When the Twins were forced to deal Johan Santana two off-seasons ago, they were in a similar situation to the Blue Jays current situation with Roy Halladay. Both teams were holding a top-five pitcher as goods that could be waved in front of World Series contenders. Both teams wanted to get the best talent in return for providing some wishful (even desperate) team with a staff ace.
Bill Smith
Unfortunately, one other stark similarity is apparent — the fact both Toronto and Minnesota demanded an incredibly insane return on their prized possession while perfectly reasonable deals sat on the table.
When it became clear that the Twins and Santana would inevitably part ways, the Red Sox and Yankees naturally came calling. Boston was reportedly offering two separate packages. One included pitcher Jon Lester, outfielder Coco Crisp, shortstop Jed Lowrie and a minor league pitcher. The other package was centered around Jacoby Ellsbury and supposedly included then-minor league pitcher Justin Masterson.
J.P. Ricciardi
Brian Cashman, on the other hand, briefly offered Phil Hughes, Melky Cabrera and a third minor league prospect. What the Twins eventually got in return for their two-time Cy Young Award winner was a package from the Mets, a team many viewed as not having enough talent at the time to acquire Santana unless they were willing to part with Jose Reyes. The package from the Mets didn’t even include their top prospect Fernando Martinez.
While the Twins can look back with regret at what could have been, the Blue Jays have a chance to learn from the Twins outlandish trade demands. Instead, the Blue Jays are asking for Rick Porcello, Ryan Perry, and Casey Crosby from the Tigers. From the Angels? Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Brandon Wood. They’ve already missed out on a potential package of Phillies prospects … prospects much better than anything they’ll receive. The Phillies arguably had the most to give, but J.P. Ricciardi refused to deal Halladay without getting Kyle Drabek in return, even though Michael Taylor or Dominic Brown would probably be available (along with a few other nice pieces) and Jason Knapp, who has since been dealt to the Indians.
Although the Blue Jays will have Halladay for another season, his value will continue to diminish each day Toronto holds onto him. Value is only what someone is willing to pay, not what you think it may be. If Toronto continues their current trend of following the Bill Smith Guide To Trading, the team and their fans will pay a hefty price.
