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• From Beckett to Weaver, rank the top candidates for AL Cy Young

As we recently learned, Toronto's populace is a diverse and rapidly growing wonder. Yet the city may soon be underrepresented in the former Cy Young winner demographic.

The Blue Jays would be in the thick of the race if they resided in the more geographically logical AL Central (or the NL Central, for that matter). Instead, they begin play Wednesday eight games behind the Red Sox, with the Yankees and Rays blocking any path up. And that means the team will be listening to offers for ace Roy Halladay, if not yet enlisting the ShamWow guy to move the merchandise.

For now, only a third of SportsNation expects a trade this season for Halladay, who is signed through 2010 and has veto power on any deal. But are two top-tier prospects really all it will take to land the ace, as so many people seem to think?

• A Cubs fan, SportsNation blogger DLEETC25 looks at what some contenders might be able to offer for Halladay and wonders whether Carlos Zambrano and prospects might be enough to lure him to Wrigley Field.
• In what's hailed as the third annual "Half-way Awards," blogger whitstatman runs through winners (and winning losers ... we're looking at you, Cleveland Indians) in the American League. Halladay gets the nod for Cy Young.
• Halladay has a lot of competition for the starting nod in the All-Star Game, the one starting position on each team fans don't control. Blogger ecksteinmyidol (presumably a big fan of University of Illinois professor Dr. James Eckstein) runs through the good and bad of the AL starters.
• Groups: The Blue Jay Bandwagon | Die Hard Phillies Fans | Texas Rangers

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If the Red Sox want him they can out bid anybody. The Yankees may have more cash but the Red Sox has a far better farm system with available talent. The Sox have the means to satisfy the Jays and the probable contract that Halladay would want reworked.

” -- blueliner2k3

“

[T]he likeliest destination for halladay would probably be either philadelphia or arlington, texas. in the end, philadelphia is going to have to be willing to give up future ace kyle drabek or lou marson, and texas is going to have to be willing to give up anyone not named "smoak" (i'm looking at you, natali feliz and chris davis).

” -- RJtheGator