more profit without Halladay.

But I doubt that's what they're thinking.

I wish Michael Taylor had gone to the Futures Game and hit 2 HR.

Because I think we're going to have to trade Drabek, unless other teams really aren't willing to step up.

Because I know id do Carrasco + Donald + Marson + Taylor + Knapp for Halladay. And I have a pretty good feeling that JP won't do the deal without Drabek. Which sucks.

But I still want Halladay on this team.

FTN wrote:I know id do Carrasco + Donald + Marson + Taylor + Knapp for Halladay. And I have a pretty good feeling that JP won't do the deal without Drabek. Which sucks.

But I still want Halladay on this team.

Is this just because you think he'll get a better offer, or that he'd make no trade and keep Halladay rather than making that one?

edit: as I wrote upthread, at this point I don't think I make the trade if it must include Drabek.