Rumors: Halladay Still on Dodgers Radar

The Los Angeles Dodgers are still considering Roy Halladay as a mid-season trade acquisition. However, as Sports Illustrated reports, the price is still astronomical, with as many as six top-prospects needed to get a deal done. The Blue Jays would lower that number, but only if Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw headline the deal. The Dodgers are reportedly balking at the asking price, and have focused their attention on acquiring George Sherrill from Baltimore. The Orioles are looking for a pitcher and third-baseman, and have interest in Scott Elbert and Double-A slugger Josh Bell.

Dodgers Lose Out on Lee

If the Dodgers make a trade for a starting pitcher before the trade deadline, it won't be for Cliff Lee. The Cleveland Indians sent Lee along with Ben Francisco to Philadelphia for four prospects. The Dodgers now must look at Jarrod Washburn, or if the market has softened, Roy Halladay.

Halladay-Deal Hopes Begin to Dwindle

The Los Angeles Dodgers are becoming less and less likely to land Toronto-ace Roy Halladay, according to Sports Illustrated. Talks between the Blue Jays and Philadelphia have increased, and with the Phillies willing to part with their top prospects, the Dodgers are at a marked disadvantage. LA has been scouting Cleveland's Cliff Lee, as well as many relievers such as George Sherrill, Matt Capps, John Grabow, and Jason Frasor.

UPDATE: Nevermind. According to ESPN, the Phillies are balking at the Blue Jays' asking price, and refuse to meet their demands.

Editor's Note: Halladay In

Roy Halladay looks like the only real superstar on the trade market, and the Blue Jays will want a minor-league roster of prospects in exchange. You can stop daydreaming of trades involving McDonald, DeWitt, Elbert and Hu. It will not happen. Toronto won't even talk with the Dodgers unless they will part with Broxton, Kershaw, Billingsley, or Kemp, and as of now the Dodgers refuse to tamper with the current 25-man roster. A trade for Kershaw may seem like a temporary solution, and if the World Series can return to Los Angeles, why not do it? Only, trading for an ace is nowhere near a lock to even make it through the first round of the playoffs (see: Milwaukee and CC Sabathia). Sure, Halladay improves the chances, but Kershaw's raw potential rivals any pitcher in the majors. The Dodgers have held on to these guys, not because they were waiting for the right opportunity to trade them as if it were a high-stakes poker game, but because they want to build a team around them. Ned Colletti has other concerns than acquiring an ace, like repairing the overworked bullpen and finding a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher to solidify the fifth-starter role. While Halladay would be a nice addition, the cost is unneccesary and even harmful.

Struggles Continue for NL in Loss

The American League topped the National League 4-3 in the 2009 MLB All Star Game to win home-field advantage in the World Series, the AL's 12th straight ASG victory. The Junior Circuit had the early advantage, scoring twice in the first inning off the Giant's Tim Lincecum. The NL responded though, scoring three runs in the second off Toronto's Roy Halladay to take the lead, capped by Milwaukee's Prince Fielder, who hit an RBI-double. The Dodgers' Chad Billingsley surrendered the lead in the fifth, giving up a double to Minnesota's Joe Mauer that scored the Yankee's Derek Jeter. San Diego's Heath Bell then gave up a triple to Curtis Granderson of Detroit, and Baltimore's Adam Jones hit a sacrafice-fly to knock Granderson home. Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford robbed Brad Hawpe of the Rockies of a home run that would have tied the game, and his superb defense earned him the All Star MVP award. The Dodgers' Orlando Hudson entered the game as a replacement, and went 1-for-2 with a stolen base.