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| Halladay to test Market after 2010 season | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:03 pm (16 Views) | |
| CinciFan985 | Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:03 pm Post #1 |
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Reds 45-57
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Before this season began, general manager J.P. Ricciardi made it known that the Blue Jays had no plans to trade Roy Halladay. If anything, the team was going to try to work on signing its ace to a contract extension to keep him in the fold beyond 2010. With eight days remaining until the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, Halladay is now the biggest name available. Ricciardi has been asked repeatedly what changed the organization's thinking over the past few months. On Thursday, the GM finally revealed that Halladay has indicated that he's not interested in signing an extension. "What's changed is Roy has told us that he's going to test the free-agent market," Ricciardi said during a radio interview on The FAN590 prior to Thursday's game against the Indians. While speaking with reporters earlier in the morning, Ricciardi said talks with interested clubs were "a little bit more heated up" and he expected to be much deeper in trade discussions this weekend. If the Blue Jays are going to trade Halladay, who is under contract for $14.25 million this season and $15.75 million next year, Ricciardi wants the matter settled early next week. Halladay is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays on Tuesday in Seattle, and Ricciardi doesn't want the pitcher taking the mound with the thought that he might be traded in the following three days leading up to the Deadline. Ricciardi said Toronto's internal deadline of Tuesday is flexible, depending on how close the club might be to a deal. "If we're down the road with something, obviously the deadline can fluctuate," Ricciardi told reporters. "If we're not down the road by [Tuesday], nothing's going to happen." The team considered to be the front-runner to land Halladay continues to be the Phillies. Athough Philadelphia is believed to be opposed to including top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek in a possible deal, the Blue Jays sent assistant general manager Tony LaCava to scout Drabek's latest start on Wednesday. The Brewers are also considered to have serious interest in trading for Halladay. Other teams who have been tied to Halladay in various reports include the Dodgers, Cardinals, White Sox, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees. Ricciardi said only a few teams have approached him with serious interest. "Some are serious and some, I would say, are delirious," Ricciardi said during the radio interview. Asked if he was modeling a potential Halladay deal after the blockbuster trades for pitchers Erik Bedard (2008) and Bartolo Colon ('02), Ricciardi said the Blue Jays were seeking a package "similar or better" in return. Ricciardi's reasoning was that Toronto feels Halladay is a better pitcher than Bedard and Colon at the time they were dealt. Baltimore traded Bedard to Seattle prior to last season in exchange for Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Tony Butler and Kameron Mickolio. In 2002, Colon was sent to the Expos with Tim Drew by the Indians in exchange for Grady Sizemore, Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips and Lee Stevens. Given the type of return Toronto wants for Halladay, who is 11-3 with a 2.73 ERA this season, Ricciardi doesn't believe a deal will come to fruition. "I think we'd be willing to do something," Ricciardi said on the radio. "But my gut tells me it won't happen." If Halladay is not traded prior to this year's Deadline, the Blue Jays will likely continue to see what offers might be out there for the right-hander over the offseason and into next season. Toronto planned on discussing an extension with Halladay this coming winter, but his desire to test free-agent waters after 2010 changes that approach. Entering this season, the Blue Jays viewed 2010 as more of an opportune time than this season to contend for a playoff spot. Behind Halladay, the team could see the return of injured starters Shaun Marcum, Jesse Litsch, Casey Janssen and Dustin McGowan. Dealing Halladay would likely represent a shift in the organization's thinking. "It could be, if [Halladay] goes," Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said. "But we don't know if he's going. I would think it's going to be a more difficult task if we don't have him here. You're talking about somebody who's going to perhaps win you 20 games. If he's gone, it's going to be a little difficult to do things that we were planning on doing. "We're talking about 'if,' right? We're not talking about, 'It's going to happen.' Until it happens, I know you've got to write about it, but I don't worry about it. If it happens, then we have to come up with another starter here. If it happens, who knows what you might get for him? "You might get somebody who might win you 15 games or might win you more. Who knows? It's kind of hard to say, 'No, you're not going in the right direction' until you find out who you're trading him for |
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7:19 PM Jul 10