We covered this huge blockbuster deal last night with many updates, so today I will provide Baseball America's take on the prospects that the Phillies are rumored to be dealing-pitcher Kyle Drabek, outfielder Michael Taylor and catcher Travis D'Arnaud.
First here is what is known as of this writing (10:45pm Monday)
Phillies-get Roy Halladay for Toronto, SP Philippe Aumont and OF Tyson Gillies from Seattle
Blue Jays-get Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor and Travis D'Arnaud from the Phillies
Mariners-get Cliff Lee from the Phillies
Kyle Drabek, SP, PHI
Strengths: Drabek has the organization's best curveball, a power downer that he can bury or throw for strikes. Some scouts rate it a 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. His fastball sits at 88-93 mph, usually at the top end of that range, and has solid-average life. His competitiveness helps him maximize his stuff. Athletic and coordinated, he's effective holding runners, fielding his position and hitting.
Weaknesses: Drabek's changeup is his third-best pitch and still needs refinement, as Double-A lefthanders showed by bashing him for a .924 OPS (compared to .521 by righties). He has to improve his arm speed and his command with his changeup.
More after the jump:
Michael Taylor, OF, PHI
Strengths: Despite his size, Taylor has few holes and has become an excellent hitter, squaring up balls consistently and smashing line drives to all fields. Pitchers try to tie him up inside, and while he can be vulnerable there, he has shown the ability to make adjustments. He has excellent raw power, average speed and good baserunning instincts. He's a solid defender with an average-to-plus arm who grades as above average in left field.
Weaknesses: Taylor could stand to be more selective to get to his power more consistently. He needs to learn to loft the ball to become a true 30-homer threat. Conditioning probably will be a long-term issue for Taylor, who does a good job of staying on top of his juvenile diabetes.
Travis D'Arnaud, C, PHI
Strengths: The strong-bodied d'Arnaud got better as 2009 wore on, clubbing 25 doubles in his last 224 at-bats. He led the SAL in doubles and is tapping into his plus raw power. He has strength in his hands and generates good bat speed. D'Arnaud understands the importance of defense for a catcher and works hard at managing a staff. He has above-average arm strength, soft hands and good agility.
Weaknesses: Footwork can get d'Arnaud in trouble in both blocking balls and with the accuracy of his throws. He threw out just 40 of 172 basestealers (23 percent) last season, though opponents ran wild on Lakewood's pitching staff. He needs more at-bats against good breaking balls, against which he tends to lunge and get long with his swing.
Phillippe Aumont, SP, SEA
Strengths: Aumont cuts an imposing figure on the mound, and his stuff is just as intimidating. He already throws 90-95 mph with plus-plus sink and boring action, and he may be able to throw even harder as he matures physically. If batters sit on his sinker, he can blow a high-90s four-seam fastball by them. Aumont's crossfire delivery and low three-quarters arm slot can make it tough for batters to pick up his pitches. His low-80s breaking ball has plus potential.
Weaknesses: For such a high pick, Aumont is quite unpolished, and now he has to prove he can stay healthy. His arm angle makes it hard to stay on top of his breaking ball, and he has a long way to go with a true changeup after using a splitter as an amateur. If he came up with a more balanced delivery, his secondary pitches and his command would benefit.
Tyson Gillies, OF, SEA (BA has yet to complete their Top 10 list for Seattle)
Mike (WA): Tyson Gillies - everyday big leaguer or more of a platoon/4th OF type?Ben Badler: Every day guy. Beyond just the speed, he's got the patience, the contact-hitting skills and enough ability to drive the ball to make his outstanding speed something usable beyond being just a pinch-runner/defensive replacement.
If this rumored deal is accurate, the Phillies will have dealt 4 of their top 10 prospects coming into the 2009 season, and 3 of their top 4 prospects going into the 2010 season-all for two months of Cliff Lee, and a World Series appearance, possibly 4 years of Roy Halladay (which includes the rumored 3-year extension at $20 million per year) and 6 years of Phillippe Aumont and Tyson Gillies.
This deal might be a win-win-win for each team involved at this point.