As I stated yesterday the Roy Halladay era in Toronto is next to complete.

Halladay is still negotiating a contract extension with the Philadelphia Phillies (reported at an estimated $60 million over three years with possible option years) and must also complete a physical before any trade could happen.

The same minus the contract extension portion must also be conducted by any other players involved in the deal.

As it stands right now according to numerous sources the deal looks like the following:

Philadelphia Phillies receive:

Roy Halladay from Blue Jays
$6 million from Blue Jays
Right handed pitcher Phillippe Aumont, outfielder Tyson Gillies and right handed pitcher Juan Ramirez from Mariners

Seattle Mariners receive:

Cliff Lee from Phillies

Toronto Blue Jays receive:

Right handed pitcher Kyle Drabek, outfielder Michael Taylor and catcher Travis d’Arnaud from Phillies

That is a very good haul of prospects considering the Jays could not come to an agreement last season with Halladay’s value at it’s highest with this same Phillies team when the name of Kyle Drabek was brought up.

There has also been added speculation that the Blue Jays will trade outfielder Michael Taylor to the Oakland Athletics for third base prospect Brett Wallace, according to ESPN.com’s Buster Olney.

Many baseball fans may remember Brett Wallace being mentioned in a Blue Jays – Cardinals deal last season for Halladay or as the major piece the Cardinals gave up in acquiring Matt Holliday from the A’s.

Let me take a look at the three players the Jays could be acquiring in exchange for quite possibly the greatest Toronto Blue Jay of all time, if in fact the pieces remain this way.

Kyle Drabek

The 22 year old right handed Texan from Victoria was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2006 amateur entry draft.

Kyle Drabek is the major piece in a deal for Roy Halladay.

Drabek is the son of former Cy Young Award winner Doug Drabek.

In 2008, Drabek began the season on the disabled list recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Drabek made four starts for the Gulf Coast League Phillies before being reinstated on August 20th 2008.

Drabek finished the season with Class A Short-Season Williamsport.

Drabek allowed fewer than three earned runs in each of his eight starts and held opponents to a .156 batting average between both clubs.

In 2009, Drabek carried a record of 8-2 with an ERA of 3.64 in 15 games pitched, 14 of which were starts across 96.1 innings pitched with the Reading Phillies, the Philadelphia Phillies Double A affiliate.

Drabek also struck out 76 batters while walking 31.

Drabek features a fastball that can touch 97 MPH with excellent late movement down in the strike zone, as well as a high 70′s power curveball that Drabek uses as his out pitch.

Drabek has been working on a changeup that shows enough promise to be an average weapon at the major league level.

Injuries and character issues are the main issues that stand in the way of Drabek becoming a top-flight pitcher in the Major Leagues.

Drabek has had problems in the past with under age alcohol abuse and has drawn criticism for his poise and demeanor on the mound.

Michael Taylor

My personal favorite prospect in this deal Taylor is a beastlike physical specimen standing 6’6 weighing 250lbs.

The 24 year old Maryland outfielder who was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth round, 173rd overall, of the 2007 amateur entry draft was an offensive machine for both the Reading Phillies of Double A ball as well as the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs of Triple A ball.

Will the athletic, hard hitting Michael Taylor be a Jay or will he be flipped to the A's for Brett Wallace?

Taylor hit .333 with 15HR, 65RBI, 22 doubles, 4 triples for a total of 181 bases across 318 at bats in 86 games for Reading. Taylor also swiped 18 bases in 22 attempts for Reading.

After a move from Reading to Triple A Lehigh Valley Taylor continued his dominance offensively hitting .282 with 5HR, 19RBI, 6 doubles, and 1 triple across 110 at bats in 30 games played, while stealing 3 bases in 4 attempts.

Taylor is projected as a middle of the order type hitter who cold hit for both power and average most likely playing one of the corner outfield spots defensively upon his arrival at the Major League level.

Travis d’Arnaud

Catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud is a Lakewood, California native who was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the first round, 37th overall, of the 2007 amateur entry Draft.

The 20 year old is 6’2 in a 195lbs frame and was on the Blue Jays radar in 2007 when they had the number 38 pick in the draft. The Phillies nabbed d’Arnaud with the 37th pick in front of the Jays.

In 2009 at Single A Lakewood d’Arnaud hit a reasonable .255 with 13HR, 71RBI, 38 doubles in 482 at bats in 126 games played.

D’Arnaud has been tabbed as a defensive minded catcher with little pop in his bat, but time, confidence and more playing time may change his game overall.

It is still too early to really judge d’Arnaud as an all around player after only playing one season at Single A ball, but the Jays could add him to the catching depth charts of the farm system joining the likes of catcher of the future J.P Arencibia.

All in all considering that the Jays would only receive two compensatory draft picks if Halladay left at the end of the 2010 season I would have to say this is a very decent acquisition by Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos if the deal does in fact take place this way.

Also, in other Jays news, the two compensatory picks the Jays would have received (one first round, one sandwich pick) from the Boston Red Sox for the loss of Marco Scutaro will now be turned into two sandwich picks between the first & second rounds if the Red Sox do indeed finalize a deal with free agent starter John Lackey.

Sources say a deal between Lackey & the Red Sox worth a reported $84 million over five years.

Due to the fact that Lackey would be the purveyor of the larger of the two contracts the team who gave up said player, in this case the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are entitled to the Red Sox first round pick in next season draft as compensation.

Finally, the Jays as most fans know are in need of a starting catching combination for next season as last year’s starter Rod Barajas has left the club via free agency.

The Jays have already had last season’s backup Raul Chavez sign a minor league contract and agreed to a one year contract with former Kansas City Royals catcher John Buck.

The Jays were not done there as Jorge Arangure of ESPN.com (via Twitter) announced that the Jays have signed Ramon Castro to a one year deal in the region of $1 million.

Castro split last season between the New York Mets & Chicago White Sox where he hit .219 with 7HR & 25RBI.