MLB Trade Rumors:
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.Excerpts from Joe's article on Halladay:
Halladay, who enjoys full no-trade protection, has made clear to Blue Jays general manager J.P Ricciardi that he would accept a trade only to a contender. He also enjoys a strong friendship with Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, his Blue Jays teammate before Carpenter signed here in December 2002.I blame Walt if this doesn't happen.
Halladay stopped short of specifically commenting on the Cardinals as his next potential destination, but acknowledged knowing Carpenter's thoughts.
"Everybody raves about it here," Halladay said about four hours before Tuesday night's start. "I know how he feels and how much he loves it. That's from conversations we've had in the past. We haven't really discussed it recently."
Carpenter has publicly lobbied for the Cardinals to pursue the 2003 AL Cy Young Award winner. Cards general manager John Mozeliak acknowledged last week his intention to approach Ricciardi with the organization's interest. As one Cardinals source suggested this week, "We may be able to give up an arm or a leg. But we're not going to sacrifice the whole body" in a trade.
Pressed on St. Louis as a potential destination, Halladay said, "I just hate to say. I really do. It's not because I don't want to go to a certain place. Out of respect to Toronto, I'd just as soon not put the cart before the horse. It's just kind of a tough situation."
The Blue Jays coveted infielder Brett Wallace before the Cardinals took him in the first round of the 2007 amateur draft. Wallace currently is the Cardinals' top prospect. The Jays apparently expect major league-ready pitching in any package for Halladay, which poses a serious challenge to the Cardinals.
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