Who is going to get Roy Halladay?
"It's the guy who calls [Toronto GM]
J.P. Ricciardi and says, 'OK, I want Halladay and I know the price is going to hurt, but let's get it done,'" said a baseball official Wednesday. "It's not the guy who calls with their Baseball America list of top 10 prospects and says, 'I'm sorry, but I can't talk about any of these guys.' J.P. is the type who will stay on the phone with you 12 straight hours if he feels like he can get a deal done."
John Schuerholz was known as an excellent trade partner in his time as general manager, someone who could make a blockbuster, because he would, in effect, broker the deal from both sides. He'd work quickly, he'd work aggressively, he'd know all the players involved and he would understand how to make the trade work for the other team. He didn't walk into the conversation trying to fleece the other team. Among current GMs,
Kenny Williams of the White Sox is said by his peers to work as Schuerholz did, as does
Jim Hendry of the Cubs,
Kevin Towers of the Padres, Milwaukee's
Doug Melvin, Oakland's
Billy Beane and Cleveland's
Mark Shapiro, among others.
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Buster Olney
