In July, the Phillies were linked to Roy Halladay moreso than they were to Cliff Lee. Months later, it appears that Halladay, after all, will be a Phillie. A mega-trade between the Phillies, Blue Jays, and Mariners which would bring Roy Halladay to the Phillies is almost complete, according to multiple media reports.

Basically, as follows, per Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated…

• Phillies get: Roy Halladay from Toronto, prospects from Seattle
• Mariners get: Cliff Lee from Philadelphia
• Blue Jays get: Prospects from Philadelphia

Why make the deal if you’re the Phillies?

• Long-term stability: Halladay is expected to sign a contract with the Phillies which will keep him here long term.
• Lee was probably going to test the market and become a free agent after the 2010 season.

Why would the Phillies trade a Domonic Brown or Kyle Drabek now if they weren’t willing to in July (it is speculation that they are included)?

• Easy. Halladay is now signed long term. Halladay for four or five years is a lot better than either he or Lee for a year and a half. It’s a lot easier to give up those prospects under these conditions.

Early thoughts on the deal?

• Love it. We said in July that we would have given up the chips to get Halladay in July. He was that good. The Phillies didn’t, and it worked out. Lee was fantastic. But now you’re looking at a big picture investment, rather than a year and a half. To pair Halladay and Cole Hamels long term, beyond 2010, means that the Phillies are solidified at the top of their rotation for a long time, and that is always worth a few prospects.

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This entry was posted on Monday, December 14th, 2009 at 5:40 pm and is filed under General Baseball, Phillies. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.