Quick thoughts on the Red Sox possibly trading for Halladay

I'm hearing that the package includes Clay Buchholz, Daniel Bard and Casey Kelly. I can certainly deal with sending Buchholz. I think he'll be a very good major league pitcher, but to me he's still unproven at the Major League level. I said to my buddy Kevin last night that last year in the ALDS, Buchholz didn't start a game. In fact if they went to Game 4, it's not a given he would have gotten the ball. But if the Sox had Halladay, where would he have fallen into their plans? Well, he would've started Game 1. Over Lester, over Beckett. Enough said on that front.

With Bard, I'm okay sending him as long as Theo has a plan for Papelbon. If they are going to give him the big dollars he wants, make the deal. He's a top-3 closer in baseball. I have Rivera and Joe Nathan giving him a run for his money. Or if they foresee another free agent closer they'll pursue given Papelbon leaves, then that's okay.

But what I'm not okay with is dealing Casey Kelly. I don't care about how good he is as a baseball player. Look at the kid's girlfriend. Absolute smokeshow. How can you send her to Toronto like that? It's ludicrous. Take a look and judge for yourself. If I'm Theo Epstein, I'm telling the Blue Jays to either find another top prospect or I force Kelly to break up with her and then sign the chick to a lifetime contract as a player wife.





What do you think?

-Bess

Who will win A.L. Cy Young Award?

Josh Beckett takes the mound tonight for the struggling Red Sox looking to become the major's first 15 game winner. Boston is in a playoff race for the Wild Card, but Beckett might be in an even tighter race for the most prestigious pitching award in the league.

Here our my finalists with a about a month and half left in the season for the American League Cy Young Award, in no particular order.

Josh Beckett (14-4, 3.10, 145 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 10th, Wins - 1st, ERA - 6th, K - 5th)

Roy Halladay (13-5, 2.65, 144 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 1st, Wins - t2nd, ERA - 2nd, K - 6th)

Zach Greinke (11-7, 2.33, 174 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 6th, Wins - t8th, ERA - 1st, K - 3rd)

Felix Hernandez (12-4, 2.72, 158 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 7th, Wins - 5th, ERA - 3rd, K - 4th)

Justin Verlander (13-6, 3.28, 194 K)
AL Ranks: (IP - 3rd, Wins - 2nd, ERA - 8th, K - 1st)

It is rarely a closer but if it is it could be one of these two shutdown artists.

Mariano Rivera (35 saves, 1 blown, 1.94 ERA)
K/BB - 57/11

Joe Nathan (29 saves, 3 blown, 1.61 ERA)
K/BB - 58/8

So who do you got? Looking at the numbers I have to lean towards Halladay. He also has the fewest amount of walks with the most innings pitched out of these five starters. I've made it easy to answer the question, just vote on the poll found at the upper right of the page. If I missed anyone deserving of consideration let me know in the comments section.

-Keefe

Cliff Lee to Phillies; What about Halladay?

2008 A.L. Cy Young winner Cliff Lee has been sent to the Phillies along with OF Ben Francisco for 4 prospects not named J.A. Happ or Kyle Drabek. The defending champs did not want to give up their 2 best young arms, but still wanted to improve their team. They did, but Lee is not Halladay.

Could Halladay be coming to Boston? The recent rumor says Clay Buchholz, a choice of Justin Masterson, Michael Bowdoin, or Lars Anderson, as well as lesser prospects. Make this happen! If the Sox get Halladay they will see Manny Ramirez, Cliff Lee, or gulp Julio Lugo in the World Series.

Trade deadline on Friday 4pm. The Sports Brief will hit you with the winners and losers.

-Keefe