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Any rumors of where he will be traded to popping up on your local sports radio shows?

The first instalment of the summer book odds on the running of the first Roy Halladay Sweepstakes leading up to the July 31 trade deadline:

LOS ANGELES ANGELS 2-1

Jered Weaver, plus shortstop Brandon Wood, and a pitching prospect such as lefty Trevor Reckling or Jordan Walden. Will Halladay go to the coast? Angels also want either Scott Downs or Brandon League and could expand the deal.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS 5-2

Ex-Jay Dave Bush is injured, lefty Manny Parra took a step back. They added CC Sabathia a year ago and co-GM Ryan Braun would approve. Prospects: Infielders Alcides Escobar and Mat Gamel, catchers Angel Salome and Brett Lawrie.

NEW YORK YANKEES 3-1

Phil Hughes plus prospects, but the Yanks don't have a shortstop to give. Would Jays deal Halladay within the division? Jesse Barfield and Dale Murray are two Jays sent to N.Y. Not exactly Halladay.

BOSTON RED SOX 4-1

Dream situation for the Jays: A Yanks-Red Sox bidding war ensues and one of them overpays. Most recent Jay dealt to the Sox? Eric Hinske.

LOS ANGELES DODGERS 5-1

With a team payroll of $85 million US, savings on Manny Ramirez's suspension and the post-season ahead, he is affordable. They have lefty Clayton Kershaw plus minor-league prospects.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES 8-1

Defending champs have a need with Brett Myers out, but say they won't move anyone off the major-league roster or prospects Kyle Drabek or pitcher Jason Knapp. Are outfielders Dominic Brown or Michael Taylor enough? -- Toronto Sun

It appears the St. Louis Cardinals are going to be players in the Roy Halladay(notes) sweepstakes.

According to MLBtraderumors.com, when asked about the price tag for Halladay, a club source said: "Give (Jays' GM J.P.) Ricciardi all our minor-league rosters and let him circle any 5 names."

According to the report, a deal with the Cardinals would start with Brett Wallace, and might also include shortstop Pete Kozma, catcher Bryan Anderson, outfielder Daryl Jones and/or right-hander Clay Mortensen. We're just throwing the Birds' top prospects out on the table, but that's what it's going to take. According to Erik Manning of FutureRedbirds.net, via the Post-Dispatch's Bernie Miklasz, the Jays "showed a lot of pre-draft interest" in both Wallace and Kozma.

Source: MLBtraderumors.com

Rangers could add payroll for Roy Halladay?

With the Rangers up for sale and the financial status so bleak Hicks Sports Group has defaulted on an interest payment on a $525 million loan, is there any way the Rangers can land Roy Halladay? A day ago, it's a question I would have - and did - quickly dismiss. Now, I'm not so sure. ... Tom Hicks didn't mention Halladay by name, but its clear the owner understood the gravity of questions about the club's ability to add to its veteran talent. "Any time you've got your minor league system well-stocked, you've got the opportunity to do some deals, if that is what you choose to do," Hicks said. -- D Magazine

Toronto looking to include Vernon Wells in Halladay trade?

The buzz around MLB scouts is that if a team is interested in acquiring Roy Halladay from the Blue Jays it better be ready to accept center fielder Vernon Wells, too. Since Wells has $107 million remaining starting next year, that's going to be hard to swallow. Especially because Halladay will likely seek a long-term deal in Sabathia's $161 million range to waive his no-trade clause. Halladay is signed through next year at $15.75 million. -- NY Post .....Ben's Take: Only the Red Sox, Yankees, Mets, Dodgers or Angels would be in play to take Halladay AND Wells.

FROM mlbtraderumors.com

Roy Halladay Rumors: Friday
By Ben Nicholson-Smith [July 10, 2009 at 11:16am CST]
For all of the Pedro Martinez rumors, Roy Halladay remains the best pitcher available. Here's the latest buzz surrounding the ace ace of a Jays team that's now fallen below .500:

•The Rangers have enough money coming off the books in 2010 to afford Halladay then, so his 2009 salary could be the team's biggest obstacle, according to Jamey Newberg. If the Rangers can afford Halladay this year, Newberg says the Rangers could give up Neftali Feliz or Justin Smoak- not both- along with Taylor Teagarden and others. But Derek Holland and Martin Perez are untouchable for Newberg.
•MLB.com's Todd Zolecki suspects that the Phillies would part with Jason Knapp, Dominic Brown or Kyle Drabek in the right deal if it meant adding Halladay.
•He only spoke in general terms, but Cards GM John Mozeliak told Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch "there is always a chance to do a deal."
•Jim Donaldson of the Providence Journal doesn't think Halladay's worth the price for the Red Sox.

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Zolecki is usually spot on with his stuff, but I cannot believe the Phils will part with Drabek in this deal.

Everything I read has had Drabek and Dominic Brown as off limits, but I guess you never know.

Jason Donald and Michael Taylors names have been tossed around a bit, and Olney proposed a deal involving Happ, Drabek, Donald, and Knapp. Maybe a bit too rich, but he is a team changer.

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JP isn't going to take crap for him and the Sox won't overpay...so I don't see him coming here. Do the Yanks have enough to offer even?

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Hughes and not sure what else, Jays are looking for a young SS in any deal I think.

They wont overpay and do not have a glaring need for him. Id be shocked if he came to the Sox.

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Yankees feeling sticker shock by Halladay price tag

The New York Yankees' top prospects won't be enough to pry Roy Halladay from the Toronto Blue Jays.

To acquire the six-time All-Star and 2003 Cy Young Award winner, the Yankees would have to send a major league-ready arm like Phil Hughes or Joba Chamberlain to the Blue Jays along with once-untouchable talents Austin Jackson and Austin Romine, the New York Post reported Saturday.

A source told the Post that Toronto will eventually trade its ace pitcher for prospects. The Halladay sweepstakes also include Boston, Milwaukee, St. Louis and Philadelphia, but the defending World Series champion Phillies are considered the favorites because of their wealth of young talent.

Source: New York Post

Those likely in the Halladay chase

1. Phillies. They have plenty of money, plenty of prospects and plenty of need. Even if they stick to their stated plan to keep pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, they still have pitchers Carlos Carrasco, Jason Knapp, J.A. Happ, catcher Lou Marson, shortstop Jason Donald and outfielders John Mayberry Jr., Dominic Brown and Michael Taylor.

2. Angels. Despite the loss to injury of Torii Hunter and Vladdy Guererro (he could be out awhile), pitching remains their focus. Brandon Wood and Sean Rodriguez are infield prospects, but with their pitching prospects Trevor Reckling and Jordan Walden years away, Jered Weaver could come into play.

3. Giants. Really looking for a hitter. But they'll consider it.

4. Rangers. They have perhaps baseball's best-stocked farm system, and hitting prospect Justin Smoak would be a lure. But ultimately, they probably don't have the money to add anyone significant.

5. Cardinals. They have declared their interest. If they do get Halladay, they'd have baseball's best pitching rotation, albeit an all-righthanded one.

6. Red Sox. They have at least a trio of high-end prospects (Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Lars Anderson). But there's considerable doubt as to whether the Jays would deal him in division.

7. Yankees. They could offer either Phil Hughes or even Joba Chamberlain and also have a big-time hitting prospect (Jesus Montero) and some others down below, to (pitcher Dellin Betances). But again, wrong division.

8. Brewers. They pulled off the big trade last year. But their system isn't quite what it was.

9. White Sox. Their GM is the most aggressive in the business. But it's hard to see how they do it without Gordon Beckham.
Prospects who are close to untouchable

1. Clay Buchholz, Red Sox P. His stock has soared with a big year at Pawtucket. Will get his first start of the year for Boston Friday.

2. Neftali Feliz and Derek Holland, Rangers, P. Feliz hit 100 mph according to Gameday at the Futures Game Sunday.

3. Gordon Beckham, White Sox, IF. They already love him in Chicago. Held out of Jake Peavy trade.

4. Kyle Drabek, Phillies, P. "Supremely talented,'' one GM said. Has a rep for being slightly mouthy, though.

5. Madison Bumgarner, Giants, P. If anyone can afford to part with a pitching prospect, it's San Francisco.

6. Brett Wallace, Cardinals, 3B. Natural hitter is beloved. Also said to field better than you'd think considering his squatty body.

7. Alcides Escobar, Brewers, SS. Sterling defender. Though, a Brewers person's comparison of Escobar to Alfredo Griffin gave me pause (Griffin was good, but no superstar) and made me wonder if he could be had in the right deal.

8. Jason Heyward, Braves, OF. Big bopper has great potential.

Toronto wants Halos Wood in Halladay trade

Brandon Wood, INF, Angels - Finally up from Triple A, Wood would have to be a major piece of any proposed deal with LA for Halladay, according to a Blue Jays source. -- Boston Globe

Jays scouting BoSox prospect Clay Buchholz?

Sunday was also the day that Clay Buchholz was not just being monitored by Pawtucket's parent team, the Boston Red Sox, but also by scouts from the Toronto Blue Jays - a team who has recently shown interest in the young pitcher as they look to possibly move ace Roy Halladay before the trade deadline. Two Toronto scouts were in attendance at Sunday's game. -- WEEI

Phillies Happ to Toronto?

Few Phillies face a more unpredictable future than J.A. Happ. He has been mentioned prominently in trade talks, particularly in speculation about a deal for Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay. The conventional wisdom is that the Phillies need to bolster their starting rotation to enhance their chances of postseason success. Philadelphia starters began Sunday with a 5.04 ERA - second worst in the 16-team National League. Happ is aware of the trade talk. He doesn't think about it on the mound, but off the field is another matter. "I'm going to tell you that it doesn't bother me," he said, "but it gets into your head. I love being here. I love being on this team. I think I fit in well. But I'm also trying to prove I'm a big-league pitcher. I'm not in control of what's going on." -- Press of Atlantic City