Happy Halladays

[redsrbetter]

We are in the middle of the pinnacle of offseason baseball discussion. It’s the time of year where the world is out shopping for Christmas gifts. And for baseball fans, they hope their general manager is doing a little shopping of his own. With the tinsel being spread all over the Christmas tree and the multi colored lights dangling from the roof tops, we sip on some eggnog or apple cider and think about the ultimate gift. That gift could be a host of things, but for baseball fans, it may include someone named Roy.

I am talking about a man that was drafted in the first round in 1995 by the Toronto Blue Jays. This is a man who stepped onto the scene and was one out away from having a no hitter in just his second start. Captivating a Canadian audience, he didn’t want to stop there. Instead he found a bump in the road that he would have to hurdle before he could get back to that kind of success.

He was having mechanics and pitching mentality issues. But he eventually figured a way out with a little help from some minor league coaching after being sent down in 2000. He went all the way down to single A ball after posting a 10.53 ERA in 13 starts for the Jays. The worst ERA in the last 50 years with at least 50 innings pitched.

In 2001, he returned and they don’t call him the good doctor for nothing. He astonished major league baseball with his ability to comeback. He gave it his best in 2001 posting a 3.16 ERA in 16 starts. Not bad for a guy who had to completely rebuild his mechanics and mentality. A 2.93 ERA and 19-7 record in 2002 gave birth to Halladay’s consistency in the dominance category. He didn’t stop there, in 2003 he put up 22 wins with 204 strikeouts earning the AL Cy Young Award.



No doubt, every hitter in baseball wanted nothing to do with him. But every front office eye coveted this kind of master arm. Yet he would find another obstacle in 2004. He would be sidelined through 2005 with the injury bug.

The Blue Jays evidently were optimistic about his ability to come back again. He proved he could overcome adversity before, why couldn’t he do it again? Knowing that an injury is a completely different thing than mechanics issues; the Jays decided to pay him back. They gambled and signed him to a 3 year extension through 2010 worth $40 million.

That gamble paid off big time. In the last four seasons, Halladay has been the most durable pitcher in the big leagues. He is at the very top of the list taking first place in IP (930.1), wins (69), and CG (29). He posted a 3.11 ERA in that span good for fifth best in all of baseball. A 1.13 WHIP to go along with that and you are looking at one the very best pitchers this decade.



So, the Jays contend that they cannot afford him anymore. The question is still looming around the halls of the Indianapolis Marriot and is likely the key topic in every media conversation. Where is Roy Halladay going to pitch next season?

I have one hypothesis on the subject. I think there are four teams that could afford to extend his contract. The Phillies may have a shot, but they will be asked to add Cole Hamels and more. And they may need to concentrate on their bullpen a bit more. The Angels are said to want Lackey back, thus takes them out of the running for Halladay. But if a deal doesn’t get done soon, they may get back into it if Lackey signs elsewhere. I think this is going to be a classic battle between the Yankees and Red Sox. Halladay has a no trade clause and has said he would approve a deal to any of the four teams mentioned. This tells me that he is looking for the payday. I think that it will come down to a bidding war between the two money trees. It’s tough to say for sure where he will go, but for the sake of argument, I will say that Halladay will pitch Cy Young caliber baseball for the Red Sox for the next four to five years.

I will leave you guys with this poll. Where does Halladay end up? Make your votes count. You only get one shot. You have heard my vote, perhaps we can get something right around here. Good luck!

[missionhockey21]

I will admit it, I was the lousy editor who was slow to move this into the right forum.

So please, hurl your tomatoes and fistfuls of hundred dollar bills in my direction.

[realmofotalk]

At this point, I would take the J.A. Happ and Michael Taylor return package. Boston seems reluctant to part with Clay Buchholz and Casey Kelly.

[redsrbetter]

Its all good mission, I love the graphic by the way.

As we expected, Halladay didn't move during the meetings. Anyone know the latest on him?

[Impossibles]

As a Jays fan, very nice article.

Doc is just a stud, whichever team he ends up on, he's going to make their fans very happy. We often get bitter and resentful at star players who make bajillions of dollars and not seem to give it their all every night. Not Doc. He is so intensly focused during each start, and he gets more pissed off than his fans when he gives up runs. It gets to the point when you're honestly shocked when teams get a run off him.

He went through a rough patch in august with all the trade talks swirling, which I'm sure took its toll on him not being able to focus entirely on pitching, otherwise he may have put in his best season yet.

I hope he goes to the NL or west, but I won't be shocked if he ends up in Boston or New York. If he were to reach free agency, he would likely end up there anyways.