According to ESPN.com & Fox Sports, Toronto Blue Jays General Manager J.P Ricciardi has rejected a very large trade offer from the Philadelphia Phillies.

See the articles below:

ESPN – http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4356851

Fox Sports – http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9856518/Jays-GM-calls-chances-of-Halladay-deal-’very-slim’

According to sources Philadelphia offered pitcher J.A. Happ, outfielder Michael Taylor, pitcher Carlos Carrasco, & shortstop Jason Donald for Halladay.

The Jays rejected the offer.

The Jays are supposedly asking the Phillies for J.A Happ, pitcher Kyle Drabek & outfielder Dominic Brown.

J.P Ricciardi is quoted as saying the chances of a Halladay deal actually occurring are “very slim” in the Fox Sports article.

Ricciardi also told Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports:

“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.”

There are also indications in the ESPN article that the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have suddenly jumped into the Halladay sweepstakes, and the Jays would want quite the deal from them.

The Jays are asking for either Joe Saunders or Jered Weaver, along with shortstop Erick Aybar & two prospects, which I don’t see Angels GM Tony Reagins giving up for 1.5 years of Halladay.

Now, in this writer’s opinion the package that Toronto is requesting from Philadelphia is actually worse than the offer Toronto rejected.

Let’s take a look at the deal based on the 2009 player statistics alone.

The Phillies offer:

J.A Happ – 7-1, 2.97ERA, 12 GS, 100IP, 85H, 33R, 33ER, 33BB, 71K for the Phillies.

Carlos Carrasco (Rated by Baseball Prospectus as the Phillies #1 Prospect) -
6-9, 5.18ERA, 20GS, 114.2IP, 118H, 73R, 66ER, 38BB, 112K for Triple A LeHigh Valley

Michael Taylor (Rated by Baseball Prospectus as the Phillies #2 Prospect) – .333AVG, 15HR, 65RBI, 22 doubles, 4 triples, 18 SB in 318AB @ Double A Reading.

Promoted to LeHigh Valley – .263AVG, 2HR, 5RBI, 2 doubles, 2SB in 38AB @ Triple A LeHigh Valley.

Jason Donald – (Rated by Baseball Prospectus as the Phillies #6 Prospect) – .230AVG, 1HR, 16RBI, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 6SB in 204AB @ LeHigh Valley.

.273AVG, 1RBI, 1 double, 1 triple, 1SB in 22AB @ Single A GCL Phillies.

What the Jays want:

See J.A Happ’s totals above and add the following players:

Kyle Drabek – (Rated by Baseball Prospectus as the Phillies #3 Prospect) – 4-1, 2.48ERA, 9GS, 1CG, 1SHO, 61.2IP, 49H, 19R, 17ER, 19BB, 74K @ Single A Clearwater.

6-1, 3.12ERA, 8GS, 60.2IP, 55H, 22R, 21ER, 19BB, 44K @ Double A Reading

Dominic Brown – (Rated by Baseball Prospectus as the Phillies #7 Prospect) – .500AVG, 2 triples, in 10AB @ Single A GCL Phillies.

.295AVG, 9HR, 41RBI, 12 doubles, 3 triples, 12SB in 220AB @ Single A Clearwater.

The deal that Phildelphia offered is actually better than what the Jays want.

Just look at the numbers.

The Jays like pitcher Kyle Drabek far too much.

Drabek is proven, but not above the Double A level and he’s had a history of shoulder problems in his young career.

Dominic Brown is a possible five tool outfielder, but has not proven himself above Single A whereas Michael Taylor has and has proven well that he could be a future superstar in the outfield.

If age is a factor than its a small one. The players the Jays want are:

Dominic Brown – 21 & Kyle Drabek – 22 as opposed to:

Carlos Carrasco – 23, Michael Taylor – 23, & Jason Donald – 24

The three players, plus Happ, that Philadelphia is offering have proven themselves at higher levels than the prospects the Jays want.

The deal just doesn’t make sense and to be honest I do not see either happening.

Even a 4 for 1 swap that contains a promising right hander in Happ (who has pitched well at the Major League level this season), the Phillies two best prospects Carrasco & Taylor, and a young shortstop which the Jays are in desperate need of in the future (sooner than later if Marco Scutaro is not resigned this off season) is still not enough for the Jays to deal their franchise face.

I still am at the point where I think the Jays will keep Halladay and try one final roll of the dice in 2010, hoping for a healthy pitching staff, continued offensive punch from Aaron Hill & Adam Lind, a resurrected bullpen, and resurgences from Vernon Wells and Alex Rios.

Of course this is far too much to ask, but if it could occur, the Jays could stand a chance against the likes of the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays.

Again, Toronto fans will have to wait and see what happens with the Halladay situation, as the trade deadline is only four days away, and don’t forget Ricciardi set a Halladay trade deadline of July 29th, so that’s even less time to make a move.