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Jays Looking For Quality Over Quantity In Any Halladay Deal

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The Blue Jays will look for quality over quantity if they deal Roy Halladay this winter, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post. As one Blue Jays official says, the team will obtain two draft picks if they let Doc walk after 2010, so top young talent is a must in any trade.

"We would rather have one above-average impact guy than eight ordinary guys," the official said.

That's hardly a surprise, given that the Jays were demanding multiple top prospects for Halladay this summer, when names like Clay Buchholz, Derek Holland, Justin Smoak and Kyle Drabek popped up in trade talks. Executives tell Sherman that the Jays aren't likely to obtain as much for their ace now as they could have this summer.

Halladay, who will earn a base salary of $15.75MM next year, will hit free agency after the season, so Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos can't demand as much as his predecessor, J.P. Ricciardi.

However, this year's class of starting pitchers falls off after John Lackey, so executives expect the Jays to field strong offers for the 2003 Cy Young Award winner. And Anthopoulos has committed "unprecedented" resources to scouting, so it may make sense for the club to deal Halladay and spend in other areas.

Discussion: Phillies And Roy Halladay

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Despite Philadelphia GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. describing his needs this winter as "Third base, bullpen, bench," many people within baseball think the Phillies will make a run at Roy Halladay, reports Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Salisbury quotes a rival front office member as saying, "Philadelphia is into winning now, and Halladay fits that." 

Toronto's asking price this past July – pitchers Kyle Drabek and J.A. Happ and outfielders Dominic Brown and Anthony Gose – was too high for Philadelphia. But with Halladay moving closer to free agency, will that price come down?

If you are the Phillies, do you trade a significant package to bring Halladay in? If you are the Blue Jays, what do you need to get this done?

Bradley Being Discussed In Three-Way Deal

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9:01pm: The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan is reporting that Toronto "wants no part of Milton Bradley." Meanwhile, Cubs GM Jim Hendry said that Chicago hasn't given up on Bradley, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. Of course, Hendry has to say that until the moment Bradley is traded.

5:55pm: A very interesting idea is being reported by Ken Rosenthal: a three-way deal, with Milton Bradley going to the Blue Jays, Luis Castillo to the Cubs, and Lyle Overbay to the Mets. Rosenthal said "The teams indeed have discussed the framework of such a deal, though not in direct fashion, according to major-league sources."

Breaking it down, the trade makes the most sense for the Mets, who would clear second base for long-coveted Orlando Hudson, a free agent. Overbay has also mashed righties for his entire career – .847 OPS career, .905 in 2009 – and could be paired with Daniel Murphy or Nick Evans for a high-reward platoon.

Castillo does block the movement of Ryan Theriot to second base when Starlin Castro arrives, but adding Castillo's on-base percentage would be a boon to the top of Chicago's lineup.

As for the Blue Jays, the deal would open up first base for Adam Lind, with Bradley slotting in as designated hitter. The question is: Overbay slugged .466 in 2009, while Bradley slugged just .397 – so is this an upgrade?

Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Halladay, Pettitte, Snyder

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Here's some more links on a busy first day at the GM meetings…

  • WEEI.com's Alex Speier writes that when Jed Hoyer took over as GM of the Padres, it only made it tougher for the Red Sox to pull off a deal for Adrian Gonzalez. “He knows all my tricks, and I know his,” said Theo Epstein of Hoyer.
  • Meanwhile, WEEI.com's Rob Bradford reports that Roy Halladay has identified the Red Sox as a team he'd be willing to accept a trade to. Doc has a full no-trade clause.
  • Andy Pettitte has apparently told his Yankee teammates that he'd like to come back for one more year, though there's been no definitive word according to SI.com's Jon Heyman. GM Brian Cashman said he expects the team to be more "cautious than anxious" this offseason, and that he plans to go slow, even with their own free agents according to Joel Sherman of The NY Post.
  • Mets' GM Omar Minaya "has told several of his friends in the industry that he badly wants to add a run-producing bat at either first base and/or left field," according to Sherman.
  • MLB.com's Steve Gilbert reports that Chris Snyder confirmed there has not been a setback in his rehab from back surgery. The Blue Jays nixed a potential Snyder for Lyle Overbay swap over the weekend over concerns about the catcher's back.
  • The Orioles claimed righthander Armando Gabino off waivers from the Twins, according to Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune. Meanwhile, a team press release says the Rays claimed righty Ramon Ramirez off waivers from the Reds.
  • FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report that Melvin Mora is working out at other positions to increase his versatility and up his value as a free agent.
  • Dave Cameron of FanGraphs compared Jason Bay to Mike Cameron, and determines that the latter is a better value.
  • Jon Weisman at Dodger Thoughts breaks down some Chad Billingsley rumors.

Heyman’s Latest: Holliday, Lackey, Bay, Trades

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Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…

  • Scott Boras said on Sunday that the Cardinals have not made any proposals in an effort to retain Matt Holliday, and Heyman says "the chances for Holliday to remain a Cardinal look slim at this point."
  • A source familiar with the situation said the Angels offered John Lackey an extension earlier this year worth less than $40MM over three years on top of 2009's $10MM salary, so if they wish to re-sign him now, they'll have to completely rethink their original stance.
  • The Red Sox are trying to bring Jason Bay back on a four year, $60MM deal, though his agent maintains that Bay is the "most complete player on the market."
  • The Mets, Giants, Braves, Cubs, Mariners, and Yankees could also be interested in Holliday and/or Bay.
  • The Mets are believed to have Holliday higher on their wish list than Bay, and are also expected to pursue Randy Wolf.
  • There is speculation that Lackey would like to pitch at home in Texas, but the Rangers' interest might depend on how quickly their sale is resolved.
  • Heyman says that "MLB has set a tentative Thanksgiving deadline for the sale of the Rangers, but the price tag is expected to be in the $500 million range, and in cases of such big money there are no guarantees that things will go quickly."
  • Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Bobby Jenks, Dan Uggla, and Milton Bradley should highlight a star studded trade market.
  • Halladay seems like a good bet to be moved, while the Red Sox and Dodgers represent possible suitors for Gonzalez.
  • Tampa has a replacement for Crawford in top prospect Desmond Jennings, while Jenks and Uggla would be moved in cost cutting deals.
  • Teams will certainly inquire on the availability of Felix Hernandez, but Heyman says the team plans to spend the winter trying to lock him up long-term. At the GM Meetings today, GM Jack Zduriencik said "Felix is our property. We're going to have him the next two years."
  • The Yankees have started to think about re-signing both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.
  • Both the Brewers and Mariners are expected to have interest in Jarrod Washburn.
  • If the Angels don't re-sign Chone Figgins, they are expected to pursue Adrian Beltre to fill their third base hole.
  • The Rangers will let Hank Blalock walk as a free agent, and are expected to promote top prospect Justin Smoak next year.
  • Orlando Hudson is expected to leave the Dodgers as a free agent, though Heyman says they could re-sign Ronnie Belliard to compete with Blake DeWitt at second base.
  • Team officials would not be shocked if the Red Sox tried to move David Ortiz and/or Mike Lowell, though it's going to be tough to move them with all the DH-types available on the free agent market.

Twins Looking At Veteran Starters

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While speaking with Joe Christensen of The Star Tribune, Twins' GM Bill Smith may have tipped his hand regarding the team's offseason plans.

"We'll see what's out there," he said. "And if there's a veteran starter or two that's a good fit for us, then we'll proceed accordingly."

The team is already returning at least five young starters, and that isn't counting Kevin Slowey's return from wrist surgery. Christensen mentions that they'll try to re-sign Carl Pavano, and says that the Twins also plan to pursue Jarrod Washburn, who has made it known that he'd like to pitch closer to his home in Wisconsin.

It's unlikely the Twins could afford John Lackey as a free agent, but Christensen says the team should find out if they have what it takes to acquire Roy Halladay or Josh Johnson via trade.

Odds & Ends: Gonzalez, Halladay, Rangers

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Here's some links to kick off the week…

Blue Jays, D’Backs Discussed Snyder For Overbay

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SUNDAY, 3:25pm: The Toronto Blue Jays called off the swap because of concerns about Snyder's surgically repaired back, according to Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic.

2:16pm: In an update to last night's article, Gilbert reports that the deal has been put on hold, according to a Major League source.

SATURDAY, 7:44pm: MLB.com's Steve Gilbert cites a Major League source who says the two sides are "making progress" in their discussions.

12:31pm: Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports that the two teams are discussing a Snyder for Lyle Overbay swap. He mentions that it's "unclear how far along the trade talks are."

10:05am: MLBTR has learned that the Blue Jays and Diamondbacks are in trade talks for catcher Chris Snyder. 

Snyder would be a good fit for the Jays, who have catcher Rod Barajas eligible for free agency.  The 28-year-old Snyder hit .200/.333/.352 for the D'Backs in a season marred by a back injury (he had surgery in September).  Presumably the Blue Jays' doctors would have to check him out before a deal could be completed.  The other issue would be money – Snyder is owed $11.25MM over the next two seasons.  Snyder received the contract on the strength of his '08 season (.237/.348/.452) but has since lost the starting job to Miguel Montero.

Odds & Ends: Cubs, Cuddyer, Eyre, Marlins

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Let's check out a few Saturday evening links….

Alex Anthopoulos, Talkin’ Jays Baseball

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Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos held a press conference with several reporters this afternoon to discuss the club's offseason strategy.  Toronto's FAN 590 has the audio.  Here are some of the highlights…

  • There is no "defined number" for payroll next season and ownership is prepared to provide funds if the right "baseball opportunity" arises.
  • Anthopoulos believes the Jays "can be up there with the Anaheims and the Chicagos, and even the Bostons" with a "sustained model of success" and financial backing from ownership.
  • But he thinks building a team through free agency isn't the way to go.  Building a core through good drafting and scouting is the strategy Toronto will try to employ.
  • Anthopoulos is actively involved in trade talks and with free agents to improve the team, but won't do anything to jeopardize the future makeup of the club.
  • He has been aware of the availability of every player that has been traded so far this offseason, and directly involved with talks for some.
  • Anthopoulos said he has to be open minded about listening to trades for Roy Halladay this winter, but that Roy is "a guy we want to have here."
  • That said, Halladay "wants to win" and the Blue Jays were a 75-win team last year. "We haven't met his criteria for winning… and his timeline for winning might not match ours."  A contract extension seems unlikely.
  • The Blue Jays are "not actively shopping" any of their current players at this moment.
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