FanHouse Kyle Drabek

Footprints in the Snow is FanHouse's look at the paths to be forged by MLB teams this winter as they look ahead to 2010.

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro made it a point not to bring back the exact same lineup in 2009 after winning the World Series in 2008. He succeeded in that goal by replacing the departed Pat Burrell with Raul Ibanez in left field. The strategy worked as the Phillies won their division and made it all the way to the World Series, eventually losing to the New York Yankees.

During this offseason, expect the mantra to be very similar to last winter. The one position in the lineup that likely will roll over is third base. The team declined their $5.5 million option on Pedro Feliz and will try and find an upgrade in the free-agent pool. If they fail to do so, they can always bring Feliz back to the team.

---

---

So you thought that once Matt Holliday went to St. Louis and Cliff Lee wound up with the Phillies deadline day itself would be anticlimactic? Hardly.

Three All-Stars, including a former Rookie of the Year and Cy Young, went elsewhere on July 31, and all that happened while the biggest name on the market all month, Roy Halladay, stayed put.

No, this deadline did not disappoint. There was a flurry of activity right down to 4 PM ET and a legitimate shocker to finish it all off. What better way to wrap up all of the intrigue then with a look at the early winners and losers? Join me -- and a few other members of the MLB FanHouse crew -- as we break it all down after the jump.

---

---

No National League team has gone to back-to-back World Series since the 1995-96 Braves.

Until now.

OK, the Phillies could miss out on a second straight pennant. They could cough up a seven-game lead on the NL East. They could lose in a short playoff series.

But with the addition of Cliff Lee on Wednesday, they are more than the defending NL champions in name. Even though the Dodgers have a better record, Los Angeles will need to knock Philadelphia off of its perch.

There has been no shortage of teams interested in acquiring Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay since the moment he was put on the block, but all along, the one club pegged as the favorite in the sweepstakes has been the Phillies. Over the weekend, FanHouse's Ed Price reported that the Jays had to have both J.A. Happ and Kyle Drabek in any potential deal with Philadelphia, a concession the reigning world champs have so far been unwilling to make.

So with only four days remaining to the trade deadline, we have to wonder if this trade is going to happen. More importantly, should it happen? It's obvious why the Blue Jays want to move Halladay, and even more obvious why the Phillies want him in their rotation, but there are other things Philly should think about besides becoming an instant World Series favorite as it tries to swing a deal for the righty.