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THE CANADIAN PRESS

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TORONTO - They're already picturing the good Roy Halladay would do in places like Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and New York, while Toronto Blue Jays fans are facing up to the painful reality that their ace may soon be on the move. The baseball world remained abuzz Wednesday with talk about the 2003 Cy Young Award winner, set off with general manager J.P. Ricciardi's simple proclamation that he'll listen to offers for arguably the game's best pitcher.

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AP

Roy Halladay

The ensuing fervour will only build between now and the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, as various teams weigh how steep a price they're willing to pay for Halladay, and Ricciardi ponders what return is enough to justify a franchise-altering deal.

"He's the best pitcher in the American League, probably the best pitcher in the majors," Phillies slugger Matt Stairs, a former Blue Jay from Fredericton, told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "He'd give us another horse. We'd be a lot more dangerous. He'd give us two No. 1 guys with (Cole) Hamels.€‰...

"It's going to cost an awful lot to get him. I would do it. But that's coming from me because I played with him and I know what he's all about."

Angels centre-fielder Torii Hunter echoed those sentiments to the Los Angeles Times.

"If they're shopping Roy Halladay, everybody and their momma is going to be after him," he told the paper. "He's the guy I'd build a rotation around.

"He's smart. He hits his spots. He goes deep into games. He's a bulldog. When the pressure is on, he's at his best. He's everything you'd want in a starting pitcher."

No one will argue that, making the key question now what exactly will the Blue Jays want in return.

With another payroll crunch looming in 2010 - they have $82.45 million committed to eight players including Halladay next year, with a similar payroll for their entire team this season - young, controllable and cheap assets are an obvious priority.

The dream scenario for the Blue Jays would be to strike a deal similar to the one the Cleveland Indians made in June 2002, when they obtained centre-fielder Grady Sizemore, Cy Young Award Cliff Lee and second baseman Brandon Phillips from the Montreal Expos in exchange for ace righty Bartolo Colon.

Current Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava was with the Indians when that deal was made and targeted the three stars, who at the time were prospects he helped land for the Expos during an earlier stint as Montreal's player development director. But of few of the more recent trades have brought back such a prosperous return for the team dealing away an elite pitcher.

And there are no guarantees with prospects or young players, meaning Ricciardi and his staff will have to tread very carefully before moving Halladay.