Everybody wants Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay(notes) on their roster but the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim appears to be one of the few teams who is trying to do something about that, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Anaheim tried to snag Halladay this summer and probably tied the Philadelphia Phillies for being the closest to getting a deal done. But former J.P. Ricciardi drove too hard a bargain for both of those teams and so they went without and did pretty well anyway.

The word is that Anaheim will need to give up a slew of prospects along with one of three pitchers -- Jered Weaver(notes), Ervin Santana(notes), or Joe Saunders(notes) - to get the Blue Jays to open that little window for the Angels to negotiate an extension with the 32-year-old Halladay and finish off the trade.

Halladay has supposedly informed the Blue Jays that he isn't going to re-sign after next season.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Texas Rangers outfielder Nelson Cruz(notes) made "only" $418,000 this year while hitting .260 with 33 homers, 76 RBIs, stealing 20 bases, and scoring 75 runs. That low, low price and high production have apparently gotten the 29-year-old Cruz interest from "several teams" who would love to trade for him, according to FOXSports.

But that low price and high production are also making the Rangers loathe to trade Cruz. So the fella who became an All-Star for the first time this year is very likely to be back in the Texas Rangers outfield next year.

Some teams that are believed to be interested include the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, and San Francisco Giants.

Source: FOXSports

Everybody is talking about where Roy Halladay(notes) and John Lackey(notes) are going to end up, but former Los Angeles Dodgers hurler Randy Wolf(notes) is apparently getting a lot more attention from teams. ESPN is saying that teams are being "aggressive" in their hopes of getting him onto their rosters.

The 33-year-old lefty is benefiting from there not being a whole lot of other strong pitching on the market right now. He had a 3.23 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts in 214.1 innings this year. Lackey pitched fewer innings (176.1) and had a higher ERA (3.83).

More than half the teams in Major League Baseball are supposedly trying to get him.

Source: ESPN

The Los Angels of Anaheim may be looking for some solid pitching this off-season but the word is that of the two big trade chips of the Detroit Tigers, the Angels would rather have big bopper Curtis Granderson(notes) than pitcher Edwin Jackson(notes), according to FOXSports.

The word is that the Angels like Granderson more simply because his contract runs through 2012 and has a $13 million option for 2013 while Jackson's only goes till the end of 2011.

The Angels are supposedly good potential trading partners with Detroit because the three areas of depth - catcher, low-paying pitching, and shortstop - are what the Tigers need.

In 2009, center fielder Granderson hit 30 homers, had 71 RBIs, FOXSports, 91 runs scored, and 157 hits.

Source: FOXSports

Even though Johnny Damon(notes) wants to stay with the New York Yankees, he seems to be hurting his chances when he makes it public that he's not planning on taking any kind of pay cut from what he was just making, according to the New York Daily News.

The 36-year-old Damon is apparently thinking that he would like a three- or four-year deal and the Yankees supposedly only want to give him a two-year deal. The 2010 salary is still being finalized for the Yanks but it is believed that the team's priorities are to bring back Damon and Andy Pettitte(notes).

The Daily News reports that Damon told friends earlier this year that he would accept a shorter deal from the Yanks but then his annual salary would have to go up.

Source: New York Daily News

Former All-Star Ben Sheets(notes) is apparently at the top of the list for the New York Mets this off-season even though he didn't pitch in the majors this year, according to the New York Post. While John Lackey(notes) is the guy the Mets somehow hope to get, the 31-year-old Sheets is a much more likely choice if the New York Daily News is to be believed.

The Daily News reports that the Mets only have $20 million to spend this off-season.

While the Mets are sure to reduce the $147 payroll it had last season, which would allow for more than $20 million to be spent on free agents, it is believed that there is no way the Mets can compete in the free-agent bidding wars that will take place for Lackey, Matt Holliday(notes), and Jason Bay(notes).

So Sheets and Jason Marquis(notes) are apparently the two pitchers that the team is focused on snagging

Source: New York PostNew York Daily News

Boston Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell(notes) is apparently up on the trading block in an off-season that is crowded with third sackers, according to the FOXSports.

The word is that the Red Sox will pay half of the 35-year-old Lowell's $12 million salary next season to anybody who will take him.

Lowell hasn't played more than 120 games in the last two years so if anybody takes him, they better have a decent backup.

If the Sox can get Adrian Gonzalez(notes) from the San Diego Padres, he'll be playing first and Kevin Youkilis(notes) will be moved to third. Otherwise, Boston will be bidding for the likes of Adrian Beltre(notes), Placido Polanco(notes), Chone Figgins(notes), and a bunch of others, though Beltre is believed to be the one of most interest to the Sox.

Source: FOXSports

Catcher Yorvit Torrealba(notes) reportedly turned down a two-year, $4.5 million deal from his former club, the Colorado Rockies, and it now appears that the 31-year-old may be getting interest from a division rival, according to the Denver Post.

It isn't clear which one it is but the San Francisco Giants are the most likely team since it needs someone to hold the spot till top prospect Buster Posey(notes) is ready to fill it.

The Rockies have also supposedly given a call to the agent for Brian Schneider(notes) just in case Torrealba doesn't end up back in Denver.

Source: Denver Post

Midnight last night was the moment that the 171 free agents currently on the market can start negotiating with any team they want and it appears that former Boston Red Sox slugger Jason Bay(notes) might be the most popular guy out there right now, according to the Boston Herald.

Bay apparently has an "unbelievable" number of teams making calls for him, says his (totally unbiased) agent. Bay, Matt Holliday(notes), and John Lackey(notes) will be the three biggest free agents on the market this off-season but Bay seems to be the most accessible of the three to more clubs.

Bay reportedly wants a five-year deal worth $17 million annually and supposedly declined a four-year, $60 million proposal on the table from the Red Sox. Now he's waiting to see what kind of dollars and years will be offered by such clubs as the New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and Seattle Mariners.

And, of course, the Red Sox will keep a watchful eye over the proceedings and try to get back in at an opportune moment.

Source: Boston Herald

New York Yankees right fielder Nick Swisher(notes) had a tough postseason at the plate but still got to celebrate at the end of the whole shebang when his team became the World Series champions. Word came out yesterday that the team was supposedly making the switch hitter available on the trading block, leading some to believe that he could have been part of a package for the Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay(notes), who the Yanks are rumored to be interested in bringing to the Bronx.

However, an exec on the team has apparently told the New York Post that Swisher isn't going anywhere and the Yankees are very happy with having him out in right field.

So now Swisher can just go ahead and relax and get that tattoo he was planning to get this winter to honor his departed grandfather that will match the one that he has on his chest in honor of his grandmother. The pair basically raised him after his folks got divorced.

Source: New York Post