The point is- they traded half their system and an outstanding pitcher to get another pitcher who will be just as good.

Halladay is an outstanding pitcher. He’s been outstanding and I’m sure he’ll be just as outstanding next year- he wasn’t worth 7 propsects and Cliff Lee. There’s only one starting pitcher I I would trade 7 prospects and Cliff Lee for and that’s Tim Lincecum.

BrettBH23 is right on da money here. I was just as confsued with the hole thing

if you were a phillies fan excited for the 2010 season and you had the chance to get roy halladay and give up 7 prospects and cliff lee for halladay. Most people would take that deal in a heartbeat. I mean its not that big of a deal you gave up cliff lee but you got Roy Halladay. The phillies still have cole hammels J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton if you didnt forget. The Phillies didnt have to give up any of their offensive power. They still have howard, utley, victerino, ibanez (roids), carlos ruiz, Jayson Werth and they got placido palanco this yr they r set to make it back to the world series in 2010 but eventually lose to the yankees

If the trade was so easy- why didn’t they trade for Halladay in the first place? Because they refused to give up Kyle Drabek. So they sent 4 of their “worse A prospects” to cleveland for Lee. So why do you turn around and trade 3 of your better “A” prospects including the guy they refused to give up in the first place for a 34 year old pitcher who isn’t getting any younger- then turned around and gave him 60 million over 3 years.

Trading your system steals your depth. If your the Yankees and only the Yankees you can get away with it. Look at Boston- They have a ton of talent that came up through the ranks of their own system which keeps the payroll open to add the big time free agent. Sure- some prospects don’t cut it- but most teams don’t have the revenue to have 200 millino dollar payroll which is why we have the arbitration system.

I’m not talking about this “from the fans perspective.” I’m looking at it from the baseball theory perspective. To give up 7 of your better prospects and a guy that went 22-4 and a cy young in 2008 to 11-4 with an ERA of around 2 (including postseason) for a guy that yes is very very good- but has NEVER pitched in the postseason is insane- and virtually senseless. It was a horizontal move for the most part. If I’m making this trade- it better be vertical and it wasn’t.

There’s nothing anyone can say that will make Roy Halladay THAT much of a difference over Cliff Lee considering the october Cliff Lee had. 4-0 with a 1.5 ERA is outrageously good meaning the guy dominates when the brightest lights are on. Is Halladay good? Absolutely. Is Cliff Lee good? Absolutely and right now- CLIFF LEE is the better pitcher come October…not Roy Halladay. If Kyle Drabek turns into a superstar- and Roy Halladay fails in October…this trade is going to look even worse. There’s a reason why teams don’t like to give up their best young talent- and I still can’t figure out why they refused to trade Drabek for Halladay in July- got the pitcher that put them in the world series- and then traded Drabek for Halladay.

I’m a big phillies fan and I have to agree with most of what BrettBH is sayin. Cliff was AWEEESOME last year in the playoffs and I Loved Drabek. I hate how we gave away so many players for Halladay even tho he’s good. Lee was so good he was worth keeping