Inside Pitch

The Cy swap is on

The deal we all knew about finally become official late Wednesday afternoon: Roy Halladay (left) is headed from Toronto to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee is headed to Seattle. What a whopper that is.

There are a lot of ways to look at this one. The Blue Jays had to make a deal with Halladay because he wasn't staying after next year. The Phillies must have felt likewise with Lee, who will be a free agent following the 2010 season. The Mariners feel Lee can help them make a quick strike in the AL West with a 1-2 punch of Felix Hernandez and Lee, and aren't worrying about 2011 just yet.

If everyone stays healthy, the Phillies are a heavy favorite to become the first NL team to go to three straight World Series since the Cardinals did it in the early 1940s. The Mariners quickly ascend to the top of the AL West, especially now that John Lackey has bolted the Angels for Boston.

And as for our poor friends in Toronto? That playoff drought that's 16 years old will certainly hit 17. And probably 18 and 19. Major rebuild job there and the Jays may, in fact, slip behind the Orioles into the AL East cellar. They have to hope their prospect haul matches what the Indians got for Bartolo Colon in 2002, a group that included Lee and helped the Tribe get with a game of the World Series in 2007.

Here's plenty of views on the deals:

In the Seattle Times, Steve Kelley says the Mariners are relevant again. Probably for the first time since their 116-win season in 2001.

In the Toronto Star, Richard Griffin says the Jays owed Halladay this opportunity. As for the prospect haul, only time will tell.

In the Philadelphia Inquirer, Bob Ford says the Phillies were being fiscally prudent but wonders if it will backfire on them not keeping Lee to try to make a run in 2010 with both aces in their rotation. John Gonzalez wonders about the same thing, saying it's strange to feel so greedy now that the Phillies have lots of money and a full ballpark and can act like a true big-market team.

And here's a cheap plug alert: I'll have plenty more thoughts on this deal and lots of other movement this month in a special edition of Inside Baseball coming in Sunday's paper.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

Photo: Halladay meets the media Wednesday in Citizens Bank Park/Getty Images

Mets' free agent runs would help Herd

The Mets closed the Winter Meetings on Thursday by offering free-agent contracts to outfielder Jason Bay and catcher Bengie Molina. The scuttlebutt is that Molina is likely to sign with New York but the Bay offer is likely to be the first volley in a drawn-out process. If you're a Bisons fan, you want the Mets to score in these talks. Throw Bay and Molina into the Amazins' lineup along with the return of last year's injured stars, and you're certain to get your top prospects to stay in Buffalo for much of the season.

A full year of Fernando Martinez and Nick Evans (the July version, not the April version). A full year of mega prospects from Double-A in catcher Josh Thole and 1B Ike Davis. With the big-league lineup stocked, the Mets can let the prospects develop and not rush them to the big leagues. They had little choice with F-Mart last year because of all their injuries but he's still only 21. He should still be in Triple-A most of the year.

The Mets were quiet during the meetings and rumors that the Madoff scandal continuing to hamper the Wilpon family's checkbook were pretty rampant. We'll see how it goes the next few weeks. The folks steering the SS Bison are hoping for lots of deals to be locked up so it doesn't run aground again in 2010.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

Mets busy in Rule V Triple-A draft

Another good sign the Mets are being more active on behalf of the Bisons: They selected four players Thursday in the Triple-A portion of the Rule V draft that capped the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis. Each one costs $12,000; the Triple-A phase allows you to select players who were in Class A or Double-A last year.

Maybe they'll turn into something for Buffalo, maybe they'll turn into nothing. But it should be noted the Mets were the only big-league parent to make four choices in the Triple-A phase.

The rundown of the choices, with links to show you career stats:

John Lujan (RHP-Chicago White Sox): He's 6-1, 200 pounds, 24 years old. Was 3-5, 4.45 last year in 37 games at Double-A Birmingham, all in relief. Was 3-2, 3.43 in 50 relief outings at Birmingham in 2008. 

Marshall Hubbard (1B-Seattle): 6-2, 215, 26. He's played the last three years at Double-A West Tennessee, averaging 14 homers and 67 RBIs in those seasons. Numbers were .271-14-70 last season.

Rolando Valdez (RHP-San Diego): 6-1, 191, 23. Was 1-0, 5.01 in 17 relief outings at Double-A San Antonio. Struck out 28 and walked 12 in 32 1/3 innings.

Orlando Lara (LHP-San Diego): 5-10, 185, 24. Has pitched last two years for Mexico City Reds in both starting and relief roles. Went 5-3, 5.03 in 2009 in 18 outings (seven starts)

In the major-league phase, Chuck Lofgren was selected off the Cleveland roster by Milwaukee. Lofgren, a six-year Tribe farmhand who pitched one game for the Bisons in 2007, must be kept in the big leagues by the Brewers or offered back to the Tribe.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

Pettitte coming back to Yankees

Here's a no-brainer coming out of the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis: The Yankees and Andy Pettitte have agreed on a one-year, $11.75M deal. Makes sense for all involved. The guy can still pitch. He wants to pitch, especially since he said during the World Series how cool it is for his kids to be more involved with him now that they're older. The Yankees want to have him and he showed how clutch he still is in the postseason. Good move all around.

---Mike Harrington

Mets sign IL slugger Hessman

Here's an interesting signing coming out of Mets camp at the Winter Meetings in Indianapolis: The Daily News is reporting that the Amazins' have signed veteran slugger Mike Hessman to a minor-league deal, which would likely ticket him as a starter for the Bisons in 2010. Hessman, 31, is the active home run leader in the minor leagues with 311 in his career and has been a notorious Bisons killer over the last few years, particularly in Coca-Cola Field. He can play first and third base.

By my quick calculations, Hessman has homered 14 times against Buffalo since 2002. He homered five times in a four-game series here with Richmond in 2002 and hit a first-inning grand slam to spark the Braves to an 11-4 win over the Herd in Game One of the 2004 Governors' Cup finals. Hessman was the 2007 IL MVP at Toledo, where he has become the Mud Hens' all-time home run leader. He hit just .217 there last year with 23 homers and 77 RBIs while striking out 171 times in 466 at-bats.

According to the Daily News, Hessman will earn $90,000 in Triple-A (a good-sized deal) and  $425,000 at the major-league level. He may leave for Japan by April 5 for a compensation to the Mets of $50,000. Or, $100,000 after that date.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

Where will Doc make house calls?

The Winter Meetings start Monday in Indianapolis and I have a rundown of some things to look for in Sunday's Inside Baseball column. Easily the biggest story is what the Blue Jays are going to do with Roy Halladay. The longtime ace has told the team he will not waive his no-trade clause during the season. So they either trade him now or he plays it out in 2010 and becomes a free agent after next year, with Toronto only getting draft picks. New Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos thus has to act.

Does he trade Halladay in the division, as the Yankees and Red Sox seem to be lining up to one-up each other? Or does he look elsewhere? You make the call.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

Attention Bills fans: Girardi tutoring Sanchez

After a wild few months, Joe Girardi has some time on his hands now. How did the Yankees manager spend part of Tuesday? Tutoring Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez how to slide! Check out the story from the New York Daily News. Pretty interesting idea by Rex Ryan to get someone from the Yankees to help out.

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)

In and out of the Tribe chain

Here's what I think is the latest scorecard of Buffalo-connected managers/coaches going in and out of the Indians organization:

Eric Wedge -- fired in Cleveland, passed over for Mets bench coach (Dave Jauss hired)

Carl Willis -- fired in Cleveland, hired as Seattle's minor-league pitching coordinator

Jeff Datz -- fired in Cleveland, hired as Baltimore's bench coach

Joel Skinner -- fired in Cleveland, passed over to become Tribe's Triple-A manager at Columbus (Double-A Akron manager Mike Sarbaugh promoted Tuesday)

Torey Lovullo -- passed over for Tribe manager (Manny Acta hired), hired as Boston's Triple-A manager at Pawtucket

Scott Radinsky -- promoted from Triple-A Columbus pitching coach to Cleveland bullpen coach

---Mike Harrington

(www.twitter.com/bnharrington)