Doc Halladay

World champions. This is the goal that a lot of teams could really consider now that Roy Halladay is on the trade market. Doc Halladay, who is 11-3, is capable of being a number one starter on any team, and his Cy Young talent can change a team from struggling to compete for the wild card into a world series favorite. The Blue Jays, Halladay’s current team, are reeling with a record that’s 3 games under .500. They think that getting several quality prospects and maybe a good utility player for Halladay could help them gain some games back from their 14 and a half game deficit behind the first place Yankees in the AL East. Nevertheless, the team that gets Doc, if he gets traded, can seriously think about a deep run in the playoffs. Next I’ll discuss how different teams might shape up with Halladay and what I think they can accomplish this season with him on the roster.
Yankees: Trading their ace to a team within their division seems foolish and unlikely. However, you can’t underestimate the power and lure of money. The Yanks can offer up some big bucks for this deal and Brian Cashman has been known to try his luck on big named pitchers. New York is one of the most impatient sports cities and there are no off years allowed. If instant success is the name of the game, Doc Halladay can help. Imagine trying to win a playoff series against a team that started Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia (10-7), and A.J. Burnett (10-4), three number 1 starters. While the Yanks aren’t the frontrunners in the Halladay sweepstakes, they are certainly a team you shouldn’t count out of the conversation. The Bronx Bombers, who already have the best record in the AL, would easily be the team to beat in October.
Angels: Doc would be a great fit in Anaheim. Despite phenomenal success as of late, going 17-7 in July and 10-3 since the All-Star break, the Angels pitchers have struggled at times. Starters like Ervin Santana have been inconsistent and closer Brian Fuentes, while leading baseball in saves, has been hit hard lately. They have not had a clear number 1 go-to-guy, and Halladay would be a great fit with Jered Weaver and John Lackey for a postseason trio. Joe Saunders was originally in their top 2, but he hasn’t been able to return to his pre- All-Star break form of dominance. The Halos offense has won most of their games recently, and Doc would make the team with the 2nd best record in the AL an easy favorite to win the American League Championship. The key for the Angels would be beating the Red Sox if they met in the playoffs. Since 2004, the Angels are 1-9 against Boston in the postseason. Maybe Halladay could help them turn the tables on the Red Sox and advance further in the playoffs.
Phillies: The Phillies looked like the frontrunner for Halladay. They needed another top starter due to the struggles of Cole Hamels and Doc seemed to be a perfect fit their. But after the Phillies rejected the Blue Jays offer and trade negotiations had gone poorly, the Phils went out and got Indian’s ace Cliff Lee. That pretty much takes the Phillies out of the hunt for Halladay, but I guess anything’s possible.
Dodgers: The best team in baseball would be virtually unbeatable with Roy. In fact they’re already seemingly unbeatable. They’ve only lost one series in July and they haven’t been swept all year. Their postseason rotation could look like this: No.1 Halladay, 2. Chad Billingsley (10-6), 3. Clayton Kershaw, one of the top young pitchers in the game. Couple that with one of the top offenses in the league, who are first in the NL in batting average as a team, and you have a nearly perfect World Series formula. Their bullpen has been sound behind closer Jonathan Broxton, who is 7-0 and has converted 23 out of 25 save opportunities. They’ve also got experience with manager Joe Torre’s 4 World Series championships and slugger Manny Ramirez’ 2 World championships.
The Dodgers appear flawless. An easy pick to win it all. But that’s not how it works in baseball. Anything can happen. Davids can beat Goliaths. If there’s one thing we can almost be sure off, it is that Roy Halladay will make a huge impact for whatever team he’s traded to. If he gets traded. As usual, when it comes to baseball, we just have to wait and see if Doc can prescribe the perfect medicine for a World Series championship.