Jays and Philly, What's the Dilly? What Toronto Want For Roy Halladay...

Analyzing The Offer—What The Jays Want In Return From Philadelphia For Roy Halladay. Who Are These Guys?

Written By: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

The asking price has been set for Toronto Blue Jays ace pitcher Roy “Doc” Halladay. One of Toronto’s potential trading partners are the Philadelphia Phillies and, while the deal does seem destined to fall apart, there is still a good chance the Jays and Phillies may make this happen. So, who are the players the Jays are so enamored with? Going forward, how do they project?

The Philadelphia Phillies are believed to be in negotiations with the Jays. The apple of the Phillies eye? Star pitcher Roy Halladay. Rumor has it that Jays general manager J.P. Riccardi has asked for a package of players from the Phillies that would include, Pitchers Kyle Drabek and J.A. Happ, as well as outfielder Dominic Brown.

The sticking point has been the reluctance of the Phillies to give up pitcher Kyle Drabek. Question is, are the Phillies right to refuse the Jays request?

Kyle Drabek is a 6’0", 185 pound, 21-year-old right handed pitching prospect. He is the son of former Major League pitcher Doug Drabek, who won the Cy Young Award in 1990. Kyle is regarded as a “can’t miss” prospect, who one day may very well be the ace of the Phillies staff.

Drabek, who was selected in the first round with the 18th overall pick by the Phillies in 2006 via the Major League Baseball Draft, had a stellar High School career, posting an outstanding record of 30-1 on the mound.

Drabek is currently pitching for the Phillies double-A affiliate, Reading Phillies of the Eastern League. Drabek has been impressive so far, posting a 7-1 record with a 3.06 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 67.2 innings of work.

J.A. Happ is 27 year-old, 6’6", 200 pound left handed pitcher, currently on the Phillies roster as a starting pitcher. Happ was selected by the Phillies in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, third round, 92nd overall. He was unspectacular in the Minor Leagues, but proved his worth quickly when he posted a 4-1 record in 2007-08.

Currently, Happ has a 7-1 record with a 2.97 ERA, 71 walks, 33 walks, with a 2.97 ERA in 100 innings pitched with the Phillies. Happ’s ERA is ranked 11th overall in the National League and his winning percentage of .875 is the best in the National League.

Of note, Happ threw a complete game shutout against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 27, 2009. How’s that for an audition?

Dominic Brown is a 6’5", 205 pound, left handed hitting outfielder with all the tools to be an everyday player. That said, Brown is still very much a prospect and will require a few years in the minors before he fulfills his true potential.

On the upside, Brown is considered Philadelphia’s number one prospect and has been tearing up the Florida League—where he has a .305 batting average, 11 Home Runs and 43 RBI’s.

For his part, Roy Halladay has been a model of consistency, who eats up innings, and currently boasts an 11-3 record with a 2.61 ERA and 123 strikeouts. Halladay is considered by many to be the best pitcher in baseball and has one of the best reputations in the League.

There you have it, this is what the Jays are asking for in return for Roy Halladay. You be the judge, are the Jays asking for too much, or should Philly pull the trigger and make the deal?