FanPost

Mahay for Donald? Just kill me already

Update, 1.50pm: Stark now says the Phillies are "not close."

Jayson Stark puts the bullet in the chamber:

Left-handed reliever Ron Mahay could be on the verge of heading to the Phillies.

According to clubs that have been speaking with the Royals, they've been having extensive conversations with the Phillies about a trade that would send Mahay to Philadelphia for shortstop prospect Jason Donald, a member of the U.S. Olympic baseball team.

It's believed that as many as 10 teams have contacted the Royals about Mahay, who is signed for next year at $4 million. Most of them have come away with the impression that the Royals aren't motivated to trade him. But in Donald, the Phillies have a commodity for which Kansas City has been searching aggressively. So the fit appears better with the Phillies than with any of the other teams on the Royals' list.

It would be hard to overstate what a #&%@^ disaster this would be. Mahay's 37. He's signed for $4 million next year; between him, Lidge, and Romero, we'd be back to the Ed Wade days as far as overspending on relief.

Donald, meanwhile, is a 23 year-old infielder with Reading who has hit better at every level he's played in the minors, and now projects as a low-cost, big-league contributor; by next spring, he could be an upgrade on Eric Bruntlett or even challenge Pedro Feliz for the third-base job.

Please, please, please don't let this one go through.