Major League Baseball

Blockbuster complete: Lee to M's, Halladay to Phils

Published Dec. 15, 2009 3:16 a.m. ET

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Now that the trade is official, it goes into the books as one of this decade’s biggest offseason moves.

Roy Halladay is a Phillies. Cliff Lee is a Mariner. And it's even bigger than that.

Eight players in total were involved in the blockbuster. The specifics are as follows:

… Seattle gets Lee.

… Philadelphia gets Halladay from Toronto, along with right-hander Phillippe Aumont, outfielder Tyson Gillies and Juan Ramirez from Seattle.

… Toronto gets right-hander Kyle Drabek, outfielder Michael Taylor and catcher Travis d’Arnaud from Philadelphia.

Toronto has already flipped Taylor to the Athletics for third baseman Brett Wallace.

The Blue Jays will also send $6 million in cash to the Phillies to help defray Halladay’s $15.75 million salary for 2010.

In agreeing to a trade to Philadelphia, Roy Halladay has also secured a three-year, $20 million extension through 2013.

Lee, signed for one more year at $9 million, will be a free agent after next season. The Phillies had been uncertain of whether they could sign him, but by acquiring Halladay -- and locking him up with an extension — they are securing an ace long-term.

When considering that the Phillies will save Lee’s $9 million salary, and receive $6 million from the Blue Jays, the trade is virtually cash-neutral for them in 2010. There is only a $750,000 difference between Halladay’s salary and the Phillies’ cash saved/received next year.

The agreement comes at a difficult time for the Angels, who are looking for a top-of-the-rotation starter such as Halladay or Lee. The Angels also recently lost Chone Figgins to the Mariners and John Lackey to Boston. The Angels have, however, reached an agreement with designated hitter Hideki Matsui.

With the blockbuster now complete, the Braves are an interested bystander. The Angels now appear to be among the favorites to acquire Derek Lowe. They could offer outfielder Juan Rivera, who is the type of right-handed run producer that Atlanta is seeking.

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