Bad News For the Mets: Roy Halladay Is a Phillie

The New York Mets are in real trouble now.

Before last July's trade deadline, there was a rumor that the Mets had rejected a trade proposal for Roy Halladay. That rumor turned out to be false, but the Mets missed their chance to get the best pitcher in the game next to Johan Santana.

Instead, Roy Halladay will be a Philadelphia Phillie.

In an explosive trade, the Phillies aquired Halladay, while sending Cliff Lee, who was brilliant in the postseason for Philadelphia to the Seattle Mariners. The Phillies, in turn, would send Phillies outfielder Michael Taylor, Phillies catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and a Phils pitcher -- either Kyle Drabek or J.A. Happ to Toronto.

Halladay won 17 games last year for Toronto, but more impressivley struck out 208 batters, and holds 49 complete games in his career. Halladay pitched to a 2.79 ERA in the American League, and it is fair to say that he will be even better in the NL, where the lineups are not as volatile.

According to ESPN, Halladay is close to working out a contract extension of three years and only $60 million - cheap, considering the price tag that many expected he would receive. Could the Mets have afforded that? We will never know, but I don't think the Mets had the prospects anyway.