Looks like a done deal

The Roy Halladay deal looks like it is done, Halladay has reportedly agreed to a 3-year $60 million extension, which will make him a Phillie for the next 4 seasons. The Phillies will send Kyle Drabek, Travis d'Arnuad and Michael Taylor to the Blue Jays. Taylor will immediately be moved over to Oakland with Toronto getting Brett Wallace.

The other part of the deal will send Cliff Lee to the Mariners with the Phillies receiving 3 prospects in return, thus easing the toll on the farm system and making it a net 4 prospects for Halladay, much more reasonable than the 7 it appeared to be yesterday. The Mariners are sending pitcher Phillipe Aumont, Seattle's first rounder in 2007 who had a good season at 2 levels of A ball, as well as making a splash in the AFL, outfielder Tyson Gillies (.341 at high-A High Desert in the California League), and pitcher J.C. Ramirez (8-10, 5.12 also at High Desert).

In other notes, Zack Segovia has been released by the Nationals. Hopefully he can now get invited to another spring training. Also R.J. Swindel has signed with the Rays, who had released him last season. Swindel made 6 appearances for the Indians in 2009 bouncing back and forth from AAA-Columbus to the majors.

Halladay price too high

The reports this morning have the Phillies acquiring Roy Halladay in a 3-team deal with Cliff Lee going to Seattle and Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis d'Arnuad going to Toronto. If you add in Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald, Lou Marson and Jason Knapp, who the Phillies sent to Cleveland last summer for Lee, the Phillies have given up 7 prospects to land Halladay. If they were going to trade Drabek and Taylor anyway, why didn't they just trade them to Toronto at the deadline last year?

The A.P. initially reported that Jay Happ, Domonic Brown and Joe Blanton were the players dealt, so we will have to await the official announcement to see who actually is going, but, in my opinion, either combination is too much if you add in the price for Lee.

Rule 5 news

We lost another HomeSider in the Rule 5 draft last week as Carlos Monasterios was selected by the Mets and immediately traded to the Dodgers. Los Angeles said Carlos will have the opportunity to compete for a spot in the rotation this spring!!

Good Luck, Monte, we will be watching!!