Speculative Bullshit

He's not relaxing - his hip is broken.

When you see a headline like this, you know that the first thought on your mind is "What Would the Sox Have to Do to Get Halladay?" I'm not going to pretend that he's a "perfect fit" or anything like that. What I will say is that he's one of the best AL pitchers (statistically, he's only behind Greinke in 2009), and that he's a monstrous workhorse. I want the Sox to get him, and I want it NOW.

With a rotation of Buerhle, Halladay, Danks, Floyd and Contreras, we almost certainly take the division, and have a beastly 1-2-3 punch for the playoffs. Halladay's contract also extends through 2010, and although he has a no-trade clause, it's not like he's just a one-year rental. Throw in the fact that we're going to have a LOT of money freed up next season (Thome and Contreras will not be costing us a combined 20 million), so it's not out of the question to re-sign him if he crosses over.

So what would it take?

Sadly, I can't think of a single scenario that doesn't involve the Sox losing Poreda (as Kenny will refuse to trade Gordon Beckham...and rightfully so). You also have to keep in mind that the only reason to trade Halladay would be to shed contract and get youth to rebuild. With Poreda and Richard as the known starting point for an A-rank pitcher (see: Jake Peavy), we have the following to work with:

#1. Sox trade: Poreda, Anderson, and two solid minor league players (think Jon Link and Dexter Carter) for Halladay. As much as I hate to lose Anderson, this trade probably makes the most sense. The Sox solve their outfielder problem (currently Quentin, Wise, Anderson, Podsednik and Dye), and Ozzie doesn't do any damage to the core of the existing team. The Blue Jays get a cheap centerfielder that they can use to replace Vernon Wells, and some pitching depth for the future. Carter has been in "about to get traded" mode for a little while (he's still stuck on the Intimidators), and this would probably make sense.

#2. Sox trade: Poreda, Richard, and Fields for Halladay and minor league infielder. This seems less likely, mostly because the stocks of both Richard and Fields have dropped tremendously this season. The Jays get immediate pitching impact and a replacement for Rolen at 3B (with 2010 being the last year of his contract and considering his injury history, he also makes a good "sell-high" candidate) with some upside. Frankly, I don't think either team really "wants" to do a deal like this, though - the Sox lose another infielder (of which they have few), and the Blue Jays don't get a long-term position player.

#3. Sox trade: DeWayne Wise and Jimmy Gobble for Bag of Baseballs and Greeting Card. Please. Make this happen. I hate them both so SO much...