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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, December 17, 2009

Happy Halladay now with Phillies baseball


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Newly acquired Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay, right, posed with Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. during yesterday's news conference at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

MATT ROURKE | Associated Press

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PHILADELPHIA — All it took was four teams, $60 million and a swap of Cy Young Award winners to finish off Roy Halladay's long and winding trade saga.

He landed right where he wanted to pitch, with the two-time NL champion Philadelphia Phillies.

In one of baseball's biggest trades involving top pitchers, the Phillies sent postseason ace Cliff Lee to Seattle and acquired Halladay from Toronto yesterday as part of a complicated, four-team deal.

Oakland also was included in the nine-player swap, marking the first time in history that two Cy Young winners were dealt on the same day.

Money was a key factor, too. Toronto sent $6 million to Philadelphia with Halladay, who then agreed to a $60 million, three-year contract extension through 2013.

"This is where we wanted to be," Halladay said at Citizens Bank Park. "It was an easy decision for me. Once the opportunity came up for me to be part of this, it was something I couldn't pass up."

Halladay has never pitched in the postseason in his 12-year career with the Blue Jays. He coveted the chance to play for the 2008 World Series champs, hoping for an opportunity to win his own ring.

"I think the older you get, the longer you play in your career, the more important that becomes," Halladay said. "The more I play, the more I realize how important that is to me."

Toronto sent the 32-year-old Halladay to the Phillies for three minor leaguers: catcher Travis d'Arnaud, right-hander Kyle Drabek and outfielder Michael Taylor. The Blue Jays flipped Taylor to the Athletics for third baseman Brett Wallace.

The Phillies dealt Lee to Seattle for three prospects: right-hander Phillippe Aumont, outfielder Tyson Gillies and right-hander Juan Ramirez.

ELSEWHERE

Angels: World Series MVP Hideki Matsui finalized a $6 million, one-year contract with Los Angeles, ending his seven-season run with the New York Yankees.

"This is the beginning of a new journey for me," Matsui said through a translator. "I'd like to do my best in every way I can to bring another world championship to this team since they won in 2002."

Brewers: LaTroy Hawkins and Milwaukee completed their $7.5 million, two-year contract yesterday after agreeing to a deal last week at the meetings in Indianapolis.

Hawkins, a right-hander who turns 37 on Monday, spent the last 1 1/2 seasons with Houston. A veteran of 15 major league seasons, he is 60-81 with 87 saves and a 4.51 ERA.

Red Sox: Boston finalized an $82.5 million, five-year contract for pitcher John Lackey and a $15.5 million, two-year agreement with outfielder Mike Cameron.

The Red Sox also must figure out whether the Mike Lowell-to-Texas trade will go through and have been discussing whether to acquire Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego, a deal that could send Clay Buchholz and/or Jacoby Ellsbury to the Padres.

Tigers: Detroit agreed to a $2.5 million, two-year contract with infielder Ramon Santiago that avoided arbitration.

Santiago had seven homers and 35 RBIs — both career highs — and hit .267 in 93 games last season for the Tigers. He will back up shortstop Adam Everett, but might get a chance to be the regular second baseman.