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A three-way deal that would send Roy Halladay to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee to Seattle is "close" but "not done," according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.
As part of the deal, Halladay would agree to a three-year extension through 2013, with a vesting option that could lengthen the deal by another year or two, one source said. The extension is expected to guarantee Halladay in the neighborhood of $60 million, plus the $15.75 million he would make in 2010, the final year of his current contract.
According to a source who spoke with two teams involved in the trade, Toronto would get highly regarded Mariners pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont, Phillies catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and another Phillies prospect in exchange for Halladay. Indications are that the Phillies have balked at Toronto's repeated requests for outfielder Domonic Brown, and the Phillies are offering highly touted outfielder Michael Taylor instead.
Seattle would send two additional prospects to Philadelphia in exchange for Lee, who is a year away from free agency.
As of late Monday afternoon, the extension had not been agreed upon. And the Blue Jays and Phillies were still haggling over the final prospect. In addition, Phillies doctors would have to sign off on Halladay's physical.
Before turning to Seattle, multiple sources say, the Phillies first attempted to complete a two-team deal with Toronto alone for Halladay. However, the Phillies refused -- as they had last summer -- to include their top pitching prospect, Kyle Drabek, in that trade. So they began looking for another team that could help them meet the Blue Jays' price.
Seattle became an attractive match because of Aumont, the Mariners' No. 1 pick in 2007 and a native of Quebec.
The Phillies also had to clear payroll space to accommodate the addition of Halladay. They attempted to do that by trading away Joe Blanton, but found they couldn't get enough back to enable them to make a Halladay deal.
SI.com first reported that the Phillies were close to acquiring Halladay.
Halladay has told friends he'd take less than market money to sign with the Phillies, sources told ESPN.com.
Halladay was entering the final year of his Toronto contract.
The Phillies tried to acquire Halladay last season but couldn't agree to terms with the Blue Jays. They then dealt for Lee instead.
Halladay, 32, is 148-76 lifetime with a 3.43 ERA. He won the 2003 Cy Young Award and finished in the top five in the Cy Young voting four other times.
Halladay went 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA in 32 starts for Toronto last season. He threw 239 innings and led the league with nine complete games.
Lee, who was acquired from the Indians on July 29 for four minor leaguers, quickly became Philadelphia's ace. Lee posted a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts for the Phillies and then went 4-0 with a 1.56 mark in five postseason outings, including 2-0 in the World Series.
Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner with Cleveland, will make $8 million in 2010 and then be eligible for free agency.
Lee has told the Phillies he would like to stay but wants to be paid what the market will bear.
As part of the deal, Halladay would agree to a three-year extension through 2013, with a vesting option that could lengthen the deal by another year or two, one source said. The extension is expected to guarantee Halladay in the neighborhood of $60 million, plus the $15.75 million he would make in 2010, the final year of his current contract.
According to a source who spoke with two teams involved in the trade, Toronto would get highly regarded Mariners pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont, Phillies catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and another Phillies prospect in exchange for Halladay. Indications are that the Phillies have balked at Toronto's repeated requests for outfielder Domonic Brown, and the Phillies are offering highly touted outfielder Michael Taylor instead.
Seattle would send two additional prospects to Philadelphia in exchange for Lee, who is a year away from free agency.
As of late Monday afternoon, the extension had not been agreed upon. And the Blue Jays and Phillies were still haggling over the final prospect. In addition, Phillies doctors would have to sign off on Halladay's physical.
Before turning to Seattle, multiple sources say, the Phillies first attempted to complete a two-team deal with Toronto alone for Halladay. However, the Phillies refused -- as they had last summer -- to include their top pitching prospect, Kyle Drabek, in that trade. So they began looking for another team that could help them meet the Blue Jays' price.
Seattle became an attractive match because of Aumont, the Mariners' No. 1 pick in 2007 and a native of Quebec.
The Phillies also had to clear payroll space to accommodate the addition of Halladay. They attempted to do that by trading away Joe Blanton, but found they couldn't get enough back to enable them to make a Halladay deal.
SI.com first reported that the Phillies were close to acquiring Halladay.
Halladay has told friends he'd take less than market money to sign with the Phillies, sources told ESPN.com.
Halladay was entering the final year of his Toronto contract.
The Phillies tried to acquire Halladay last season but couldn't agree to terms with the Blue Jays. They then dealt for Lee instead.
Halladay, 32, is 148-76 lifetime with a 3.43 ERA. He won the 2003 Cy Young Award and finished in the top five in the Cy Young voting four other times.
Halladay went 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA in 32 starts for Toronto last season. He threw 239 innings and led the league with nine complete games.
Lee, who was acquired from the Indians on July 29 for four minor leaguers, quickly became Philadelphia's ace. Lee posted a 3.39 ERA in 12 starts for the Phillies and then went 4-0 with a 1.56 mark in five postseason outings, including 2-0 in the World Series.
Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner with Cleveland, will make $8 million in 2010 and then be eligible for free agency.
Lee has told the Phillies he would like to stay but wants to be paid what the market will bear.
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