So Crazy It Just Might Work

With reports swirling that the Phillies are about to acquire Cliff Lee, I had a thought so crazy (and incredibly improbable) that it would be the most awesome thing ever … what if the Phillies did the unthinkable and traded for both Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay?



First of all, everyone's head would explode. Second of all, the farm system would be bare thin. But think how awesome it would be to have Halladay, Lee, Hamels and Blanton as your top four starters. Unreal.

Conceivably, if reports are true for the asking prices, the Phillies could do it if they really wanted to. Trade Lou Marson, Jason Donald, Carlos Carrasco and Jason Knapp for Cliff Lee and then swap Kyle Drabek, J.A. Happ and Dominic Brown to Toronto for Roy Halladay. That would be the greatest thing in the history of things.

I'd be thrilled with getting Lee, but only if Toronto doesn't trade Halladay. All indications are the Phils could get him if they're willing to meet the steep price. Halladay > Lee. But Lee is all sorts of good.

Anyway, if the Phils do hold on to Drabek and it turns out the Phils' reluctance to deal him was the only reason they couldn't get Halladay, well, I hope for Drabek's sake he's a perennial Cy Young candidate. Because if he's not, he'll get buried, always remembered as the guy the Phils wouldn't give up to get the Hall-of-Fame-bound Halladay. That's a lot of pressure to put on a kid.

Unless of course the Phils repeat as World Fucking Champions. Then everyone is off the hook, no matter what happens.