Roy Halladay Wants to Retire a Phillie, and Chase Utley Encouraged Him to Drill Some Batters This Year
Roy Halladay met with the media today as part of the Phillies PR apparatus’s one-player-a-day thing. Halladay said that he feels good and is confident that he’ll be effective this year. He cited an unknown lower back issue as the cause of his problems last year, and said that he completely changed his offseason workout program, presumably from eating glass to eating nails focusing more on his back, Jules.
Unless he pitches 260 innings this season, vesting his option for 2014, Halladay will become a free agent. He hit that mark once before, throwing 266 innings in 2003, but that's highly unlikely for a 36-year-old. So, does he want to re-sign with the Phillies after the season? You bet.
"I don’t see myself playing anywhere else," Halladay said. "I don’t want to play anywhere else."
He seemed open to a hometown discount, citing how well he’s been treated by the Phillies, but that’s assuming the Phillies will want him back. It all depends on his health, obviously.
Halladay also wants to keep batters more on their toes this season. And Chase Utley had an idea on how to do it.
"Chase suggested drilling a few guys this year," Halladay said. "So maybe I’ll do that."
I love Chase Utley, the second most-hated player in baseball. It’s a love-hate thing.