Red Sox going hard for Halladay

The Red Sox want Halladay before the start of the winter meetings, that's what is being reported by Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden of the New York Daily News.  New Blue Jays GM, Alex Anthopoulos, is willing to deal Halladay within the division for the right price.  Any package the Red Sox put together will have to include promising young starter Clay Buchholz.

A move like this would certainly change the balance of power in the AL East.  When you can trot out there Josh Beckett, Roy Halladay and Jon Lester as your top 3 starters, you are going to put yourself in position to be one of the best teams in baseball.  It will be interesting to see how the Yankees get involved now.  We remember last year that the Red Sox were the front runners for Teixeira until Brian Cashman and the Yankees came in and made a late push and signed him to an 8 year 180 million dollar deal.  Thanks also in part to Teixeira coming out of a meeting less than feeling good about this future owner/boss John Henry.  The Yankees have the players to make a move for Halladay.  They can offer up Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes.  They also have promosing catching prospects in Jesus Montero and Austin Romine; and Center field prospect Austin Jackson.  The other option is they can keep their prospects and make a counter move by courting free agent starting pitcher John Lackey.

It should be interesting to see how this plays out.  It could end up being like last years trade deadline and nothing happens at all and we will re-visit all this Halladay trade talk starting in June of 2010 as we approach the July 31st trade deadline next season.