Mailbag: Cy Young?

In this post, I answered questions presented by Pat Gallen of Phillies Nation. Click the link to see answers from other bloggers. If you have a question, please e-mail me at amanda@swingandalongdrive.com.

If the season ended right now, would Roy Halladay get your vote for the NL Cy Young award?

If the season ended today, no, I would not vote for Halladay, although it is very close. I would probably put him second behind Josh Johnson, who has had an incredible year. For a while, Ubaldo Jiminez was first or second, but he has really struggled over his past couple of starts, and has fallen to around the 4-5 range.

Johnson may have the better ERA, but there is still enough time for Halladay to gain ground on Johnson for a Cy Young vote. They are both very close in WHIP. Halladay has the most innings, and will likelycontinue to lead the league. Halladay also has the best strikeout/walk ratio in the National League. There’s still a very good chance Halladay could surpass Johnson, at least in my book.

NL Finally Wins All Star Game

As seen on Phillies Nation.

The National League won the All Star Game for the first time since 1996, a year where the game was played at Veterans Stadium and Ricky Botallico was the Phillies only representative. Charlie Manuel led the 2010 NL All Stars to a 3-1 victory over the star studded American League.

Ubaldo Jiminez and Josh Johnson each pitched two superb innings. The American League scored their lone, unearned run against Hong-Chih Kuo.

Aggressive base-running by Scott Rolen eventually paid off. Brian McCann provided the knock with a three-run double with two outs in the seventh. Phillies fans have seen this so many times from McCann, so it was different being on the other side of a McCann clutch hit. McCann was ultimately named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Ryan Howard served as the designated hitter for the National League. He went 0-for-2 with a strikeout against David Price. Howard also grounded out.

Roy Halladay pitched 2/3 of an inning, allowing two hits and striking out one. Manuel may have misused him in the situation. Instead of bringing Halladay in earlier, Kuo was brought in. Halladay was forced to warm up twice.

Jonathan Broxton closed the doors to secure home field advantage for the National League. Overall, it was a well-played game. In the year of the pitcher, it was only fitting that the All Star Game was dominated by brilliant pitching performances.

David Ortiz was the Home Run Derby Champion.

Halladay Takes on Reds

For full gameday, visit Phillies Nation.

Cincinnati Reds (49-39) at Philadelphia Phillies (45-40).
Travis Wood (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Roy Halladay (10-7, 2.33 ERA).

How can last night's comeback be topped? How about with a Halladay?

With Roy Halladay on the hill, there is a very good chance that the Phillies can win the series, since they already took the first two games of the four game set. The only setback could be the weather. It's been raining all day, and the forecast isn't too promising. Let's hope they can get this one in without a delay. A rain delay in the middle of the game could take Halladay out of the game, putting it into the hands of the bullpen.

Everybody knows what to expect from Halladay. He could easily have 13 or 14 wins, if not for a struggling offense. On the other hand, it's unsure what to expect from Travis Wood, who is making his third Major League start. The Reds have several top pitching prospects, and Wood is one of them. Wood has pitched well in his 11.2 innings in the big leagues, but still seeks his first win. Against Roy Halladay, odds are against him.

The Reds may have some concern if Wood struggles, or has to be lifted due to a rain delay. The Reds bullpen has struggled two nights in a row, and has been worked for quite a few innings. Getting to the Reds' bullpen could be a key for the Phillies.

The Phillies are in a pretty good position to take the series tonight, but as shown last night, anything can happen.

Three Phillies Named All Stars

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Three Phillies were named to the 2010 All Star team. Chase Utley, Roy Halladay and Ryan Howard will represent the National League in Los Angeles in next week's annual All Star Game.

Fans voted Chase Utley to be the starting second baseman. Unfortunately, Atlanta's Martin Prado replaced Utley due to his recent injury. This would have been Utley's fifth straight year starting the All Star Game. Utley was batting .277 with 11 home runs before having surgery on his thumb.

Roy Halladay will be making his seventh All Star appearance. Halladay currently leads the Major Leagues in innings pitched (130 IP). He is 9-7, although most of those losses are due to a lack of run support. Halladay has a 2.42 earned run average and 1.10 WHIP. There is a chance that Halladay could start the All Star game, but Josh Johnson and Ubaldo Jiminez are also strong possible candidates.

Ryan Howard was named a National League reserve. Charlie Manuel gave the edge to his own player, as Howard was chosen over the likes of Joey Votto (Votto can still make the roster via the "Final Vote"). This will be Howard's third All Star Game. Howard, who won the 2006 Home Run Derby, will not participate in this year's contest. Howard currently has 15 home runs and a .297 average.

There is still a very, very slight chance that Jayson Werth makes the roster. Werth was a late addition to last year's All Star roster, and could be again if Jason Heyward is not ready to return from his injury. The chances are very slim though.

Placido Polanco led NL third basemen in the voting for quite some time, but David Wright ended up surpassing him. Polanco, who remains on the disabled list, might not have been able to play anyway.

Congratulations to the three Phillies All Stars. At the beginning of the season, we may have expected a few more, but injuries have held this team back.

Moyer Looks to Continue Filet-ing of Fish

For full gameday visit Phillies Nation.

Philadelphia Phillies (28-20) at Florida Marlins (24-26).
Jamie Moyer (5-4, 4.55 ERA) vs. Anibal Sanchez (4-2, 3.23 ERA).

No, it wasn't a dream. That really happened. Roy Halladay pitched a perfect game!. It's still unbelievable.

Many would assume that the Marlins would be bummed after getting no-hit, but Cody Ross had a different approach to the perfect game. "It's the best pitcher in baseball. It's not embarrassing," Cody Ross said. The Marlins are probably going to come out swinging today.

While we are all still thinking about perfection, Jamie Moyer will take the hill against a team he has had so much success against. Moyer is 13-5 with a 3.18 ERA against Florida. At Sun Life Stadium, his ERA is a minuscule 1.66.

Moyer will be opposed by Anibal Sanchez, who has a no hitter on his resume. Sanchez has struggled against the Phillies, going 2-5 with a 5.70 ERA against the Phillies. When he is on, Sanchez has no-hit material, but is wild when he is off. The way the Phillies offense has been going, the edge could go to Sanchez.

This would be a perfect time for the Phillies to turn around their offensive struggles. It would also be a nice time for a sweep.

Halladay Throws A Perfect Game!

27 up. 27 down. Nothing much else you can say about Roy Halladay's perfect gamet. What an incredible performance by Doc!

Halladay Throws Another Shutout

When Roy Halladay has a rough start, there is a good chance he will rebound in his next outing. Halladay bounced back from a tough game against the San Francisco Giants by tossing a complete game shutout over the New York Mets.

While Halladay dazzled and struck out six, the offense finally came back to life. The Phillies threw up a six spot on the scoreboard in the fourth inning. Jayson Werth opened the scoring with a RBI single on a pop-up over the second baseman. Juan Castro's two-run double extended the Phillies lead to three. Shane Victorino broke the game wide open with a three-run home run. The runs would not stop there as Raul Ibanez chipped in with a two-run triple.

The Phillies were able to halt the Mets' eight game winning streak with their 10-0 victory. The offense finally clicked, but it was Halladay who stole the show with his second complete game shutout as a Phillie. Johan Santana and Jamie Moyer face off tonight in the series rubber-match.

Halladay Tries to Stop the Bleeding vs. Giants

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The Philadelphia Phillies (11-7) face the San Francisco Giants (10-8). Roy Halladay (4-0, 0.82 ERA) starts vs. Jonathan Sanchez (1-1, 1.86 ERA)

The Phillies are coming off a frustrating loss, and hope that Roy Halladay can stop the bleeding. He's done it a few times this year. Halladay will open the series in San Francisco against Jonathan Sanchez and the Giants.

The bullpen has been shaky of late, however Halladay likes to give the bullpen a rest. Including his last few starts in Toronto, Halladay is 6-0 with 0.53 earned run average, four complete games, and three shutouts in his last six starts. The Giants have scored a few runs off Halladay thus far, but Halladay has proven that he can settle down and pitch a gem.

Ryan Howard is fresh off his 5-year, $125 million contract, and would like to show fans why he's worth that amount. Howard has faced Sanchez 12 times in his career, collecting a .250 average against him.

Overall, Sanchez is starting the year off on the right foot. He's been collecting strikeouts right and left. Sanchez has a tendency to become wild though. Working the count and drawing walks will be key for the Phillies against Sanchez.

Phillies Notes: Halladay, Injuries, Minor Deals

As seen on Phillies Nation.

March is quickly coming to an end. The Phillies play one more game in Clearwater before returning north for an exhibition series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. April 5th will be here before we know it. There was plenty of Phillies news to end the third month of the year:

The Phillies lost to the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-2.

Roy Halladay surrendered four runs in the first inning. He would settle down by striking out the side in the second, and retiring the side in order in the third. In the three innings he worked, he struck out five.

Placido Polanco and Ben Francisco provided the Phillies with their only two runs. They each hit solo shots.

Brad Lidge received a Cortisone shot.

Lidge is having elbow troubles once again. Lidge has inflammation on the outer part of his elbow. His off-season surgery was on the inner part. No MRI will be required for this injury, as there is no structural damage.

Michael Ciccotti, the team physician, said that the injury is due to “[Lidge's] reconditioning routine.” Lidge’s goal is to return by mid-April, although it could be later.

Joe Blanton injured his left oblique muscle.


The Phillies will not know more about the injury until tomorrow, when Blanton is examined by the team doctor. Blanton, who was scheduled to pitch on Saturday, felt the injury when throwing a bullpen session today.

Blanton has never been placed on the disabled list in his career. If Blanton were to miss time during the season, Kyle Kendrick would likely be the one to fill his shoes.

If the Blanton and Lidge injuries weren’t bad enough, Carlos Ruiz was kept out of today’s lineup after being hit by a pitch on the arm yesterday. The move was just cautionary though.

The Phillies signed right handed pitchers Josh Fogg and Ty Taubenheim to minor league contracts.

Both pitchers will report to minor league camp. These moves could kick Brandon Duckworth out of Triple-A.

Fogg was recently released by the New York Mets. He has a career 62-69 record, and 5.03 ERA. Taubenheim has only pitched in 46 major league innings, and also has an ERA over five.

Spring Rotation: Week One

As seen on Phillies Nation.

Spring training games start Wednesday. Today, the rotation for the first week of pre-season play was released. The starters will throw about 45 pitches, but it is a sign that the regular season is right around the corner.

Wednesday, March 3 vs. Florida State University: J.A Happ, and a younger pitcher to be named later.
Thursday, March 4 vs. New York Yankees: Roy Halladay, Kyle Kendrick and Andrew Carpenter. Game will be televised (tape delay) on Comcast Sportsnet and MLB Network.
Friday, March 5 at Toronto Blue Jays: Cole Hamels and Jamie Moyer.
Saturday, March 6 at Pittsburgh Pirates: Joe Blanton

Happ will also pitch on Sunday, Kendrick will pitch on Monday, and Halladay will pitch on Tuesday.

Each pitcher is only going to pitch about two innings, but let the Grapefruit League begin!

Farewell Clifton Phifer Lee

This is goodbye, Clifton Phifer Lee. Philadelphia loves you, and will miss you.

It didn't take long for the average fan to fall in love with Lee in the five months that he was here. His 5-0 start, his postseason dominance, complete games, shutouts, and even his hitting will always be remembered.

Nobody is upset about getting Roy Halladay. We look forward to watching him pitch in red pinstripes in 106 days. It's the fact that the Phillies could have both Halladay AND Lee -- Ruben Amaro practically admitted it.

It was a "baseball decision." Amaro wanted to restock prospects after losing seven of the top Phillies prospects.

Refilling the farm system is understandable, and the Phillies seemed to have gotten talented prospects in return, but they could have done better. How about a major league reliever, something the team needs now? Or maybe better prospects? There are plenty of teams that could use Lee, and would be willing to give something up for him. But what doesn't make sense is the fact that the Phillies would not part with Kyle Drabek in July, but dealt him now. Why not just trade him for Halladay in July and we wouldn't be in this mess? The Phillies would still have three or four more of those top prospects.

Another reason for the trade is money. Lee thought that the Phillies were working on a long term deal with him. "I thought that I was going to spend the rest of my career there. This goes to show this is a business, and you never know what’s going to happen until you have a full no-trade clause." David Montgomery later said that the Phillies were "in red" as far as salary goes. Yes, the payroll has reached $140 million, but three million fans supported the team in 2009. Merchandise flies off the hook. The Phillies could absolutely afford Lee. Lee will only make $9 million in 2010. If he couldn't be signed long term, it would make sense to ride him for one more year, and let him walk, get two draft picks, and have Halladay for the long run.

Lee truly thought that he would be a Phillie in 2010, and had no notice what-so-ever of being traded. He was "shocked" and in "disbelief" when he found out about the trade.

Lee comment's were saddening to the everyday Phillies fan. He accepted his new team, the Mariners, and never put them down, despite wanting to "make a third run" at a World Series. He had great praise for the Phillies: "Those guys are the real deal. It was a true team and I can’t say enough about them."

We'll miss you Cliff.

The Fightins recently provided audio of Lee's conference call.

Minor Leaguer Fails Physical, But Deal Done

UPDATE (4:00 PM): Nevermind, the deal is done, officially! Press conference at 5:00 PM to introduce Roy Halladay.

The Roy Halladay/Cliff Lee blockbuster is now on hold. Apparently, somebody failed their physical, and it is not Lee or Halladay.

The likely targets are Phillippe Aumont and Kyle Drabek. Both have had a histroy of injury problems, however the latest reports are stating that Aumont passed. Chances are that it is Drabek or even Michael Taylor. Ruben Amaro is confident that a deal will still get done, but talks will likely extend into Thursday.

Blogs of Note: Help get a Harry Kalas Memorial Statue! Also, the We Should be GM's boys created a Phillies Phantastic Phour!

Halladay Blockbuster Complete

It looks like the deal is complete. It’s two separate trades. Cliff Lee goes to Seattle. The Phillies get Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies and Juan Ramirez for Lee. For Halladay, the Phillies trade Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis D’Arnaud to Toronto. The Phillies also get $6 million.

The Phillies and Halladay have agreed to an extension. The contract is an average of about $20 million per year, taking Halladay through 2013.

Michael Taylor will likely be traded to Oakland for Brett Wallace.

I'm not a fan of this trade. The Phillies barely got anything in return for the ace they gave up: Cliff Lee. Aumont, a reliver, doesn't macth Drabek. Plus, I thought Drabek was "untouchable." If Drabek was going to be in the deal, why not trade him last July for Halladay?

The Mariners are the clear cut winners of this deal. If the Blue Jays get Wallace, that doesn't put them too far behind. Wallace is projected to be bettert than Taylor. Halladay is great; he's better than Lee and it'll be scary to see what he does switching from the American League to the National League. However the Phillies -- well, they gave up way too much.

Is it True: Lee for Halladay?

A couple days ago, Ken Rosenthal "had a hunch" that Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee could be traded in the same deal. Either he knew what he was talking about, or he had one lucky guess. Ken Rosenthal's hunch appears to be 100% accurate.

The Phillies are reportedly close to getting Roy Halladay. Cliff Lee would go to the Seattle Mariners for prospects. Those prospects would go to Toronto. The Phillies don't appear to be going anywhere with a Cliff Lee extension; Lee might require $23 million per year, and might want to test the free agency market. On the other hand, Halladay may sign for the Phillies cheaper, due to the chance to contend. Halladay wants around $20 million per year. He would want a contract extension before waving his no-trade clause. The Phillies have been rumored to offer him 3-4 years as of now.

But the deal is not official.

The Phillies may have to give another prospect for the deal to be complete. Michael Taylor seems to be the appropriate choice: major league ready, a great prospect, but not the Phillies top prospect. The Phillies are already losing their ace (granted, they get a better ace in return), but they shouldn't have to give up their best prospect, Drabek, who is now rumored to be involved in the deal.

But if Drabek is dealt, does that mean that Lee still goes? We have yet to find out. There are so many rumors surrounding this trade, that it's almost impossible to keep track of.

Michael Taylor, Travis D'Arnuad, Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, J.A Happ, Joe Blanton, Cole Hamels, the Phillie Phanatic, a Schmitter, the Liberty Bell, the bat boy, a dead Veterans Stadium jail cell rat, Chase Utley's hair gel, Ruben Amaro himself, a cheese steak, 6 beer men, FIVE World Series rings, Chris Wheeler's toupee, two beat writers to be named later, and a partridge in a pear tree have all been rumored to be in the deal (well, not the last few!).

We'll see what happens, but one thing is official: the Red Sox and John Lackey agree to a five-year deal. Why is this important? Because the Angels have now lost Chone Figgins and Lackey. If the Mariners do land Lee, watch out. They've made some improvements and could be a surprise after finishing last year at the bottom of the American League West.

Rosenthal: Halladay for Lee Deal?

As seen on Phillies Nation.

I originally wasn't going to post this because there is "no proof" that the Phillies are considering this. However, there seems to be a lot of talk regarding this topic.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports wonders if Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay could be traded in the same deal. It sounds absurd, but if you read into it more, it makes a little bit of sense. It would not be a straight up exchange; it would be a part of a three or four team trade. Basically, Lee would be traded for prospects. Those prospects would be sent to Toronto for Halladay. If the Phillies send more prospects, there is a chance that the Blue Jays would eat some of Halladay's salary. Remember, "it's just a hunch."

Most of you are thinking: the idea is to have Lee AND Halladay. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com also breaks down the idea. Money is the issue. Moving Lee would free up about $2 million. The Phillies aren't making much progress on a contract extension with Lee, who might want to test free agency next year. Halladay, also a free agent next season, would most likely require a contract extension for him to wave his no-trade clause. Then, the Phillies would have Halladay long term instead of Lee. If Lee and Halladay are on the same team, and even if the Phillies are able to lower their payroll (Joe Blanton would probably be the first one to go), it's unlikely that the Phillies would be able to keep both Lee and Halladay past 2010.

With that being said, I do not think trading Lee for Halladay is a good idea. I'd take the risk of having Lee and Halladay on the same team for one year; a year that instantly makes the Phillies World Series favorites. If that can't happen, I'm perfectly fine with signing Lee long term.

What do you think? Is trading Lee for Halladay a good or bad idea?

More Winter Meeting Tidbits

Texas was popular today, but here is what else happened during day three of the Winter Meetings.

The Phillies signed Ross Gload to a two-year deal. The first baseman and outfielder will likely spend most of the season off the bench. Gload also received offers from the Marlins and Braves.

The Phillies have been equally aggressive on Fernando Rodney as they have been on Brandon Lyon. However, it's unknown if the Phillies would pay Rodney "closer-type money.”

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed Bobby Crosby. Crosby never lived up to his expectations. After winning Rookie of the Year and receiving a five-year $12.75 extension from the Oakland A's, Crosby fell off the radar. This deal will be worth approximately $1.5 million.

The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Angels are interested in Hideki Matsui. The White Sox may be closing in on a deal with J.J Putz.

Ben Sheets is seeking a contract around $12 million. Talk about ridiculous. The guy's a great pitcher when healthy, but he didn't even throw a pitch in 2009. I'll be completely shocked if he gets anything close.

The Red Sox have interest in Adrian Beltre. They would trade Mike Lowell first. The Giants, however, do not have interest in Beltre.

More MLB News, in bullet point form:

• The Kansas City Royals offer Jason Kendall a two-year deal.


• The Colorado Rockies are closer to a two-year deal with Yorvit Torrealba.


• The New York Yankees re-signed Andy Pettitte. One year, $11.75 million.


• Multiple teams are eyeing Joel Pinero, Nick Johnson, Derek Lowe.


• The Milwaukee Brewers signed LaTroy Hawkins.


• The New York Mets and Washington Nationals are going after Jason Marquis.
• The Mariners sign Corey Patterson.


• The Tampa Bay Rays are front runners for Rafeal Soriano.


• The Padres are discussing trades for Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Breaking News: Some Halladay rumors are coming out.

The Phillies are "joining the fray" for Halladay, as well as the Red Sox and Yankees. But the Angels are pulling trigger. They made the following offer, according to Jon Heyman of SI:

Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Peter Bourjos for Halladay. If the Blue Jays accept, the only question is if Halladay would wave his trade clause. Halladay previously said he would acccept a trade to the Angels.

Update (9:41 PM): Not long ago, the Phillies headlines read "Phillies in the mix for Halladay." Now, the Phillies.com homepage reads: "Phillies not likely to land Halladay."

Arbitration, Catchers, and Red Sox

The Hot Stove was buzzin' today. There was a lot of baseball news:

The Phillies signed Brian Schneider to a two year-deal worth just under $3 million. The Phillies might be eyeing John Smoltz. The Phillies also declined arbitration for free agents Chan Ho Park and Scott Eyre.

The Phillies and Mets are basically switching catchers, because the Mets signed Chris Coste. The Mets also re-signed Alex Cora.

The Boston Red Sox are asking Dustin Pedroia to play short stop. The Red Sox are without a shortstop and the free agent market is small. Pedroia has played shortstop in the past, although not at the major league level. The Red Sox may also be looking at Adam Kennedy or Adam Everett. They are also interested in Rich Harden.

Roy Halladay said that he will not accept a trade after Spring Training. The pitcher said he would accept a trade to the Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox and Angels.

Joe Mauer denies any rumors stating that he has set a deadline for a contract extension.

Placido Polanco was not offered arbitration from Detroit. Adrian Beltre was offered arbitration from Seattle. The Angels offered arbitration to John Lackey and Chone Figgins.

The Houston Astros offered Jose Valverde arbitration, but not Miguel Tejada. The Cardinals, Phillies, Rangers, Astros and Giants are all interested in Tejada.

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Kelly Shoppach from the Cleveland Indians. The Indians have some of the top catching prospects, including Lou Marson or Carlos Santana, both who could start this year.

Last but not least, Derek Jeter was named SI's Sportsman of the Year.

Hot Stove Commentary

Here is the latest Hot Stove news and rumors, and some unnecessary commentary:

Roy Halladay said that he would approve a trade to the New York Yankees. Traitor! Going to a division rival!? The Blue Jays want a pitcher and a hitter for him.

The Marlins might be looking to deal Josh Johnson. Typical Marlins: draft a good player. Bring him up through the farm system. Have a successful first few years in the big leagues. Then, trade him away for some prospects. Have those prospects come up and put together a successful team. Possibly win, then trade those players away. Repeat the process.

The Cubs are looking for an outfield bat. They still have to get rid of Monopoly-- errr, Milton Bradley.

Pirates would like to bring Mike Gonzalez back, but would it matter? They also might be looking at Blalock and Ankiel. Iwamura, Gonzo, Blalock, Ankiel, are they trying to be contenders?

The Baltimore Orioles would consider Erik Bedard and Ben Sheets. This is not much of a risk. Orioles probably won't contend in 2010 and both these guys have health issues. It would be worth a shot, as long as it's not too expensive.

Tim Lincecum is looking for a one year deal. Probably smart for him because when he wins another Cy Young, he'll be able to get another contract that makes even more money.

Jamie Moyer is doing well after minor surgery. Moyer had surgery to wash out a small collection of blood cells that could have been infected.

“The surgery is not likely to impact his rehab schedule and is likely to have minimal impact on his spring training schedule,” said Michael Ciccotti, the team doctor. Moyer will remain hospitalized until Monday.

Who Do You Want Now?

Also featured on Phillies Nation.

Cliff Lee can really hit. Oh yeah, he can pitch too! Since joining the Phillies at the trade deadline, Lee has been outstanding. The Phillies wanted an ace; they got a whole deck of cards.

Lee's earned run average with the Phillies is almost non-existent: 0.82. His batting average is .385 (5-for-13, 2 doubles) with the Phillies, and .278 on the season. Who needs a DH?

The reigning American League Cy Young winner has come a long way. He had very high ERAs in 2004 (5.43) and 2007 (6.29). Last year, he won 22 games while posting a 2.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. In his first 2009 appearance, the Texas Rangers rocked him for seven earned runs in five innings. Lee bounced back, recording a 3.14 ERA with Cleveland.

Ruben Amaro Jr. did an excellent job of acquiring Lee without surrendering a boatload of prospects. If the Phillies obtained Roy Halladay, they would risk losing some of their future. Both are terrific, but Halladay is the better overall pitcher. However, guess who has been better since the Lee deal?

Remaining in Toronto, Halladay has given up 14 earned runs in 37 innings since July 29. On the other hand, Lee has given up three earned runs in 33 innings. Lee and Halladay each have five complete games this season. Lee has pitched at least seven inning in all four starts with the Phillies, and in his last eight starts overall. In 26 starts, he pitched less than six innings three times (23 quality starts).

Lee is 11-9, winning seven consecutive outings. He has a 2.72 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and opponents are hitting .259 against him. With Cleveland, he gave up 9.8 H/9 and 2 BB/9. With the Phillies, he has been able to minimize the hits and walks. His K/9 went from 6.34 with Cleveland to 9.27 with Philadelphia.

He receives a standing ovation every time he steps to the plate or finishes an inning, and deservedly so. Quickly becoming a fan favorite, Lee is tailor made for Phillies fans. He wants to win. Perhaps overlooked by his stellar performance, Lee hustled out a single, busting as hard as he could down the line-- on a ball that almost rolled foul. When Steve Carlton pitched, he proclaimed it was "Win Day." When Cliff Lee pitches, I think we should start calling it "Win Day" as well.

More Halladay Rumors

Roy Halladay rumors can not be avoided! Here is the latest surrounding Roy Halladay. The trading deadline isn't until July 31, but the Toronto Blue Jays may create their own Halladay deadline on the 28th.

The New York Mets reportedly turned down an offer for Halladay. The Mets and Yankees don't seem to be a big threat to land Halladay. Besides the Phillies, the Brewers, Dodgers, and Giants are making the biggest push for him.

Although Kyle Drabek would likely seal the deal, SI's Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies decided not to include Drabek in a trade for Halladay.

The Phillies may also be interested in Cliff Lee if a Halladay deal doesn't pan out. J.A Happ, Dominic Brown, and Carlos Carrasco could get Lee. Other scouts like Michael Taylor and Jason Knapp as much as Drabek.

Yesterday, the Phillies scouted Chad Qualls, although the Diamondbacks are unlikely to trade him. They would want a pitching prospect in return.