SB Nation User Blog: WholeCamels

And it's official... Roy Halladay joins the Phillies.

WholeCamels — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:01:15 -0000

1 day ago: New Philadelphia Phillies baseball pitcher Roy Halladay, right, poses for photographs with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. during a baseball news conference in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2009. Halladay was traded to the Phillies on Wednesday in part of a four-team trade that sent Cliff Lee to the Seattle Mariners. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

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The deal is done, the press conference complete, and superstar right-handed pitcher Roy Halladay is officially a member of the Philadelphia Phillies.

The price, as has been discussed and will likely be debated for generations, was substantial -- Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis D'Arnaud plus, let's be honest here, the prerequisite dumping of Cliff Lee -- but Ruben Amaro, Jr. got his man.

Excised from all the baggage associated with the seemingly endless courtship and acquisition, the Phillies did manage to get one of the best, most durable pitchers in baseball, with a pronounced ability to induce groundballs, who wants to be in Philadelphia and, perhaps most importantly, the willingness to negotiate a below-market contract extension. Think they could have gotten Halladay for 3 years/$60MM with the Yankees and Red Sox in a bidding war?

So, congratulations Phillies and Roy Halladay. I sincerely hope that any lingering bitterness about some of the more peculiar aspects of this particular series of transactions don't translate into disdain from the fanbase for Mr. Halladay himself. He's one of the best.

BLOCKBUSTER: Roy Halladay to Phillies, Cliff Lee to Mariners Three-Team Deal Very, Very, Very Close

WholeCamels — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:55:34 -0000

The Phillies look to be awfully close to finally landing Blue Jays right-hander Roy Halladay. But the cost appears to be steep.

Nothing is final yet, but the Phillies will apparently be sending postseason hero Cliff Lee plus possibly prospects to the Seattle Mariners, for additional prospects to be flipped to Toronto. All very confusing, tons of moving parts, so I’m reluctant to post that this is a done deal.

Details notwithstanding, it appears that Roy Halladay will be a Phillie in 2010, and probably beyond… and Cliff Lee won’t be.

The good and bad of this trade will rest in how much money changes hands, and which prospects go where. The devil is absolutely in the details. Check back for analysis as this story progresses.

[9:15 PM UPDATE from Jayson Stark on ESPNews]:

His understanding of the deal:

Phillies send Lee, Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis D'Arnaud; get Roy Halladay and Phillippe Aumont. Yuck.

[5:45 UPDATE from Jayson Stark, who says the deal is close, but not final]:

As part of the deal, Halladay would agree to a three-year extension through 2013, with a vesting option that could lengthen the deal by another year or two, one source said. The extension is expected to guarantee Halladay in the neighborhood of $60 million, plus the $15.75 million he would make in 2010, the final year of his current contract.

According to a source who spoke with two teams involved in the trade, Toronto would get highly regarded Mariners pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont, Phillies catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and another Phillies prospect in exchange for Halladay. Indications are that the Phillies have balked at Toronto's repeated requests for outfielder Domonic Brown, and the Phillies are offering highly touted outfielder Michael Taylor instead.

Seattle would also send two prospects to Philadelphia in exchange for Lee, who is a year away from free agency.

As of late Monday afternoon, the extension had not been agreed upon. And the Blue Jays and Phillies were still haggling over the final prospect. In addition, Phillies doctors would have to sign off on Halladay's physical.

Salisbury: Roy Halladay trade talks heating up

WholeCamels — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:44:37 -0000

Salisbury: Roy Halladay trade talks heating up

Phillies talking to Roy Halladay's representatives about a contract extension; might be in Philadelphia for physical sometime this week.

Zeets!

[3PM UPDATE: He's in Philly now.]

[4 PM UPDATE: Now SI.com says the Phillies, Blue Jays, and Mariners are "in agreement" on a deal that would send Lee to Seattle and Halladay to Philly. We'll have to see if anyone confirms, and update when details come out.]

[4:05 UPDATE: Now SI (via Heyman tweet) isn't sure if Lee is involved. Please be right!]

From Woody over at BackSheGoes.com, based on reports emerging that Roy Halladay is Ruben Amaro,...

WholeCamels — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:22:11 -0000

From Woody over at BackSheGoes.com, based on reports emerging that Roy Halladay is Ruben Amaro, Jr.'s "white whale."

The Phillies represent the biggest growth brand in the baseball industry, similar to how the Red...

WholeCamels — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 04:03:17 -0000

The Phillies represent the biggest growth brand in the baseball industry, similar to how the Red Sox began to rise in 2003 under new ownership. Their farm system is so flush that they could trade for both Lee (who cost them four prospects) and Halladay inside of six months and still have hay in the barn. Their attendance has risen 38 percent since 2006, climbing from 2.6 million -- ninth in the league -- to 3.6 million. Their payroll in those three years jumped 49 percent, from $88 million to $131 million and is likely to approach $140 million in 2010. Local television ratings for the Phillies on CSN Philadelphia, their regional sports network, soared 24 percent last year alone -- the team's seventh consecutive season with increased viewership. The Phillies' 7.13 rating and 210,000 average homes are team records. Only the Yankees and Red Sox reach more households with their local networks -- making the Phillies the most watched team in the NL.

From Tom Verducci's latest on SI.com. Brings a tear to your eye, huh?

Phillies sign Ross Gload

WholeCamels — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 05:01:59 -0000

Phillies sign Ross Gload

2 years.

Francisco, Dobbs, Schneider, Castro, Gload... that's the bench so far. Pray for our starting eight.

Pat Burrell traded to Mets? Edit: NOPE!

WholeCamels — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 17:06:51 -0000

Pat Burrell traded to Mets? Edit: NOPE!

I'm going to wait until there's another source on this before I get too worked up but... really?

EDIT: BOGUS. Welcome to journamalism, Tom Haines!

Martino: Phillies still in the running for Roy Halladay

WholeCamels — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:28:55 -0000

Martino: Phillies still in the running for Roy Halladay

I suppose that it's possible, but I'm not holding my breath. I'd do the trade if we could extend him; I'd send them Drabek, one of Brown or Taylor, and two of whomever else they want (although I'd prefer to keep D'Arnaud).

4. Phillies: Philadelphia had the depth to trade for Cliff Lee and still have a top-flight farm...

WholeCamels — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 23:34:43 -0000

4. Phillies: Philadelphia had the depth to trade for Cliff Lee and still have a top-flight farm system. Outfielder Michael Taylor has hit .333 over the last two seasons, rocketing to Triple-A, and fellow outfielder Dominic Brown has better tools, though he's still a bit raw. Righty Kyle Drabek, son of the former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek, has three above-average pitches to go with excellent athletic ability. Beyond their Big Three -- all of whom have performed at Double-A or above -- the Phillies are bursting with young power arms, toolsy Latin American infielders and athletic outfielders, such as Anthony Gose.

Baseball America ranks Phillies' farm system #4 in baseball.

BONUS: taco pal's favorite term (emphasis added)

Billy Wagner to Braves, 1 year/$7MM

WholeCamels — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:26:59 -0000

Billy Wagner to Braves, 1 year/$7MM

Another wonderful reason to hate the ever-loving %#&@ out of that team.