Philadelphia Phillies: 15 best trades in franchise history
By Tim Boyle
3) Best Philadelphia Phillies trade: Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays.
Hall of Famer Roy Halladay came to the Phillies after the disappointing end to the 2009 season. An absolute workhorse for the Toronto Blue Jays, Halladay became one of the most beloved Phillies in modern history despite only having two good seasons in four opportunities.
There’s a simple reason for this. What Halladay accomplished in 2010 and 2011 was so spectacular that it cannot be ignored.
Halladay tossed a perfect game in the regular season then added a no-hitter in the postseason in 2010. He was the league’s Cy Young winner. The next season, Halladay settled for a runner-up spot in the Cy Young race. However, he did lower his ERA from 2.44 down to an even more impressive 2.35.
The package of players Philadelphia gave up for Halladay included Travis d’Arnaud, Kyle Drabek, and Michael Taylor. It was d’Arnaud who became the best player of the three but even he is regarded as nothing more than an average big league catcher.
Halladay, on the other hand, proved himself to the Phillies immediately. His number 34 was even retired by the team because of how special of a player and person he was. The only thing missing from his Phillies legacy is a championship. Halladay was truly one of the last starters of his kind.