Too Little, or Too Much: Roy Halladay Trade Senarios

Basically the fact that I have to right this article makes me sick to my stomach, however the writer in me will not yield to the idea that trading away Halladay can be a good thing for the team. (Mind you it will NOT be a good thing for the team right away)

So what is the cost of arguably the best pitcher in baseball? Five top prospects? Two All-Stars? Essentially what I will be submitting may seem completely outlandish to some of you however I believe that for a pitcher of Halladay’s caliber (and the extra year out of him) the price should be sky high.

I personally feel that while J.P has not been the greatest GM he has acquired several players, and made enough shrewd signings to not be burned at the stake for the moment.

The scenarios I will put forth for your viewing are for the best possible deal (hopefully for both sides), not that the team is a contender. (Yes I am aware that Halladay has full veto power) but in terms of talent received it would make some sense (at least to me)

1. Halladay and Vernon Wells to the Giants for Barry Zito, Madison Bumgarner, Buster Posey, and Fred Lewis

This is actually makes sense from a talent stand point. Although this is not the market place where young players are being thrown around Halladay actually warrants this type of haul. Bumgarner is a bona-fide number one type starter and is close to the majors. Posey is arguably the best catching prospect in the Minors right now and Fred Lewis would make an excellent fourth outfielder. Clearly Bumgarner and Posey are the keys here as the Jays have one borderline catching prospect (J.P. Arencibia) and I remain unconvinced that he’ll amount to anything in the majors. Wells for Zito is a chance for both teams to get rid of hugely disappointing players that have not played to expectations. The ‘x’ factor is that seven million Vernon is owed if he is traded, and I believe that Zito has a no-trade clause as well.

2. Halladay to the Braves for Jason Hayward, Freddie Freeman, and Derek Lowe

This is another deal that would be wonderful for both sides. Hayward is almost Major-League ready, with Freeman not far behind.  Both hit for power and averageDerek Lowe would be a solid addition for the rotation now. I have issues paying Lowe that type of money till he’s almost 40 but they say sinkerballers age well and he has certainly been a leader in the Atlanta clubhouse so far this year. Atlanta would have an excellent chance to be as dominant as they were in their heyday with the acquisition of Halladay. Adding a pitcher of that magnitude to a rotation that already includes Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Javier Vasquez would be one of the strongest in the Majors. The concern would be ownerships willingness to pay Halladay to remain long-term with Atlanta but this would certainly push the Braves into contention again for the NL East pennant. I suppose that you could easily subtitute Lowe for Vasquez if the Jays wanted to limit the commitment and the dollars regarding this deal.

3. Halladay and Alex Rios to the LA Dodgers for Clayton Kershaw, Matt Kemp and/or  James Loney, and  Juan Pierre

This trade would certainly address numerous holes for the Blue Jays. Alex Rios has certainly fallen out of favor in Toronto and may need a change of scenery (funny how after he and wells signed their extentions they decided to stop playing) to tap into that limitless potential of his. The Dodgers would be willing to make this trade simply because Halladay is a front-line starter and certainly worth the increase in payroll to acquire him (and sign him to an extention) The Jays get their ace in waiting (Kershaw) Their new starting rf in Kemp (if they take Loney, we then attempt to move Overbay in another trade or throw him if the Dodgers would be crazy enough to take him). Lastly we would take back the horrendus contract of Juan Pierre, while overpaid works and practices harder than just about anyone in the MLB and certainly would be a refreshing change from the apathy that has been synominous with Toronto baseball players (sans Halladay)

The Jays have numerous holes and frankly this trade has the ability to reshape the franchise for many years. There is a darth of talent at the catcher and shortstop postions and those that do play them are certainly no where near ready for ‘The Show’. Part of what make this potential trade so interesting is the amount of preimum talent that has to be involved. The other part being Halladay’s fully veto power. I’m sure some people will doubt the legitimacy of the trade proposals suggested however as the title suggests you will have to give up a lot in order to get Halladay. Who wants to play?