Now that the Phillies have their man, I find myself extremely disappointed.
Such is the life of a Phillies fan these days.
After years and years of terrible players and terrible teams, I've come to expect nothing less than a chance to play for a championship. And after swinging two trades, I don't see the Phillies in a better place when this deal finally becomes official than they were when they lost to the Yankees in the World Series this past year.
Before I look at the pros and cons, let's take a look at both of the deals. Widely reported as a three team deal involving the Phillies, Jays, and Mariners, these are actually two separate trades.
Trade 1
Phillies get Roy Halladay and $6 million
Jays get prospects Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor (who will be flipped to Oakland) and Travis D’Arnaud
Trade 2
Phillies get prospects Philippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, and Juan Ramirez
Mariners get Cliff Lee
I love the first trade.
Halladay is one of the top pitchers in the game and has been absolutely dominant over the years. He was 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA and nine complete games and four shutouts last year. For his career he is 148-76 with 49 complete games and 15 shutouts. His career ERA is 3.43. Oh yeah, this is while pitching in the AL East where the Yankees and Red Sox reside. Speaking of the Yankees, he is 18-6 with a 2.84 ERA against the defending champs. Wow.
Yes, the Phillies are giving up top their pitching prospect (Drabek) and their second best position prospect (Taylor), but they are getting one of the best pitchers in the game. You saw his numbers above. Imagine what they will be in the National League. 20 wins is not out of the question.
I hate the second trade.
Nothing is guaranteed, but a rotation of Halladay, Lee, and Cole Hamels sure would have given me confidence that the Phillies would win their second title in three years. Adding Halladay and removing Lee, while a minor improvement, really does not give the Phillies a big boost this year.
The Phillies did not need to make this deal in order to land Halladay. It is believed the move was made to relieve salary and replenish the farm system.
Only time will tell, but I'm not certain the Phillies got enough back in terms of the prospects they received from Seattle.
What I like
- Halladay in a Phillies uniform.
- The Phillies held on to stud outfield prospect Domonic Brown.
- The agressiveness of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro. He knows what he wants and he goes out and gets it.
- The Phillies evened out their rotation with Halladay being a right handed arm
What I don't like
- I hate that the Phillies gave up Lee.
- In the end, the Phillies have given up seven prospects in the past six months. In getting Lee the Phils gave up pitchers Jason Knapp, Carlos Carrasco, catcher Lou Marson, and infielder Jason Donald. In getting Halladay they gave up Drabek, Taylor, and d'Arnaud. That's a lot. If Drabek was not actually untouchable as Amaro said during the season and offseason as well, why didn't they just trade for Halladay in July. Yes, the Jays were asking for Brown, but I'm sure if the Phillies had made Drabek available at the time something could have been worked out. They would have never had Lee, but they would have had the guy they wanted all along without giving up so many prospects.
What surprised me
- The Phillies giving up Drabek. He was considered untouchable in July. I was shocked they gave him up now.
- Thet the Phillies included a catcher in the deal. They have moved both of the top catching prospects and now have absolutely nothing in the farm as far as future catchers.
Very interesting thought
- Had the Phillies not made the ridiculous signing of Jamie Moyer for two years and owed him $8 million this upcoming season, would the Phillies still have moved Lee? Maybe for the prospects but money would not have been a problem. Just sayin'.
Overall view
- While I love the fact that the Phillies got Halladay, I am really disappointed that they got rid of Lee. Adding an ace and subtracting another ace really did not improve the Phillies that much for this season. Lee was 4-0 with an ERA of 1.50 in the playoffs last year. Can't really get much better than that.
It was reported Lee was going to test the free agent market after this season and that he would be asking for 5-6 years for over $20 million. First off, the Phillies would not have the money to sign both pitchers and second, they do not give pitchers deals more than 3-4 years. By securing Halladay, they have him signed for four years with an option for another year. The deal is reasonable at $20 million per year. That is a positive.Yes, the Phillies got a few prospects by trading Lee. But why not keep Lee for one more year and then let him walk? If it's the money, then do whatever you need to do to trade Joe Blanton, who will only make $2 million less than Lee this year. Lee is signed for a great deal at $9 million. If it's the prospects, who cares? Go for broke!
I'm ecstatic the Phils have Halladay. But is it wrong of me to want two aces (and possible three if Hamels returns to form)?
As I said above, such is the life of a Phillies fan these days. Anything less than a world championship is a disappointment.
Amazing after all of the bad years that I am disappointed on a day the Phillies trade for the best pitcher in baseball.
Lastly, below is a breakdown of the minor league prospects on the move.
By the numbers in 2009
- Kyle Drabek - 12-3 with a 3.19 era
- Michael Taylor - .320 avg, 20 hr, 84 rbi
- Travis D'Arnaud - 13 hr, 71 rbi
- Phillippe Aumont - 51 ip, 16 sv, 3.88 era
- Tyson Gillies - .341, 9 hr, 42 rbi
- Juan Ramirez - 8-10, 5.12 era, 142 ip
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