Should the Phillies Bet the Farm on Roy Halladay?

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

With the Philadelphia area positively abuzz over the last few days about the prospect of the Phillies trading for Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay, the usual questions have sprung up countless times about what players the Phillies would need to part ways with to complete a deal.

Ultimately, the question becomes whether or not you should potentially mortgage the future to give yourself a much better chance to win right now.

The Phillies have a number of palatable prospects in the system, like pitchers Kyle Drabek and Carlos Carrasco, outfielders Michael Taylor and Dominic Brown, catcher Lou Marson, and infielder Jason Donald, to name a few.

Would it be worth trading some or possibly (but hopefully not) all of these potential solid major leaguers for Halladay?

There is also a strong possibility that the Phillies would have to part with J.A. Happ, just about the only player on the big league roster who fits the mold of being good, young, and cheap that a team would love to have as part of a trade.

I don’t know what the final trade scenario would be, but I do know that the Phillies should do everything in their power to complete a trade for Halladay.

If they could bring him in without losing a significant piece of the major league roster, they would have the best one-two punch in baseball at the top of their rotation.

Imagine Halladay and Cole Hamels starting four games in a best-of-seven series. How could you not love your chances? And with Halladay only being 32, you could get several more seasons of dominance out of him.

A trade for Halladay would instantly make the Phillies the favorites in the National League once again. With teams like the Cardinals and Dodgers playing much better this year than last, they will need the extra help come playoff time.

Many will argue against such a trade, worrying about the future of any player the Phillies would include in a trade for Halladay. Could they become All-Stars or even Hall of Famers?

If we all get to witness another parade or two down Broad Street in the near future, who cares?

It would be truly exciting to see a team make the big move to stay at the zenith of its sport rather than be content to revel in a recent title and play with house money for a while.

If, however, the trade is made but turns into a disaster for the Phillies, I, for one, would not fault them for at least making the effort. No one should.

The hunger of the team and the fans for another World Series is there. We shouldn’t be satisfied just to be competitive and in the mix every season.

We already have a team like that in Philadelphia. They’re called the Eagles.

If Halladay were to change addresses this season, he would be the highest impact player to be moved prior to the trading deadline—and the Phillies may be the only team with the budget and the assets to trade for him.

Not only would they be vastly improving their own pitching staff, but they also would be preventing a team like the Mets or any other National League contender from getting their hands on a Cy Young winner.

Use any cliché you want: striking while the iron is hot; emptying the chamber; going all in.

However you say it, just get Halladay in a Phillies uniform soon.

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