Roy on the trading block

[Gizzmonic]

Roy Halliday, that is.  Is Toronto really ready to call it quits before the All-Star Break? Sure, Tampa, Boston, and New York are good...but with Cito Gaston at the helm and a bunch of young players that seem to be maturing quickly, they have a great chance this year, a chance that might not come around again for a long time.  Even if Halliday's made it clear he won't be resigning in Toronto, they have him for at least another season.  Don't punt now, Toronto!

[juliogotay]

Roy Halliday, that is.  Is Toronto really ready to call it quits before the All-Star Break? Sure, Tampa, Boston, and New York are good...but with Cito Gaston at the helm and a bunch of young players that seem to be maturing quickly, they have a great chance this year, a chance that might not come around again for a long time.  Even if Halliday's made it clear he won't be resigning in Toronto, they have him for at least another season.  Don't punt now, Toronto!

Is he a rancher?

[Kent's Moustache]

Is he a rancher?

I think that only works for Panamanian ranchers.  And New Englanders who hunt.

[juliogotay]

I think that only works for Panamanian ranchers.  And New Englanders who hunt.

Kent was Californian.

[HudsonHawk]

Kent was Californian.

Californian, Panamanian, New Englander...what difference does it make?  They all probably use charcoal on their pit.

[Gizzmonic]

Is he a rancher?

The question is: what does Toronto want that Houston has?  They need a closer, but if they're going to give up on the season, they will want some young prospects...and probably someone less fey to serve as DH.

[Lurch]

The question is: what does Toronto want that Houston has?  They need a closer, but if they're going to give up on the season, they will want some young prospects...and probably someone less fey to serve as DH.

How far does Tejada + Valverde go?

[chuck]

Californian, Panamanian, New Englander...what difference does it make?  They all probably use charcoal on their pit.

The charcoal situation in Panama is no laughing matter. A year ago or so I read an essay by an Australian restauranteur-cum-essayist about charcoal. It was fairly revelatory. Apparently there's a fellow in South Australia who makes the best charcoal in the world and considers everything else to be "rubbish charcoal." The essay goes into minute detail regarding the making of non-rubbish charcoal and anything else you can imagine having to do with charcoal.

Anyway, Kingsford and all that crap is ludicrously expensive in Panama and the local carbon that I'd been able to find was indeed rubbish charcoal. You have to fuck with it forever to get it to catch properly and then it dies more or less immediately. One day I was on a fishing expedition way the fuck out there caught a shitload of Wahoo and decided to grill them up. JackAstro can surely share some pictures if anyone's interested.

That afternoon my buddy and I hauled ass to Sona, a town of a couple of thousand souls an hour away or so from the fishing village and bought some supplies. All they had was local carbon in a nondescript plastic bag. Fuck, I thought, this is going to be a nightmare. I bought a couple of bags of it and took it back to our place. I was incredulous to discover that this carbon was absolutely the best burning charcoal I had ever experienced. It gets to that vibrating, white-hot point more quickly than you could possibly imagine, heats evenly and stays white-hot for far longer than you need it to. This is NOT rubbish charcoal, that's for sure.

I recently went into that same market looking to bring some back home. I was disappointed to find only two small bags so I grabbed them both. One of the employees saw me and asked, Hey, do you want a bigger bag? How big? He gestures about four feet off the ground. You bet your ass I do! So now I have a massive bag of the stuff and will load up with more every time I pass through Sona. I assume the type of wood is different from what I get nearer to where I live, or it could just be that the guy making it knows what the hell he's doing.

But I bet Carlos Lee doesn't cook with Sona carbon.

[strosrays]

Californian, Panamanian, New Englander...what difference does it make?  They all probably use charcoal on their pit.

Halliday probably just got tired of having to convert his dollars into loonies and toonies.

[Gizzmonic]

How far does Tejada + Valverde go?

That's the problem, if they're not giving up on the season, they won't trade Halladay.  If they are, they want prospects, not aging vets.   And the Astros aren't in a position to fill those type of needs.

[Russe]

I read that as asking whether Tejada & Valverde would fetch enough prospect-wise to then flip to Toronto for Halladay. Which I would guess not, but then again, what do I know?

[JimR]

How far does Tejada + Valverde go?

not both. Valverde, ok, if they need a closer.

[Gizzmonic]

I read that as asking whether Tejada & Valverde would fetch enough prospect-wise to then flip to Toronto for Halladay. Which I would guess not, but then again, what do I know?

I dunno.  I guess you could find a trading partner who wants to win now that needs a closer and a shortstop in this "sea of mediocrity" that Zipp and others have written about.  I'm not sure what team would match that description, though (besides the Cubbies).

[Astroholic]

I read that as asking whether Tejada & Valverde would fetch enough prospect-wise to then flip to Toronto for Halladay. Which I would guess not, but then again, what do I know?

His contract is up at the end of next yr.  At the end of that he would be 34 and request a 4 yr commitment at I am guessing at around 100mm.  Or worse he would leave (See Jackel, Randy Johnson, etc.). I say forget that.  If you are trading Valverde and Migi, get prospects to go with your young-uns. 

[Russe]

His contract is up at the end of next yr.  At the end of that he would be 34 and request a 4 yr commitment at I am guessing at around 100mm.  Or worse he would leave (See Jackel, Randy Johnson, etc.). I say forget that.  If you are trading Valverde and Migi, get prospects to go with your young-uns. 

Oh, I agree 100%. I don't think the defense and pitching on this year's team is strong enough to take us to the postseason, and since there are so few sellers out there, this would be the perfect year to shop guys like Miggy, Valverde, Hawkins, etc. But I'm guessing Drayton doesn't see it that way.

[Reuben]

The next few weeks should be pretty interesting, to see whether the Astros start to surge or sink, or just continue to tread water. Between the ASB and July 31, they play LAD, STL, and the Cubs 4 times, plus the Mets 3 times. Ed Wade has already gone on the record saying don't expect any big moves to add payroll/lose prospects.

[Andyzipp]

The next few weeks should be pretty interesting, to see whether the Astros start to surge or sink, or just continue to tread water. Between the ASB and July 31, they play LAD, STL, and the Cubs 4 times, plus the Mets 3 times. Ed Wade has already gone on the record saying don't expect any big moves to add payroll/lose prospects.

He didn't say anything about not expecting moves to shed payroll and add prospects, however.

[Russe]

He didn't say anything about not expecting moves to shed payroll and add prospects, however.

Would they actually do that if the team is still right around .500 at the deadline?

[Lurch]

Would they actually do that if the team is still right around .500 at the deadline?

The continued emphasis on .500 is interesting to me.  .500 puts you solidly in 4th place in this division.  I've got to believe you want to see the team at least in 2nd in division and/or wild card, plus something to suggest they could actually stay there.  We haven't seen that on the field yet.

[das]

The continued emphasis on .500 is interesting to me.  .500 puts you solidly in 4th place in this division.  I've got to believe you want to see the team at least in 2nd in division and/or wild card, plus something to suggest they could actually stay there.  We haven't seen that on the field yet.

What we have seen is the Astros go 18-27 (.400) in the first 6 1/2 weeks of the season.  We've also seen them go 23-15 (.605) in the next 5 1/5 weeks.  According to the most important statistic, I see something that suggests a positive change.  At what point do *you* recognize an obvious change?  6 weeks?  8 weeks?  10 weeks?

[dirty steve]

not both. Valverde, ok, if they need a closer.

the jays did release bj ryan today, but he hasnt really been the closer in 2009.  maybe they are OK riding out the year with jason frasor and jeremy accardo.

[toddthebod]

I just saw that.  Given that Chris Sampson has not been pitching great as of late, maybe the Astros should try to sign and rehabilitate Ryan.

[dirty steve]

I just saw that.  Given that Chris Sampson has not been pitching great as of late, maybe the Astros should try to sign and rehabilitate Ryan.

i think ryan is done.  he parlayed that one good year in baltimore and hit the free agent market at a good time.

[OregonStrosFan]

MLB Trade Rumors: Cardinals Have "Real" Interest In Halladay