The Phillies are in agreement on a three-team trade with the Mariners and Blue Jays to acquire star pitcher Roy Halladay, SI.com has learned. All indications are that Cliff Lee will likely be heading from Philadelphia to Seattle in the trade.
Sources say Halladay will agree to a contract extension to complete the deal. It's expected to be a formality, and though terms are not yet clear, it's expected to be worked out in the next couple days. Halladay wanted to be in Philadelphia, as the Phillies train in Clearwater, Fla., not far from his offseason home.
The Phillies are giving up prospects to Toronto to get Halladay, but it isn't known yet which players are in the deal. Philadelphia, which would also get prospects from Seattle, is trying to keep its payroll at around $140 million.
The deal is not expected to be finalized today due to its complexity.
The Mariners have been looking for an ace, and all signs point to Lee winding up in Seattle. One loser here is the Angels, who were interested in both Lackey and Halladay and missed out on both of them, with Lackey closing in on a deal with the Red Sox.
Philadelphia had tried to acquire Halladay when the Blue Jays first put him on the trading block last July. But the two sides couldn't work out a deal and the Phillies turned to Lee instead, getting him from the Cleveland Indians just days before the July 31 trade deadline. Lee went on to star for the Phillies down the stretch, going 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA, and then 4-0 with a 1.56 ERA in the postseason, including victories in Philadelphia's only two wins in the World Series.
Lee would be returning to the American League, where he won the 2008 Cy Young award. Halladay is also a former AL Cy Young winner, taking top honors in 2003 and finishing in the top five each of the past four seasons. Halladay went 17-10 with a 2.79 ERA in 2009, leading the American League with nine complete games and four shutouts.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/12/14/phillies.halladay.lee/index.html?eref=sihp
