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Halladay, Other New Phillies Debut

By PW Staff

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Feb. 17, 2010

The New York Times profiles the Phillies as training camp opens, exploring the deal that sent Cliff Lee out of town for Roy Halladay over the winter. "For the Phillies, there were two reasons for the deal: cost certainty for the immediate future and extra prospects for the long term. As enticing as it would have been to put Halladay and Lee atop the 2010 rotation, the Phillies were worried about losing Lee as a free agent and having a bare farm system as their core ages. “Everybody wants to win now if you can,” Happ said. “But with the prospects that we traded to get Cliff, giving up the four guys that we did, if we were to get Roy, we’d have to give up more. So I understand it, definitely. You’ve got plan for now and for the future.” After signing Halladay through 2013, the Phillies locked up catcher Carlos Ruiz; center fielder Shane Victorino; and Blanton, a starter, through 2012. Most of their core players are signed for at least two more years. The exception is right fielder Jayson Werth, whose contract expires after this season. A potential replacement, outfielder Domonic Brown, is here already, working out with Gillies, who is rooming with Aumont for the second spring in a row."