The Roy Halladay trade story is everywhere, which is no real surprise as he is a potential difference maker in a World Series chase.
When will it happen? Where will he go? What will the Jays get in return? It's inescapable. Even the major sports news shows south of the border are doing daily Halladay reports as the trade deadline approaches.
Doc is even getting tired of it.
"For me, I've put it behind me for now," said Halladay on Sunday. "It's important that I focus on my job. You can't worry about the future. You can't think about the future. You have to kind of live in the moment, so that's all I'm trying to do."
It's hard not to be a fan of Halladay. If you have any interest in the game, or pro sports in general, it is almost impossible not to appreciate what he does when he takes to the hill. Halladay is the best starter the Jays' have ever produced and an argument can be made he is the best player to ever play for the organization. He is as unique a talent as there is in the Majors right now; a student of the game and a throwback to another era. He's a warrior who takes the hill with the intention of throwing the final pitch for his team, win or lose.
That's what makes the prospect of him moving on so tough for Blue Jays' fans - Halladay is everything you want in a player. And if Sunday was his last start as a Jay in Toronto, I'm glad he performed like an ace. I've made my peace with the potential move and while it will be hard to see him in another uniform, in the long run it should be good for the organization. The key being "should," as there are never guarantees.
The Blue Jays have made their share of high-profile deals over the years. Some - Fernandez and McGriff for Alomar and Carter - worked out very well. Others - Wells for Sirotka - not so much.
J.P. Ricciardi is asking a steep price for Halladay, so it remains to be seen if he will get everything he wants. I just hope that if Halladay is moved, the Jays' GM keeps going and commits to building around those "they are the future" guys like Aaron Hill, Adam Lind and Ricky Romero. Both Vernon Wells and Alex Rios would seemingly benefit from a change of scenery and Scott Rolen's value could be as high as it is going to get. If Halladay is going, clear the decks as best you can and really look to the future.
Daan De Kerpel ran down the prospects for other Jays moving on last week.
It's a tricky time for the Jays and their fans. The club has a major asset to move, but the general manager who will be making the franchise impacting deal might not be here next season. Not ideal, but that's the situation.
The three Jays deals which are most similar to the Halladay situation are the David Cone to the New York Yankees deal from 1995, the Roger Clemens to the Yankees trade from 1999 and the ill-fated David Wells to the Chicago White Sox move.
I asked TSN.ca writer and former Blue Jays executive Will Hill for his thoughts and he explained that while the deal in 1990 with the Padres might be the gold standard for the Blue Jays, sometimes deals are about the money you can get other teams to spend.
"Nothing approaches the Alomar/Carter deal, but for entirely practical, financial reasons it's interesting to look at Raul Mondesi and Randy Myers. Yes, in looking at those deals you'd say they didn't fetch much of anything (unless you're a friend or relative of Scott Wiggins or Brian Lloyd respectively), but they provided much needed financial flexibility to the club. As for the worst deal... it's certainly the Sirotka trade."
Running down every deal the team has made in their history would take far too much time, but below is a list of some of the more notable moves.
(1982) TOR: Tom Dodd, Dale Murray to NYY for Fred McGriff, Dave Collins, Mike Morgan, cash considerations - McGriff turned into one of the top sluggers in baseball
(1984) TOR: Alfredo Griffin, Dave Collins, Cash consideration to OAK for Bill Caudill - the club needed a closer and Caudill had a big year in 1984 (9-7 with 36 saves and 2.71 ERA), but he only managed 17 more saves for the rest of his career
(1986) TOR: Doyle Alexander to ATL for Duane Ward - A steal. Ward might not have had a long career, but when he was healthy, he was a dominant late-inning force
(1989) TOR: Jesse Barfield to NYY for Al Leiter – Lefty Leiter battled injuries before having a solid season in 1995, he then left as a free agent
(1990) TOR: Tony Fernandez, Fred McGriff to SDP for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter - A blockbuster if there ever was one, it provided the Jays with the cornerstones of their two World Series titles
(1991) TOR: Mark Whitten, Denis Boucher, Glenallen Hill, Cash considerations to CLE for Tom Candiotti, Turner Ward - Candiotti left following the season, Whitten and Hill both had decent careers
(1992) TOR: Jeff Kent, Ryan Thompson to NYM for David Cone - Kent did go on to win an NL MVP, but Cone helped the Jays win their first World Series
(1993) TOR: Steve Karsay, Jose Herrera to OAK for Ricky Henderson - Karsay had some decent seasons, but Henderson helped win the 1993 Championship
(1995) TOR: David Cone to NYY for Jason Jarvis, Mike Gordon, Marty Janzen - Cone helped the Yankees create a dynasty, Jansen was the only pitcher to throw for the Blue Jays (98.2 innings over two seasons)
(1999) TOR: Roger Clemens to NYY for Homer Bush, Graeme Lloyd, David Wells - All three had positive moments for the Blue Jays and Clemens helped the Yankees to two World Series wins
(1999) TOR: Jorge Nunez, Shawn Green to LAD for Pedro Borbon, Raul Mondesi - Green had some great seasons for the Dodgers, Mondesi was never a great fit for the Jays
(2000) TOR: Michael Young, Darwin Cubillan to TEX for Esteban Loaiza - Young became a solid player in the majors and Loaiza did not become the staff anchor the team hoped he would
(2001) TOR: David Wells, Matt DeWitt to CWS for Mike Sirotka, Mike Williams, Kevin Beirne, Brian Simmons - Embarrassing deal for the club. Wells wanted out, but the Jays got damaged goods in return. Sirotka did not pitch for Toronto or anyone else again
(2001) TOR: Billy Koch to OAK for Eric Hinske, Justin Miller - The season after the deal Hinske won the AL Rookie of the Year award for the Jays and Koch saved 44 games for the Athletics
(2001) TOR: Paul Quantrill, Cesar Izturis to LAD for Chad Ricketts, Luke Prokopec - Prokopec only lasted one forgettable season
(2003) TOR: Bobby Kielty to OAK for Ted Lilly - the left-hander pitched well in stretches for the Blue Jays
(2004) TOR: Jayson Werth to LAD for Jason Frasor - Frasor has been steady out of the bullpen for the Jays
(2005) TOR: Miguel Batista, Orlando Hudson to ARI for Troy Glaus, Sergio Santos - Glaus had a big season in 2006 with 38 homers and 104 RBI
(2006) TOR: Shea Hillenbrand, Vinnie Chulk to SFG for Jeremy Accardo - Hillenbrand wanted out. Acardo filled in well as closer in 2007
(2008) TOR: Troy Glaus to STL for Scott Rolen - both players needed a change