Torontos Halladay to Test Open Market

Roy Halladay's desire to test the free-agent market following the 2010 season is the primary reason the Toronto Blue Jays are trying to trade their staff ace, general manager J.P. Ricciardi said yesterday. "That is the whole reason we're going down this avenue," Ricciardi said, hours after revealing Halladay's intentions in a pre-game chat with a Toronto radio station.

Since baseball's non-waiver trade deadline is next Friday, Ricciardi had announced that he would field offers for Halladay, who has a full no-trade clause. Toronto has set a loose deadline of Tuesday, July 28, to make a deal, but Ricciardi said there is room to maneuver. "If we're down the road with something in the works, obviously the deadline can fluctuate.

But, if we 're not on that road (by Tuesday), then nothing's going to happen," added the general manager. Halladay had signed contract extensions with Toronto before both the 2004 and 2006 seasons, but he has told the Blue Jays that he will test the open market after his contract expires next year. Halladay had given the GM a list of teams that he would consider joining and said some new teams have entered the bidding process for the righty in recent days, but Ricciardi wouldn't name them.

Ricciardi has repeatedly said that he thinks Halladay will still be with the Blue Jays after the trade deadline passes. 'If we don't trade him, we still have a very good player and we still have a chance to have a very good team next year," added the GM. "If we're wowed, we'll think about it. And my gut (feeling) is that we don't get wowed." Watch this whole process and others unfold on ESPN on Dish Network.

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By: Frank Bilotta