Roy Halladay says the odds that he’ll get traded this season are a “flip of the coin.”
“I’d rather hit than face Jeter, A-Rod, Matsui and Teixeira,” Halladay said.
He added: “I think there is so much that goes into it. I’m still not 100 percent sure which direction we’re going in in Toronto. If Toronto does decide to do something, it’s really going to be something that helps the organization. There’s going to be a lot of pieces; it’s going to be complicated. I think it’s going to be kind of 50-50.”Halladay, who is under contract for next season at $15.75 million, has a no-trade clause and would have to approve any deal. He did not say whether an extension would have to be part of any deal.
The Blue Jays have sent scouts throughout the majors and minors as they try to gauge the talent pool they might get back for one of the game’s best pitchers.“It’s a tough situation, but you always want to win,” Halladay said. “You want that chance to win, that’s every player’s dream. For me, I’m looking [at] it as they’re exploring options. Something may come of it, something may not. I’m trying to keep the emotions out of it as much as I can.”
I happen to think the Jays will hang onto Halladay because they’ll be afraid of the potential fan backlash that they’ll receive from trading away their biggest star. That obviously wouldn’t be a good baseball decision (as in, it wouldn’t be wise for a team to allow their fan base to make a decision for them), but it’s not like keeping Halladay for the next year and a half is a bad thing. After all, he is one of the top 5 pitchers in the game.
I think Halladay will wind up being shipped out next season because he’s a free agent after the 2010 season. I think Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is just kicking the tires on a deal this year to see what he could potentially land for Halladay. Of course, he could probably get more for Halladay this year, with it being a weak trade market for arms.
