Buzz: Santana 2, Blue Jays eyeing Trade Targets
Buster Olney of ESPN.com believes the Red Sox will need to trade Clay Buchholz and minor leaguer Casey Kelly in a deal to get RHP Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays.
According to FoxSports.com, there is no way the Red Sox will part with both Buccholz and Kelly, however.
…from what i can gather, out of people connected to Toronto, the Blue Jays will ask the Mets for at least Mike Pelfrey and Ruben Tejada; they’ll ask the Yankees for at least one of Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain, and one of Austin Jackson or Jesus Montero; and they have already talked about Chad Billingsley with the Dodgers… according to people who know halladay, the only way he will approve a deal to Los Angeles is if he decides to not push for a contract extension, and instead plans to pitch one season and then take his talent to the open market… otherwise, if he insists on a contract extension, like santana, halladay is far more likely to be traded to the Cubs, Mets, Phillies or Cardinals, followed by the Yankees and Red Sox, since, despite what the team says, the Blue Jays would prefer not to send halladay to the American League… they’ll do it, if they have to, but it’s not their first choice, for obvious reasons…
Olney quotes a team executive as describing this year’s market for Halladay as, ‘Santana 2,’ because of the similarities with Minnesota’s situation with Johan Santana before 2007.
…olney estimates halladay could be in for a $60 to $80 million contract, whereas santana was seeking a seven-year deal, which included his 2007 option year… so, technically, it was a six-year extension… i’m thinking olney paints this price tag because of halladay’s age… i do not want to see him traded to the Mets, if it means giving a 33–year-old pitcher a seven-year contract, on top of next season… but, if he’s seeking a five-year deal, which includes next season, so, say, $90 million through 2015, i think that is reasonable… i’m still not sure it’s smart business… but, it’s a reasonable request on his part…
…in the end, i bet there will be a lot of reports and very little talk, with teams communicating who they are willing to trade… then, at the Winter Meetings, substantive talks will occur, teams will be made aware of who has a chance and who doesn’t, and, it will get quiet again as the Jays decide what they want to do… and, it will be up to guys like Omar Minaya to decide, like he did to much criticism with johan, should he stay on hold, or hang up and work on something else…
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