All I want for Christmas is my rotation rebuilt

Twas 2 weeks before Christmas, and all thru the Rogers Centre,

Not a creature dared say " Happy Halladays", not even marketing.....

So it's done finally, all that's left is to see Doc sit behind a table next to Rueben Amaro

and don that Phillies cap. Shudder............

So the Phils got what they wanted :

a) A top drawer starter who has beaten the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, and Rays for

4 controllable years in his prime.

b) Money from Toronto, to offset the Cliff Lee contract

c) 2 prospects from Seattle in Aumont and Gillies, and they are both Canadian !!

I mean what else did the Phillies get ? If you are the New York Mets this morning, what's

your mind set. Now the Phils have an ace locked up who stacks up nicely against Johan Santana,

and they are down 1 prospect.

In Seattle, they are looking at a 2010 of greater potential, now with former Cy Younger Cliff Lee

there for the upcoming season. Oh and the Angels have lost Ace John Lackey, and run creator Chone Figgins, and have exchanged Matsui for Guerrero, so 2010 is an open window for the Mariners.

So, 2 very happy organisations with a clear agenda, and ability to compete next season.

Now we come to you Toronto Blue Jays, and boy, are we blue today.

We received 3 prospects from Philadelphia, in Drabek, D'Arnaud, and Taylor. Then before you could say "the Grinch Stole Christmas", we had flipped Taylor for 3B/1B , soon to be a DH Brett Wallace from Oakland.

So all prospects, all will make peanuts for the next 5 years, so that works for the suddenly miserly Jays who will reduce their payroll down to the mid $ 60 million range, unless they peddle Lyle Overbay.

If you look in our Christmas stocking, looking for hope, I am sorry, but all you can see is 3 years of struggle, unless the unthinkable happens, being Shaun Marcum returns to his 2007 form, Brett Cecil makes huge strides, and Rickey Romero becomes a true ace of the staff, while extras like that Zepper-Chinski kid, and Canuck Scott Richmond pitch .500 at the back end, then perhaps we will finish 3rd !

Oh c'mon, did you really think I would say with all that falling into place, we would compete, I have greater faith Old Saint Nick dropping a Lexus on my driveway than to believe that with those results we'd compete with Boston, Tampa and the World Champs.

As I sit with my Christmas list for Santa, I have but one item written down, and it's pretty easy to figure out.

Dear Santa,

Please ask the Rogers people to seel the team to my good Canadian friend up in Waterloo, that RIM guy, I know Gary Bettman would be happier if Jimmy could play in MLB as opposed to the NHL, and Jimmy ( well maybe he was not a good boy this year ) will win the hearts of the Jays fans back.

Please have Jimmy buy this team, and infuse real dollars, and ask Paul Beeston to kindly re- retire into the woodwork..

Yours faithfully,

James McCullough,

Fan , since 1977