JP Ricciardi Should Stop Talking to Philadelphia

JP Ricciardi needs to make the decision now and stop discussing a possible trade with Philadelphia for Roy Halladay. If the latest reports coming out of the Philadelphia Inquirer are true (and it is tough to say if they are), then JP should put his Blackberry on silent and start making phone calls to some of his American League counterparts. 

It must be really frustrating from a Phillies fan’s perspective since Philadelphia has all the parts to get a deal done, but instead is being stubborn and will soon pay the price. Their team could miss out on obtaining the best pitcher in baseball. 

Ray Parrillo and Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer are now reporting that the Phillies are trying to convince the Jays to trade Halladay for a package centered around Carlos Carrasco and Jason Donald. So instead of offering the Jays some of their current top prospects such as Dominic Brown, Kyle Drabek, and JA Happ, the Phillies believe it’s more fair if the Blue Jays receive a shortstop who was hitting .230 in Triple-A and a pitcher who has a terrible ERA of 5.18 with the same minor league affiliate. 

As a Blue Jay fan, I was absolutely disgusted when I read this headline. Roy Halladay is the best pitcher in baseball and can make the Phillies favourites to defend their championship title this year and possibly next year as well. 

One of the biggest impacts Halladay would have on the Phillies is his presence and leadership in the locker room, especially towards the younger players. His work ethic and determination would do wonders for the progress of Cole Hamels and give him that mentor to push him to become a better pitcher, just like he did for the career of AJ Burnett. 

Unfortunately for Phillie fans, it does not look like such an acquisition will occur anymore. If JP Ricciardi has any sense of logic and human emotion, he would have reacted so poorly to such a pathetic proposal that he might have told Amaro never to call him again.

With the Angels now really stepping up as players and offering the Jays a solid package with the likes of Jered Weaver, Brandon Wood, and Trevor Reckling, it looks like Ricciardi is centering his attention to the Halos. 

Reports out of New York are also suggesting that the Yankees and Jays have recently began talking about a deal and what pieces would have to be involved from a Yankee perspective. Ricciardi should do what is best for his team and put the Philadelphia trade possibility to bed.

Feel free to comment and express your opinion!