2:09pm: SI's Jon Heyman sees a potential Red Sox-Yankees battle brewing for Halladay. He says the Blue Jays told the Yankees they're interested in Phil Hughes, Joba Chamberlain, Jesus Montero, and Austin Jackson (not necessarily all four).
10:22am: Joel Sherman of the New York Post terms the Yankees as "bystanders rather than aggressive pursuers" when it comes to Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. The Yankees remain "averse to giving up both high-end prospects and a top-of-the-market contract extension to secure one player." Some members of the Yankee front office would prefer to acquire Doc but not extend him. Speaking in general terms, Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian he'd prefer not to give an extension window in a trade. Sherman also learned that the Blue Jays "have yet to divulge exactly what it would take to land Halladay."
As for Halladay's Spring Training deadline for a trade, Sherman talked to "outside executives" who don't take it entirely seriously. Regarding agent Jeff Berry's comments to ESPN about the deadline, Anthopoulos told Bastian, "I just want to hear it for myself and talk to him." Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun notes that George Bell issued the Blue Jays a similar ultimatum at the 1987 Winter Meetings.
