Conversations between Toronto and Philadelphia, said to be the front runner for acquiring Halladay, are in a stalemate because the Phillies will not part with top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek. The Blue Jays have repeatedly asked for Drabek along with J.A. Happ and Dominic Brown. The Phillies countered with a package that would include one or more of the following players; Michael Taylor, Carlos Carrasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson.

Toronto balked at the counter offer from the Phillies and sources claim that both teams are still in negotiations regarding Halladay but that talks turned nasty at one point over the weekend. The second team said to be in the running for Halladay are the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim but Toronto is said to be asking for three players on the Angels’ 25-man roster in return for Halladay.

Halladay, wherever he lands, will make a major impact on his new team if he is traded at all. Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi claims he really doesn’t think that Halladay will be traded by the time the 4pm Friday deadline arrives because he doesn’t believe that any team will want to part with the prospects they are asking for in return. If Halladay does change teams he will likely end up with the Phillies, Dodgers, or Angels. These three teams seem to be the ones that have the talent it will take to pry the Cy Young Award winner from the only team he has ever played for.

So what happens to the rest of the league if Halladay does not get traded or if the Blue Jays decide to hold onto him even if there is time left prior to the deadline? Many teams could turn to the Cleveland Indians and the Seattle Mariners. The Indians haven’t decided yet if they are willing to trade former Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee or hold onto him. The Mariners also aren’t sure if they are ready to part with Jarrod Washburn prior to the deadline. If teams are looking for a plan B then they could possibly turn their attention towards Lee and/or Washburn.

Other pitching options for teams looking for relievers include Baltimore’s George Sherrill, possibly the Reds’ Arthur Rhodes, the Diamondbacks’ Chad Qualls, the Nationals’ Joe Beimel and the Pirates’ John Grabow and Matt Capps. It is still difficult to determine whether or not there will be a flurry of minor trades by week’s end or if the Holliday to St. Louis trade will be the only blockbuster deal of the 2009 regular season.

The Angels have struggled out of the gate so far in 2009 after losing key free agents Mark Teixeira and Francisco Rodriguez to the Yankees and Mets respectively. They also had to suffer through the death of teammate Nick Adenhart. The Angels sit three games behind the American League West leading Rangers with a 29-27 record in 2009.

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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim have selected OF Randal Grichuck out of Lamar Consolidated High School in Texas with the 24^th overall draft pick. Grichuck has pounded 38 home runs over the last two seasons, including 21 this past year, which led the entire country. His batting average was extraordinarily impressive, hitting at a .613 stanza. Grichuck had committed to the University of Arizona. The 6 foot, 185 pounder was born to hit baseballs, as noticed from early on in his baseball career, homering 4 times in the Little League World Series back in 2004 and also helping the US win a gold medal in 2007 at the World Youth Championship. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are currently 29-27 in the AL West, as they trail the first place Texas Rangers by three games. In ’08, the Angels did not have a first round selection in the MLB draft. However, the Angels are stockpiled with high picks in the first few rounds with overall selections 24, 25, 40, 42, and 48. This occurred because of former Angels Mark Teixiera, Francisco Rodriguez, and Jon Garland signing with new teams during baseball’s off season. With the Angels missing a lot of pieces from their powerhouse postseason teams from years past, this draft will gave them a great opportunity to restock their farm system.

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