Bold prediction

By this time tomorrow the Red Sox will have gotten Roy Halladay and Marco Scutaro from the Blue Jays in exchange for Clay Bucholz, Jed Lowrie, Jacoby Ellsbury and cash.

What better way to put the Papi story on the backburner and divert attention - good or bad.

OK, maybe it won't be THIS deal, but you can bank on the fact the Sox will do something HUGE tomorrow.

Comments

[Alex]

You need Bard in there for that deal to work.

[On the Sidelines]

Whatever it takes. Bard. Anderson. Westmoreland. It's a fire sale. If Halladay is a Red Sox tomorrow then Papi is insulated and we can move on. Of course, this assumes he will come clean, but I'm betting that's going to happen. Thanks for taking the time to post!

[Josh]

I'll bet the Sox end up without Doc. 1) Theo seems able to resist the urge to worry about the media Crisis du Jour; 2) Trading Bard/Buchholz and a couple other top prospects is too much for a veteran pitcher, any one of whom is always just a snap, crackle or pop from being an announcer (if they wouldn't do it for Johan a couple years ago, why do it for Halladay now?; 3) In the end, Toronto would be smarter to take a lesser offer now or in the winter to trade him out of the division or league. Deal him to the Sox, and without injuries Toronto is ensuring that it will finish behind Boston for at least the next couple of seasons because even if the prospects all turn out golden, they won't have the pitching to match Boston.

If Boston wants to put Papi in the shadows, they'd find a way to bring Victor Martinez to town using money more than prospects. Honestly, which makes looks better:

Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Wakefield/Penny/TBA with Martinez instead of Lurch behind the plate against righties and at 1B so Papi doesn't have to flail away at lefties any more...
or
Beckett, Lester, Halladay, Wakefield/Penny/TBA and Lurch behind the plate EVERY DAY FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON.

10 starts from Halladay while giving up the top 3 or more prospects, or Martinez making 70 starts in place of a guy who can't run, hit or throw a runner out with a 5-second head start?

[On the Sidelines]

Hey Josh,

Just catching (good pun, huh?) up with my blog and GREAT TAKE. You hit this one out of the park.