It’s done. The Phillies are planning a press conference for 5 p.m. to unveil ace Roy Halladay as the newest addition to their staff and the Blue Jays will hold a press conference at the same time in Toronto.

After some last-minute drama — online reports indicated that one of the Minor Leaguers involved in the four-team trade between the Jays, Phillies, Mariners and A’s failed a physical — the clubs put the finishing touches on the offseason blockbuster.

The breakdown:

To the Phillies from the Blue Jays: Halladay and $6 million

To the Blue Jays from the Phillies: Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, Travis d’Arnaud

To the Mariners from the Phillies: Cliff Lee

To the Phillies from the Mariners: Phillippe Aumont, Tyson Gillies, J.C. Ramirez 

The Blue Jays then traded Taylor to Oakland for prospect Brett Wallace.

–Jordan Bastian

The official announcement for the four-team, nine-player deal that would send Roy Halladay to the Phillies and Cliff Lee to the Mariners was expected to come today. Right now, there appears to be some sort of hold up.

Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun tweeted: “We’re hearing someone involved in the trade flunked their physical.”

I’m hearing that it is not Halladay or Lee and Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press has confirmed that it is not Phillippe Aumont (going from M’s to Phils in the proposed swap).

UPDATE: Larry Stone of the Seattle Times reports that the issue is not with any of the Mariners prospects.

UPDATE: That leaves Brett Wallace, Michael Taylor, Kyle Drabek and Travis d’Arnaud. My money is on it being either Wallace or Taylor, but I don’t have that confirmed at all.

UPDATE: Hearing that it’s done and the Jays plan on holding a press conference around 5 pm.

More as I hear…

~JB

As we close in on midnight here, it is sounding more and more like the Blue Jays will be receiving prized pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, stud outfield prospect Michael Taylor and catching prospect Travis d’Arnaud from the Phillies in exchance for Roy Halladay. With that in mind I posted this question on Twitter:

Here are some of the early reactions:

@jonah_n Still think it’s not enough; Aumont should be coming to Toronto.

@TOSportsFever it is what they wanted in the summer. A future ace and a potential star player in Taylor. Pretty good for a pending FA

@Raypold It’s a good package but if thats all we get i would be dissapointed. Hopefully Seattle adds some. Was really hoping for Brown

@MatthewKlekner good deal if it’s Drabek. Not as much if it’s JA Happ.

@Uforseen could use 1 or 2 more guys. Are any of those folks gonna play in majors next year? I’d like one person from the deal to cheer for

@Pagal4321 Seems like a rip-off to me. But then again, so would any deal. Love the Doc!

@drewkuntze I like the deal, D’Arnaud provides Arencibia with competition, Taylor a future cleanup hitter, Drakek a top of the rotation guy

@DarrylSalach not enough. The Jays will need the top 3 prospects from the Phillies and the top 3 prospects from the Mariners to make the deal.

@allllllllllllly it bores me

@AFJaysFan I like that AA is making some bold moves to try to make the Jays competitive in the East but I still hate to see Doc go

@mainevent360 Missing a Seattle prospect to T.O. otherwise there would be no need for this to be a three-way trade. Regardless I’m pleased.

@eric_epp I woulda been happy with that at the deadline. now? AA is a genious!

@hughgas better than Mike Sirotka

@steveconelley I’d rather get Saunders in there somewhere.

@talkinghomer I considered myself a HUGE Halladay fan. The deal had to be done though, and I’m glad they got they got 2 Top 50 prospects.

@OneToolPlayer Brutal. At least 1 of Brown or Saunders or I’m unhappy.

@sboulton Don’t know D’Arnaud well but, unless he’s a stud prospect, it’s not enough of a return for Doc

@aaroningram99 that list is better then any offer/rumour they got in July other than the rumored redsox deal Better then Indians Lee Deal

@ilanbaron good job AA , don’t think J.P could pull it off.

@CutlersBarber Pretty solid. Thank god JP didn’t trade him in July for the Happ, Donald, etc. poop platter.

@JaysFans15 No matter who we get back still can’t get over the fact the Doc is gone, seems childish and whiny. The truth hurts

–JB

Reports are running wild indicating that Roy Halladay is on the verge of being dealt to Philadelphia in a three-way trade possibly involving Cliff Lee and the Mariners as well.

I’ve heard that Lee will wind up in Seattle, Doc in Philly, and prospects from both sides would be headed to Toronto. Some names being mentioned are Phillippe Aumont, Dominic Brown and Michael Saunders, among others.

Nothing is confirmed or announced at this point. I spoke with Lee’s agent and he said he had not been informed of the trade as of early Monday afternoon. But, keep in mind that Lee does not have a full no-trade clause like Halladay. So, even if Lee wants an extension — much like Doc is reportedly talking about with the Phillies — the lefty doesn’t have the power to block a trade.

UPDATE: According to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, Halladay is talking with the Phils about an extension worth roughly $60 million over three years with a vesting option that could make the deal a year or two longer. A source told me that an official announcement, barring physicals and the extension talks, would likely come Wednesday at the earliest.

UPDATE: Crazy how this stuff changes minute to minute in terms of the names of prospects involved in the deal. Since nothing is nailed down, here’s some of the names being floated in various reports: From Mariners – Philippe Aumont, Michaul Saunders, Carlos Tirunfel, Brandon Morrow; From Phillies – Kyle Drabek, Travis d-Arnaud, Michael Taylor, Domonic Brown. Who’s going where? Too early to say…

UPDATE: An online report indicated that the Blue Jays agreed to a one-year deal worth around $1 million with catcher Ramon Castro. Toronto might announce the signing of catcher John Buck on Tuesday. Perhaps Castro will be announced as well.

UPDATE: Hearing that the Blue Jays may actually be receiving Drabek, Taylor and d’Arnaud from the Phillies and Philadelphia would be receiving the Seattle prospects. Aumont likely headed to the Phils.

–JB

The Blue Jays agreed to a one-year contract with free-gent catcher John Buck on Sunday, according to an industry source. General manager Alex Anthopoulos declined comment.

Buck — non-tendered by the Royals on Saturday — has agreed to a contract believed to be worth $2 million for the upcoming season with the Blue Jays. Buck became expendable for Kansas City after the Royals signed veteran catcher Jason Kendall to a two-year contract on Friday.

Buck, 29, hit .247 with eight homers and 36 RBIs over 59 games with the Royals last season. Over six years with Kansas City, the catcher has hit .235 with 70 homers and 259 RBIs over six seasons.

–JB

So, that report about outfielder Joey Gathright signing with the Jays on Thursday was false. Turns out he signed with the Blue Jays today instead.

The news that Toronto had parted ways with catcher Raul Chavez by non-tendering him on Saturday night? Well, they did that, but they brought him back on a Minor League contract on Sunday.

Gathright and Chavez will both be brought into camp this spring with a shot at a spot on the Opening Day roster. Gathright might be in the mix for that vacant leadoff spot, and Chavez is in the running for the same backup catching role he filled for most of last year for Toronto.

The Jays are likely still looking at outfield and catching options, though. Chavez is now off the 40-man roster, meaning there are no catchers on that list. Toronto might be looking for another backup option to go along with their new starting catcher. Ryan Doumit and Mike Napoli are the names most recently tied to the Jays inn trade speculation.

Beyond the moves involving Gathright and Chavez, the Blue Jays also avoided arbitration with utility man Jose Bautista and pitcher Dustin McGowan on Sunday. Bautista will earn $2.4 million — the same salary he had last year with Toronto — and McGowan will make $500,000. McGowan has pitched since 2008 and he remains a big question mark heading into the spring.

–JB

The Blue Jays did not tender a contract to catcher Raul Chavez before Saturday’s midnight ET deadline, making him a free agent this offseason.

This seems to make it pretty clear that the Jays have some things working on the catching front, though general manager Alex Anthopoulos was not immediately available for comment.

Toronto does not have a catcher currently on the 40-man roster. Rod Barajas — last year’s starter — is a free agent as well and he is not expected to re-sign with the club. Catching prospect J.P. Arencibia likely needs more time on the farm.

On the trade front, the Jays have been linked to Pirates catcher Ryan Doumit. Toronto is also believed to have interest in Angels catcher Mike Napoli. Coincidence or not, the Angels are pegged as the front-runners to land ace Roy Halladay from the Jays in a trade as things currently stack up.

All other arb-eligibles were offered a contract before Saturday’s deadline. That list includes Jose Bautista, Shawn Camp, Jason Frasor, Brandon League, Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Brian Tallet. Oh, and Jeremy Accardo, whose agent said on Friday night that the pitcher hoped to be non-tendered.

My guess here is that the Blue Jays will try to find a match for Accardo in a trade, or maybe try to package him in a larger deal. Accardo could also come back to the Jays for the 2010 season, but it sounds like he wants a fresh start with a new organization.

Stay tuned for more…

–JB

Jeremy Accardo is one pitcher who wants to hit the free-agent market after Saturday’s tender deadline passes. The right-handed reliever is hoping the Blue Jays decide against offering him a contract for 2010, providing him with a fresh start.

“We’ve had no discussion with the club nor do we intend to,” Damon Lapa, Accardo’s agent, said in an e-mail on Friday night. “It is our hope that Jeremy is non tendered by the Jays.”

Clubs have until 11:59 p.m. ET on Saturday night to offer contracts to each of their arbitration-eligible players. Accardo is among a handful players who fit into that category for the Blue Jays, who are most likely trying to trade the pitcher before deciding whether to tender him a contract.

Last season, the Blue Jays took advantage of the fact that Accardo still had a player option, sending him back and forth between Triple-A Las Vegas and Toronto throughout the year. As a result, Accardo’s service time remains just shy of four years, meaning it will take an extra year for him to be eligible for free agency.

In the 26 games Accardo appeared in for the Blue Jays in 2009, the 27-year-old posted a 2.55 ERA with 18 strikeouts and 17 walks over 24 2/3 innings. Two years earlier, Accardo found himself in the closer’s role for Toronto after B.J. Ryan suffered an elbow injury, and the reliever saved 30 games and fashioned a 2.14 ERA over 64 appearances.

Accardo — acquired from the Giants in a three-player trade in July of 2006 — was under contract for $900,000 last season and could face a pay cut by hitting the open market. That is a risk the pitcher is ready to take.

Beyond Accardo, the Blue Jays have arbitration-eligible players in utlity man Jose Bautista, catcher Raul Chavez, as well as pitchers Shawn Camp, Jason Frasor, Brandon League, Shaun Marcum, Dustin McGowan and Brian Taller. Bautista, who posted a .235 average while earning $2.4 million, is the most likely non-tender candidate among that group.

ALSO: According to a report on FOXSports.com, the Blue Jays have some interest in free-agent outfielder Marcus Thames. A Jays source declined comment, but GM Alex Anthopoulos already saw his policy of not talking about reports or rumors when it was publicly confirmed on Thursday that the team has interest in outfielder Joey Gathright. Thames’ agent was not immediately available for comment, either. What is clear is that the Jays are looking for short-term solutions in the outfield, and Gathright and Thames fit that description.

–JB

Much like previous Winter Meetings, I am now know the layout of this hotel like the back of my hand. For all the walking and talking, though, there was not much noise to be made here in Indianapolis. The Yankees made the biggest move with the three-team swap to land Curtis Granderson. The righ get richer.

Your Blue Jays?

Well, Toronto GM Alex Anthopoulos — hoarse voice and all — did a ton of talking without revealing much of what is going on behind the scenes. The Jays bolted town with no moves completed with the exception of grabbing righty Zech Zinicola from the Nationals in the Rule 5 Draft.

Anthopoulos did at least acknowledge that there is indeed a  big “elephant in the room.” That, of course, is the future of ace Roy Halladay. Over the course of four days here, Anthopoulos began to open up slightly when asked about trade talks involving Doc. The young GM still made sure never to refer to Halladay by name in his answer, sticking to generalities.

What have we learned? Dending on who you talk to or which story you read, he Angels might have made an offer for Halladay that includes Joe Saunders, Erick Aybar and Pter Bourjos. Along with the Halos, the Phillies, even after the big Cliff Lee deal, appear to be the favorites now to land Halladay.

The Yankees and Red Sox are monitoring the situation, but are basically holding off until the Jays lower their asking price. New York might be hesitant to move more prospects after just pulling off the Granderson deal and Boston does not want to part with prized pitching prospect Casey Kelly, making a match with Toronto unlikely right now.

The Rays? They are very unlikely to land Doc, but they have the pieces to pull off such a move and the pitcher would likely approve a one-year stop in Tampa Bay before hitting free agency next winter. The Dodgers have talked to the Jays, but they don’t seem to be a fit. The Cubs have payroll issues and think Toronto’s asking price is a bit steep as well.

Will Halladay be moved? It never seemed likely that he was going to be shipped off during these Meetings and he’s still a Jay. It is still highly probable that he is dealt this winter, and the club knows it is in Doc’s best interest to swing a trade before Spring Training, if one is going to be completed.

Beyond Halladay, there’s still the search for a starting catcher and maybe some outfield and mound help. Free agency might net some short-term solutions for 2010 and 2011, but Anthopoulos is also poring over a pile of trade proposals and scenarios in order to potentially obtain some long-term pieces.

Not much was accomplished on the surface here in Indy. Behind closed doors, talks are definitely gainin in momentum.

I’ll leave you with some links from today before I hit the road…

Phils, Angels said to lead pack for Doc

More work for Anthopoulos after Meetings

Blue Jays pluck Zinicola in Rule 5 Draft

Gathright catches Blue Jays’ interest

–JB

Some items of note from today:

1. According to Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun, the Angels are making a push for ace right-hander Roy Halladay and have offered LHP Joe Saunders, SS Erick Aybar and Minor League CF Peter Bourjos.

If the Jays agreed, Elliott says the team would then try to trade recently-signed SS Alex Gonzalez. Halladay prefers to pitch for a team that trains in Florida, but a source told MLB.com that hemight approve a move to the West Coast for 2010, considering he is a free-agent next winter.

2. Anthopoulos said the Tigers’ haul in the Detroit-Arizona-New York trade that sent Curtis Granderson is similar to what he is seeking in trade talks. The Tigers acquired outfield prospect Austin Jackson, as well as pitchers Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke — all players under Detroit’s control for the next few years.

“It’s definitely similar,” Anthopoulos said. “I think the Orioles have definitely been similar with some of the things they’ve been trying to do — some of the trades that they’ve made. So, I think a lot of clubs obviously look at one of the greatest currencies in baseball is young, cheap controllable players. That’s why they’re so hard to acquire.”

3. It does not look like the Blue Jays will make any deals before leaving the Winter Meetings. Jays are “intrigued” by some players in the Rule 5 Draft, but that does not mean the club will use its pick on anyone.

“I wouldn’t expect to have anything done. Again, things can change so fast — we still have tonight and tomorrow morning. But, once the Rule 5 hits, everyone’s getting on planes.”

4. Anthopoulos is not losing sleep over having to explain to Blue Jays fans why he traded Roy Halladay, if he does indeed pull the trigger this winter.

“Any trades that we make, you make the evaluation based on, I know it’s cliche to say, but ‘What’s best for this organization?’ I think if you’re doing that then you will have a checklist and a list of reasons why things make sense for you. If you’re honest and you’re transparent, and you convey those reasons to the fan base, I think fans don’t necessarily get enough credit. They’re more educated than they were, I believe, when I was a fan. They understand rules. The understand contracts. They understand options. They understand finances. They understand more of the landscape.

“The information that is out there is incredible. I think the media outlets and the information that they can get is incredible. The reasons that we do things, again, I don’t expect everybody to agree with everything we do. That just goes without saying, but I think that everyone is going to understand that the reasons that we do things are going to be well-thought out. There will be a process in place and obviously everything that we are doing is what we feel is best for this organization.”

5. Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said Anthopoulos has kept him in the loop on all the offseason talks, even asking for his input on potential deals and moves. Gaston said once again that he believes Halladay will be moved.

“I don’t know when he’s going to leave, if he’s going to leave,” Gaston said. “I think he’s probably going to leave, but I’m just not sure when.”

6. Gaston plans on saying “Rzepczynski” every five days in 2010:

“Rzepczynski, if he can come back and pitch like he did, I mean, his record might not show how well he pitched, but if you go look at what guys hit off him, he had a great year for us as far as I’m concerned, and hopefully he’s going to be part of our rotation coming up this year.”

7. Gaston asked Dusty Baker about shortstop Alex Gonzalez and and the Reds manager had good things to say:

“Well, you know what, I was talking to Dusty earlier today, and Dusty likes him a lot. He says he’s a good player, plays hard, likes to play,” said Gaston, who then smiled. “We can always fall back to Johnny Mac.”

8. Leadoff off for your Toronto Blue Jays, as things currently stand: Jose Bautista.

“Unless we get some guys back that can fill that role, then you’re probably looking at Bautista there if you get him back,” Gaston said. “So once again, I mean, we really don’t know which way we’re going as far as players and things like that. I mean, if depends on a lot of what we get back.”

9. Marco Scutaro phoned Gaston today.

“Scutaro is gone, did a great job for us,” Gaston said. “I got a call from him today, and he just called to thank me for everything that we did for him, but I wanted to thank him for everything he did for us. I wish him the best.”

10. Gaston plans on trying Aaron Hill and Adam Lind in the third and fourth spots of the lineup, respectively, during Spring Training. But Lind has expressed that he has had a rough time over the years as a cleanup hitter.

“I’m going to try that in Spring Training and see if that works out for them,” Gaston said. “I don’t think it’s going to bother Hill too much, but I know Lind, even in high school and even in college, he said he’s just never really hit well in the fourth spot. If that’s in his head, then it’s not a good place to put him. We would have to find somewhere else to put him.”

“Maybe I might have to put Aaron back two and put Lind back three, but we’ll see. We’ll experiment with it and see what we have in Spring Training, see if they’re comfortable with it. Like I said, I don’t think it’s going to bother Aaron too much, but Lind, it’s kind of in his head a little bit — that spot is not too good for him. So, I don’t want to leave him in that spot if he feels that way.”

Would Gaston try Lind in the three spot and Hill fourth?

“Well, I’ve thought about that, too, and it would be something I would try. I just don’t want to put that much heat on him either, you know, going from second all the way to fourth. He might feel like he’s got to hit more home runs than he hit last year, which would be nice if that happen. That’s something to think about. Anything is possible.”

–JB