Halladay Trade Vital for Everyone Involved

Well, it's official.

Roy Halladay has been traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.

I feel nauseous seeing "Doc" in a different uniform. But I'm happy for him as well. He finally has the chance to be part of a winning ball club. It's something he absolutely deserves.

This trade needed to happen. The Blue Jays are nowhere close to being a playoff- contending team. Having someone as good as Halladay on a rebuilding team is a waste of talent. Doc's stock is at its highest point and many teams were offering as many young prospects as they could afford. It would have been sheer idiocy if Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos ignored these viable offers.

Philadelphia gets a solid veteran who adds strength to their rotation, while the Jays get some strong prospects; building blocks for any rebuilding team.

In addition, Halladay needed a change of scenery.

Despite leaving Toronto on "good terms," there's no doubt that Doc has some bitter feelings after what transpired last season. Former Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi took advantage of Halladay and dangled him like an unwanted piece of meat as the MLB trade deadline neared. The constant rumours wrecked Halladay's mindset and caused him to fall into a mini-slump during the second half of the regular season. Ricciardi's actions were simply disrespectful and someone as special as Roy Halladay didn't deserve that type of treatment.

I hope the people of Philadelphia appreciate what they're getting. Halladay is a model athlete. He works hard, lives a healthy lifestyle and puts his team's needs ahead of his own. He's very charitable and understands the role of being a star player. More importantly, Halladay was a great mentor to many Blue Jay rookies and he will no doubt continue his tutoring with Philadelphia's young talent.

As for me, a long suffering Jays fan, I feel honoured to have watched the greatest pitcher in Blue Jays history on several occasions. It's too bad he didn't win a World Series title with Toronto. I really hope he can accomplish that with the Phillies.

Halladay has given so much to this sport. It's a crime he's never won the ultimate prize. Sure, there is the 2003 Cy Young award, as well as various other accolades, including an informal tip of the cap from George W. Bush, but a World Series championship is the only item Halladay wants.

- ER