Phillies Rumors: Roy Halladay likely to join organization

Roy halladay
(Kevin Durso/Sports Talk Philly)

By Tim Kelly, Sports Talk Philly editor

Even though he seemingly meets all of the eligibility requirements, former Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay isn't on this year's Wall of Fame ballot. That doesn't mean Halladay won't be around Citizens Bank Park a few times this summer, however. 

According to MLB.com's Todd Zolecki, the Phillies and Halladay are nearing an agreement for him to serve in an unknown role for the club: 

The Phillies and Halladay have been talking recently about finding a role for him in the organization, a person with knowledge of Halladay's visit said Tuesday. It is unclear what responsibilities Halladay might have with the team, but it seems likely he will be roaming Spectrum Field and Carpenter Complex in a Phillies uniform before the end of Spring Training.

Zolecki's report is thin on specifics, probably because the Phillies and Halladay probably aren't sure of all the specifics yet. He did speculate that Halladay could work with any pitchers who are at Clearwater — the home of the team during Spring Training and their Single A affiliate, the Threshers — because he's currently resides in Oldsmar, which is about a half hour away. 

Halladay told Ben Nicholson-Smith of SportsNet CA earlier this month that he was interested in returning to the game and there had been some discussions of him joining the Toronto Blue Jays organization. While the 39-year-old was heavily involved in the community during his parts of 13 seasons in Toronto, it's possible that he's content being retired from the game and living in Florida. In that same interview, Halladay noted that he enjoyed working with "younger pitchers," which could be something he could do in Clearwater, while still getting the chance to live in Florida. 

The future Hall of Famer spent the final four seasons of his career in Philadelphia, winning 40 games in his first two years with the club, while posting a league-leading 17 complete games over that time and winning the 2010 National League Cy Young Award. 

Go to top button