2009 was a big year for the Philadelphia Phillies. They made a blockbuster deal with the Cleveland Indians to acquire the 2008 AL Cy Young winner, Cliff Lee, at the deadline. The move propelled the Phillies to the playoffs for the third straight year and their second straight World Series appearance. After coming so close to winning the championship, the front office was willing to make another big move to return to the Series.
The opportunity came in December of that year. The Phillies made another blockbuster trade for an ace, this time Toronto’s Roy Halladay.