December 1, 2009

Trade Me or Play Me

Roy Halladay told the Toronto Blue Jays that once he reports for spring training, he won’t approve any trade:

But Halladay wants the situation settled by the time he goes to spring training, according to Jeff Berry, a partner at CAA partner who works with Halladay’s long-time point agent, Greg Landry.

Berry said in a phone interview late Monday night that the representatives and Halladay have had a “very good dialogue” with new Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos, and that the Blue Jays will have to make a decision “based on what they believe is in the best long-term interest of the Blue Jays organization.”

“[But] one thing is certain — once Roy reports to spring training as a member of the Blue Jays, from that point forward he will not approve or even discuss any potential trade scenario,” Berry continued. “This will eliminate a repeat of the distracting media frenzy of 2009 for both Roy and his teammates, and will allow Roy to focus on pitching at the exceptional level Jays fans have come to expect.”

So does this help or hurt the Blue Jays trading position? Teams who want Halladay know there is a deadline for getting his services. However, if Toronto doesn’t like the deals they’re receiving, they can’t say, “We’ll wait until July to see if we can get a better deal.” Some teams might even think, “We’ll wait until he’s a free agent and get him without losing prospects,” and not offer as much. It could very well be the Blue Jays would be better off getting the first-round pick by letting Roy walk.

Of course, things can change. If Toronto is mired in last place in July and a contender really wants Halladay, Roy could change his mind.

1 thought on “Trade Me or Play Me

  1. Jesse R

    I’m hoping he doesn’t get traded. I’d like to see him play the season in Toronto and hit the market as a free agent… Heading to either of the NY teams or Boston probably.

    ReplyReply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *