A Boston Halladay?
As you should know by this point, Toronto is listening to offers for their ace Roy Halladay. Without question, he'd look great in a Red Sox uniform, but is that the right move?
First, it is important to know he has a full no-trade clause and has one year left beyond 2009 on his contract, so an acquiring team would have him for about a season and a half.
The Red Sox, or any team, would have to come up with 2 top prospects and maybe a 3rd or a current major leaguer. At least one of those prospects would have to be a pitcher. The idea being Toronto would want to replace their ace with at least someone who could develope into an ace. So Clay Buchholz, Lars Anderson and maybe Manny Delcarmen would be a starting offer. The Red Sox certainly have the prospects, but do they need Halladay that badly?
Again, of course they need him, any team would, but all we've heard in 2009 is the glut of starters on the Red Sox. With Beckett, Lester, Wakefield, Penny and Smoltz (and Matsuzaka ready to return in a month and Buchholz willing and able at Pawtucket), the Red Sox might be best off using their trading chips for help in their line-up. Mike Lowell is not a guarantee and if he does not come back 100%, there is no back-up plan that is acceptable. I'm sorry, but Kevin Youkilis at 3rd and Mark Kotsay at 1st won't cut it. Kotsay hits like a, well, a back-up.
I'd make an offer for Halladay offering some lesser talent and let Toronto say "no thank you" and then evaluate Lowell and company for the next 2 weeks and then focus on the biggest need. If at that time it's starting pitching that's in need, and Halladay is still available, then upgrade the offer. But I wouldn't rush into a Halladay when there might be bigger worries elsewhere.
Also, the Red Sox have reportedly signed Cuban defector Jose Iglasias (not Julio's son I'd be willing to bet) to an $8 million deal. He is supposedly a smooth defensive shortstop, but his bat is questionable. That's a ton of money on a good glove (I hope these words haunt me).
