Jeremy Sandler from the National Post has an article discussing the plans that new Toronto GM Alex Anthopolous has for building the Blue Jays through scouting and development. He also mentions the following regarding Anthopolous' demands in return for dealing ace starter Roy Halladay:
The Jays want a major league-ready arm and bat, both young and affordable enough to stay in Toronto a while, plus prospects for Halladay.
It is a high price for a player with just one year left on his contract.
But with the number of clubs lining up, the Jays may escape the damage created by not having dealt Halladay before the 2009 trade deadline.
Industry insiders suggest serious offers in the coming weeks should match Toronto's wish list.
If they are anything less, the Jays can hold on to Halladay, seeing where the offers go with the knowledge he will be worth two high draft picks next year if he signs with another club as a Type A free agent.
I will be subtle here. If Anthopolous thinks he will get both a major league ready arm and a major league ready bat, PLUS prospects for one year of Halladay and his $15 million contract, he better get his scouts working on those draft picks as soon as possible.
One year of Roy Halladay is not enough for the 4 pieces that he is asking for. It appears he is trying to get July 31, 2009 value for one year, and the shot to sign him long term, of Halladay. I just don't see it. He is asking for more than what the Indians received in return for Cliff Lee last July, it appears.
Eric Seidman from Baseball Prospectus disagrees with me, sort of. Here is his response to my question regarding the Blue Jays return for Halladay in a recent chat:
raygu1 (burlington, NJ): Will Anthropolous get more in return for Halladay than the Indians got for Lee?
Eric Seidman: I expect him to get more and from a shorter supply of players, but given what the Phillies surrendered for Lee, that's really setting the bar low.
Did Cliff Lee's performance in the playoffs and World Series increase the value of one year of Halladay?