Could the Phillies’ recent success (winners of eight in a row and 12 of their last 13) hurt the chances that they will pursue Roy Halladay?

ESPN’s Buster Olney said on the Mike and Mike In The Morning show on ESPN Radio Monday that the Phillies may not have the urgent need for a guy like Halladay as they did a couple weeks ago when the division was much tighter.

“When this whole conversation took place, you know when we found out the Jays were seriously taking offers for Roy Halladay, we’ll seriously think about trading him,” said Olney. “The Phillies… lead in the National League East was only a handful of games and so… from their perspective, they’re thinking, boy, what do we need to do to put ourselves over the top?”

At that point, the Phillies were in the midst of a 4-14 losing streak, and just a couple games up on the rest of the division. The Mets were floundering, but it was largely due to a desimated roster. The Marlins were surging and the Braves were, as always, too close for comfort. Since then, the Phillies have rattled off 12 wins in their last 13, including eight in a row. The Marlins and Mets are a combined 7-13 in their last 20 games, and the Braves, the second place team in the division, are 6.5 games back of the Phillies.

So Olney wonders if there is still that urgency to get the deal done at the price the Blue Jays are asking?

“Well they’re pretty much running away with the National League East now… as they wake up today their lead in the East is 8 games in the loss column,” said Olney. “They know that with or without Roy Halladay, they’re going to win the National League East, in all likelihood, and you just wonder if that’s going to affect their sense of urgency as they piece together any kind of offer for Halladay.”

Nevertheless, Olney does not count the Phillies out of the running entirely. They still need another starter, even with the recent acquisition of Pedro Martinez (who remains a big question mark), and as the Mets have proven the past two seasons, nothing is a sure bet leading into October.

“Now that being said, they have been scouting Halladay. Pat Gillick, who was the former GM, who is now the Special Assistant with the Phillies, was on hand yesterday to watch Halladay,” said Olney on Mike and Mike. “[Halladay} certainly would be an upgrade. If I were sitting in the GM chair, I would get him, because I think he makes that team better for October 2010.”

It ultimately comes down to how much the Phillies and GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. value top prospects Kyle Drabek, Dominic Brown, Jason Knapp, and Michael Taylor.

“As we’ve talked about many times, teams really value their young prospects in a way they never have before and it might be that the Phillies say, you know what, we don’t have to have this guy,” concluded Olney. “I do wonder if that will affect his chances of being traded before the deadline.”

Ultimately, the Blue Jays will get the best deal if they trade him in the next two weeks, as opposed to waiting till this off season, or even next season’s trade deadline, and the Phillies still have one of the deepest farm systems in the majors. A lesser deal from the Phillies could still present a better package for the Blue Jays than anything else being offered, as it does not appear that any other teams are scrambling to give up their top prospects either.

In the end, it’s a win-win for the Phillies. Getting Halladay puts you in the best position to make it to the World Series, which has to be the focus here, not just winning the division. Unless the Phillies replicate the Mets’ woes of the past couple seasons, they should make the playoffs with little trouble. If you are Ruben Amaro, you are getting Halladay for the sole purpose of October baseball. Pitching is everything in the playoffs, and the Phillies will need it should they face the Dodgers, Cubs or even the pitching stacked San Francisco Giants. Likewise, if they make it to the World Series for the second year in a row, they have to count on not being as lucky as last year with their opponent. The likely AL Pennant winner will be the Red Sox, Yankees or Angels, three teams with considerable pitching and offensive talent. Halladay could be the great equalizer.

On the other hand, if the Phillies do not trade Halladay, then they preserve what is likely to be some of the best up and coming players of the next decade, probably ensuring continued success for the next five or 10 years. The Phillies are negotiating from a serious position of strength, which can only ultimately benefit them.

Either way, we will know in the next 11 days, as the July 31 trade deadline is rapidly approaching.

For the entire Buster Olney interview, check out the audio below.