2. I Need a Doctor
If the Phillies kept Cliff Lee after this trade and won another World Series or two with Halladay, Lee and Hamels, this deal would be number one. The Phillies got their crafty veteran ace after requiring the services of Pedro Martinez late in 2009.
Kyle Drabek was the Phillies top pitching prospect, and many fans did not want to see him go. The son of a former major league pitcher, Drabek was considered the future homegrown ace. Drabek’s career never got on track, and has dealt with injuries since being promoted. He has pitched in 12.2 innings since 2013, and made one relief appearance with the Diamondbacks in 2016.
Travis D’Arnaud should be a familiar name to Phillies fans. Toronto traded the catcher to the Mets in the R.A. Dickey deal that also included Noah Synndergard. D’Arnaud is the Mets starting catcher, but is on the low-end compared to most starters right now. He has a .245 batting average in 281 games and finished seventh in the Rookie of the Year.
Michael Taylor is the final player moved for Halladay. Toronto promptly flipped him to Oakland for Brett Wallace. Taylor played 26 games across three seasons for the A’s before being traded to the White Sox. Chicago would later cut Taylor, only to re-sign him that same winter. Taylor has not appeared in a Major League game since 2014, and retired in 2015.