In Pursuit of Halladayness?

It is no secret that the Dodgers and Phillies were primary suitors in the  Roy Halladay discussion at last season’s trade deadline.

Well, the Phillies got their man Cliff Lee, and I’m sure the Dodgers don’t need to be reminded of that. More importantly though, at least for the Dodgers’ sake, Halladay was never traded. He is still a Blue Jay and they are still looking to deal him away. The question then naturally arises…

Will the Dodgers be major players in the Halladay sweepstakes?

The Good News:

Well, the Dodgers will definitely be in the hunt for Halladay, because their starting rotation needs help, as we saw in this past season’s NLCS.

Also in the Dodgers’ favor, they have a wealth of young talent, because of their strong farm system. That should help the Dodgers as they try to package a deal for their man, Halladay.

The Bad News:

The Dodgers’ refusal to part with Clayton Kershaw was a huge reason why they failed to get a deal done during the season. The Dodgers figure to have the same philosophy this off-season (not to trade Kershaw- and I think that’s a good thing), so we’ll have to see if the Bluejays would take Billingsley or anyone else in addition to solid minor-leaguers. It appears as though the Jays still really want Kershaw.

With Manny staying on and Frank McCourt (the team owner) going through a brutal divorce, it is looking unlikely that the Dodgers will be willing to spend big money this off-season.

Lastly, it is widely believed that the Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, and Angels are the leading contenders in the pursuit of Halladayness.

I’ll do my best to continue to monitor the situation.

Tags: Angels, big spenders, Chad Billingsley, Clayton Kershaw, Halladayness, Manny, McCourt divorce, minor leaguers, Phillies, Red Sox, Roy Halladay, Yankees