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Roy Halladay Rumors: Friday

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12:30pm: Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com hears from an AL executive who would be "very surprised" if White Sox GM Kenny Williams isn't pursuing Halladay. 

The White Sox have seen attendance drop and Gordon Beckham appears to be untouchable. This means the White Sox could have trouble paying Halladay or enticing the Blue Jays with a package centered around Clayton Richard, Aaron Poreda, Dayan Viciedo and Tyler Flowers.

Tom Verducci of SI.com hears that Clayton Kershaw is off-limits, but the Dodgers want to make a run at Halladay with other prospects. The Jays like minor league third baseman Josh Bell.

10:10am: Here are the latest Roy Halladay rumors and a bit of trivia to explain why he's in such high demand: Halladay pitched less than seven innings for the first time this season on June 12th.

  • Don't expect the Cardinals to trade Colby Rasmus for Halladay. GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he won't move the young outfielder in a deal for a player the Cards only control for a year and a half.
  • The Dodgers are looking for relievers now, but they'll try to acquire Halladay or Cliff Lee to improve their rotation, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com.
  • Bill Conlin of the Philadelphia Daily News says Halladay's availability has created such a frenzy that people "who wouldn't know Michael Taylor from Elizabeth Taylor speak authoritatively about a hole in the … outfielder's swing."
  • Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News says the Yankees should have enough talent not to have to bring in another Cy Young Award winner less than 100 games after adding C.C. Sabathia.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Thursday

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7:08pm: T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com says the Rangers have had discussions with the Blue Jays about Halladay, but sources call it a "long-shot."

5:13pm: Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals are now downplaying a potential Halladay trade, mentioning that they have too little pitching and won't include centerfielder Colby Rasmus in a deal.

3:56pm: The Blue Jays told the Yankees and Red Sox they'd prefer to deal Halladay outside of the AL East according to Jon Heyman.

1:21pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki heard from a Phillies source who says Halladay's $14.25MM salary is nothing and won't be an issue. The inclusion of Vernon Wells in any trade would be a dealbreaker, however.

12:15pm: One exec told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he would trade Joba Chamberlain for Halladay, but wouldn't give Rick Porcello up for him.

11:07am: We heard that the Angels and Cardinals may have trouble piecing together an offer for Roy Halladay, but assembling an appealing group of players would be even harder for the Tigers. Here are details on Halladay, the Tigers and other suitors for baseball's best available pitcher:

  • MLB.com's Jason Beck says the Tigers have the financial might to pursue Halladay, even if their young talent begins and ends with Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry.
  • The Tigers don't have a stable fifth starter, so Halladay would be a massive upgrade for them, but money will not be enough to pry him away from the Jays and the Tigers don't have top prospects in the minors.
  • I discussed Halladay and other players the Tigers could look to acquire in a Q&A at EyeOfTheTigers.com.
  • Bill Madden of the New York Daily News says the Yankees need to give up the top prospects to acquire Halladay if the Blue Jays are willing to deal their ace within the division.

Rosenthal On Halladay, Frasor, Rios, Bay

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the Angels and Cardinals will have a hard time assembling a package enticing enough for the Blue Jays to part with Roy Halladay. One GM said the Angels have "zero chance" at acquiring the Jays ace. Players like Brandon Wood and Howie Kendrick have lost some of their appeal and prospect Jordan Walden finds himself on the DL for the second time this season.

Halladay would be a good fit in St. Louis, and Brett Wallace could be the centerpiece of a deal, but the Cards may not have the young pitching the Jays seek.

The Phillies have enough prospects to make a deal and Rosenthal suggests we should never rule out the Yankees. Here are a few more rumors:
  • The Dodgers are interested in Halladay, Jason Frasor and George Sherrill.
  • The White Sox would probably have to part with Gordon Beckham to acquire Doc. 
  • The Jays and White Sox haven't discussed an Alex Rios deal recently, but the White Sox have long been interested in the Jays outfielder.  
  • Jason Bay is close to setting a cutoff date for negotiations on an extension with the Red Sox.  

Odds and Ends: Pedro, Wells, Tepesch, Zito

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A few links for your pre-second half entertainment:

  • Dave Cameron at Fangraphs is counting down the 50 players with the most trade value. Today, he posted #30-#26.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark recaps the Pedro Martinez press conference, and contends that the newest Phillie will start off on the DL because he didn't want to sign a minor league contract.
  • Anthony Rieber of Newsday.com argues that the Yankess are in a unique position to land Roy Halladay – if they are willing to eat the contract of Vernon Wells. 
  • In the latest in a series of short videos on college prospects, ESPN's Keith Law scouts Missouri RHP Nick Tepesch.
  • And Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News argues that it is time for the Giants to attempt to trade Barry Zito or release him in the off-season.

Discussion: When Is “Now” For The Blue Jays?

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In this article at SI.com, Joel Sherman argues that the Blue Jays cannot realistically expect to make the playoffs in the AL East anytime soon and thus should start building for the future by trading ace Roy Halladay.

"To have any kind of sustained run," Sherman writes, "the Blue Jays have to turn Halladay into three or four significant pieces that will help the next really strong Toronto team, which is 2011 at the earliest."

On the slowest American (and Canadian?) sports day of the year, I'm looking to start a little discussion. Do you agree with Sherman's assessment of the Jays' playoff chances? In the brutal AL East, what should the Blue Jays' long-term strategy be? Should they stop with trading Halladay, or is completely rebuilding an option?

Cards Willing To Make Strong Offer For Halladay

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The Cardinals are prepared to offer talent for Roy Halladay, but they're not going to disassemble their entire system to acquire the Jays ace, according to Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"We may be able to give up an arm or a leg," a Cardinals source told Strauss. "But we're not going to sacrifice the whole body."

Strauss hears that the Jays want major league-ready pitching in return for Halladay. This could pose a problem for the Cards, as they may have to surrender Jess Todd or Francisco Samuel to complete the Mark DeRosa deal. The Blue Jays wanted top Cards prospect Brett Wallace in the 2008 draft.

Not only do the Cards have a history of pulling off big trades (Larry Walker, Scott Rolen), they have a history of picking up former Blue Jays starters. Chris Carpenter, Woody Williams and Pat Hentgen all pitched for the Jays then the Cardinals.

Odds And Ends: Pedro, Milton, Halladay

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Some links to check out after a surprisingly quick All-Star Game…

Roy Halladay Rumors: Tuesday

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Roy Halladay will start tonight's All-Star Game, but that doesn't stop the rumors. Here's the latest:

  • Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse adds this quote from the Blue Jays ace:  "I've never been a person that had to be wooed.  I know what I'm looking for. … If things did come up, it would be a pretty easy decision."
  • According to CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler, Halladay wouldn't reveal his list of desired destinations Tuesday, saying only that he would like to join a contender.
  • Halladay told WEEI's Rob Bradford that a long-term extension isn't his top priority in a trade.  It's more about a desire to win:  “I really haven’t got that point. I think I’ve been fortunate that early in my career I was able to take care of my family and get in the situation to start putting the emphasis on what I would like and I think at this point it’s trying to win,” said the Toronto ace. “For me I don’t see it foresee it being hugely important, and if something is worked out afterward… I think you’re just looking for a chance to win.”
  • Steve Kornacki of MLive.com hears that the Blue Jays want a shortstop prospect and pitching in return for Halladay, He suggests the Tigers could include a shortstop like Brent Dlugach, Cale Iorg or Danny Worth in an offer for Halladay.
  • Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe hears the Red Sox would love to go after Halladay, but want the price to come down first.
  • Last week Ricciardi told Cafardo that he doesn't expect to make a deal for Halladay.  
  • Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun says the Angels and Yankees are the favorites to land Halladay.
  • Doc jokingly "declined comment" when Aaron Hill asked him which team he was headed to, according to Elliott.
  • Woody Paige of the Denver Post says the Rockies need to go after Halladay, who happens to be from Colorado.

Red Sox Have Interest In Rolen

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The Red Sox have "some interest" in Scott Rolen, according to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail. Mike Lowell should be able to return to Boston's lineup soon, but his health remains a concern for the Red Sox. Blair points out that Terry Francona, who managed Rolen from 1997-2000 in Philadelphia, remains a big fan of the third baseman.

Rolen, 34, is hitting .320 with an .847 OPS and good defense this year. He'll make $11MM this year and the same amount next season.

Odds And Ends: Pirates, K-Rod, Jackson

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Some links to peruse in between home runs…

  • Here are the latest minor league transactions from Baseball America.
  • CBS Sports reports that Indian pitcher Rinku Singh picked up his first win as a pro. Check out Dejan Kovacevic's article on Singh's team, the Bradenton Pirates, which has players from five continents on its roster.
  • Danny Knobler of CBS Sports has a source who believes a Roy Halladay deal is more likely in the winter. It's hard to imagine Halladay's value being much higher than it is now. 
  • Francisco Rodriguez told Kevin Baxter of the LA Times that he enjoys baseball less than he did growing up, but realizes it's a business.
  • Edwin Jackson isn't bitter about his Tampa Bay Rays tenure, according to Kevin Baxter of the LA Times.
  • The AP (via the Miami Herald) reports that a number of agents are pressing the Players' association to file a collusion grievance against teams.
  • John Perrotto of PiratesReport.com revisits a deal that would have sent Paul Maholm to Toronto for Alex Rios in 2005 and wonders if the Pirates and Jays could make the same deal work today. 
  • Click here to listen to my chat with Justin Hull on 1570 The Score this afternoon.
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