Toronto Blue Jays GM, J.P. Ricciardi, said that the chances of a trade involving right-handed pitcher, Roy Halladay, “very slim.” He also said that the Tuesday deadline for Halladay is “not etched in stone.”
“We’ve said that we would listen, but that we would have to be motivated and ‘wowed.’ Right now we haven’t been. I’ve said all along my gut tells me I won’t be. I still stand by that,” Ricciardi said.
“If we get to the last week and haven’t really made any progress with anybody, I’m not going to say it’s 100 percent certain, but I would have to pretty much think it’s not going to get done,” he added.
Some believe that Ricciardi is just playing a “game of chicken,” trying to receive better offers. Others say that he’ll only trade Halladay if he gets the deal that he wants.
“J.P. is having trouble trading the face of the franchise. At the end of the day, he’s really reluctant. He knows he would be writing off next year,” said one executive that knows Ricciardi.
The Phillies made an offer than included left-hander J.A. Happ, right-hander Carlos Carrasco, outfielder Michael Taylor, and shortstop Jason Donald. The Jays rejected the offer over the weekend. At least five other teams are in the mix for Halladay: the Angels, Brewers, Rays, Rangers, and Red Sox.
“We haven’t been ‘wowed,’ that’s all. If you saw him pitch the last times out and teams weren’t ‘wowed’ by that . . . it’s really hard for us to trade him without getting something that makes us jump. Right now, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” said Ricciardi.
“This is not motivated by money. This is motivated by us trying to see if we can get a home-run deal. If not, there’s no reason to move the player,” he added.
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