By: Chris
If not the apple, then Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi is keeping Roy Halladay from teams desperately looking to add a stud pitcher for a late-season spurt and ace for the playoffs. Halladay is an incredible pitcher, and is most likely the best in the league this year. Over the past few years, he has shown that he is a dependable, hard-working horse with electric stuff. One of the teams clawing for Halladay are the Philadelphia Phillies, who have reportedly already been turned down twice. At this point, it looks to be unlikely that Halladay will be moved (at least according to Ricciardi) but the amount of leverage he is holding right now is incredible.
To be in J.P. Ricciardi's position right now is like sitting on top of the baseball GM world (At least for the moment. Considering the team is garbage and has no hopes of ever making it past the "road block" of the Red Sox and Yanks in the AL East, his short-reigned supremacy and hype will all come to an end after the deadline, where he will basically disappear). However, the guy is playing his cards so, so, so right. By setting a deadline, he is not only giving himself a cushion for teams that are entering the negotiations late but he is also giving himself plenty of time to completely seal any deal that might come up, which some teams fail to do after the deadline looms closer and closer. Additionally, by publicly stating that it "won't be likely" that Halladay will be traded, he further grips his leverage over the situation as well as saying that if Halladay wasn't moved, it wouldn't be a big deal and they would be happy to keep him another year until he comes off the books.
Still, Riccardi has to stop playing tough at some point. Why keep Halladay for another year if your team is not even a contender anyway? Might as well dump him off now and get solid prospects for the farm and future. At some point though, the Blue Jays might receive a "rape" offer from a team like the Phillies. Although they haven't been caught in the trap yet, it seemingly is going in that direction. That is what Riccardi is sitting on, like a lion observing its prey, waiting for a mistake to then go in for the kill. The next few days should be very, very interesting. Teams, like the Phillies, whose starting rotation really needs a fix especially for the playoffs (although recent play has demonstrated they can very well win without) will be looking to acquire this stud ace. You virtually never see a guy of this caliber and talent (starting pitcher) getting dangled the way Halladay is right now. Somebody WILL take advantage, yet get robbed in the process. C'est la vie.
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