What a day. You'll have to forgive me for getting this blog post up a bit later than usual, but it's been a little hectic around these parts, what with Roy Halladay not being traded and Scott Rolen being traded to Cincy prior to today's deadline.

In short, the Blue Jays weren't blown away by any offers for their ace, so he's staying put. GM J.P. Ricciardi said he'd still be open to listening to offers over the winter, but hoped the proposals would be better than they were this month. Unlikely, since Halladay's value was at its highest now, when he could've been had for a season and a half.

As for Rolen, it came as a bit of a shock that he was traded with only a few minutes left before the 4 p.m. ET deadline. On the surface, the trade didn't really make sense for the Reds. Then, we find out Rolen requested to be traded closer to home for what Ricciardi called "personal reasons". I was told it was something related to his family.

It actually worked out well for the Jays, because Rolen's value was as high as it's been in years. After four seasons of dealing with left shoulder issues, Rolen was putting together a fantastic campaign and playing Gold Glove defense once again. As a result, the Jays got two pitchers (reliever Josh Roenicke and Minor Leaguer Zach Stewart), along with third baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Roenicke will join the Jays' bullpen on Saturday, with reliever Jeremy Accardo being optioned to AAA Vegas. Stewart will tote his 1.67 ERA ERA (across these Minors levels this year) to Vegas as well. Ricciardi said they ultimately see Stewart as a starter, but some Toronto scouts think he could reach the bigs faster as a late-inning reliever.

I will say this, I will miss watching Rolen play. He never ceased to amaze on defense and I loved his old-school, head down, full sprint around the bags after hitting a homer. Rolen has his quirks, but he was easy to talk to and was great to the print media. I'm sure Halladay will miss having him behind him scooping up grounders as well.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (49-53)
Fourth place AL East, 13.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Kevin Millar, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Jose Bautista, LF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. John McDonald, 3B

Starter: RHP Scott Richmond (6-5, 3.69)

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (49-52)
Fourth place AL East, 12.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Alex Rios, RF
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Kevin Millar, 1B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Jose Bautista, LF

Starter: RHP Roy Halladay (11-3, 2.62)

SEATTLE MARINERS (52-48)
Third place AL West, 7.5 GB

1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
2. Franklin Gutierrez, CF
3. Jose Lopez, 2B
4. Ken Griffey Jr., DH
5. Chris Shelton, 1B
6. Kenji Johjima, C
7. Jack Hannahan, 3B
8. Chris Woodward, SS
9. Michael Saunders, LF

Starter: LHP Ryan Rowland-Smith (0-1, 3.48)

While standing outside the visitors' clubhouse at Safeco Field this afternoon, Blue Jays third baseman Scott Rolen walked out of the room, stopped by us writers, suddenly looked stunner and pointed back toward the locker room.

"Did you guys know they're thinking of trading Doc?" Rolen deadpanned.

"Where'd ya hear that?" one scribe jokingly replied.

"From Doc!" Rolen said. "He just told me. I can't believe it."

Meanwhile, Halladay was at his locker, putting on his Jays uniform. The good doctor is still here and he's still scheduled to start tomorrow for Toronto. Today was the self-imposed "deadline" that general manager J.P. Ricciardi set for potentially trading Halladay, but it looks as if these talks will keep going.

Ricciardi did not return several messages. Not a big surprise there, since J.P. has been offering up no comments for the most part since Halladay's last start. What we know? Jays and Phillies are still talking, but Philadelphia may be turning its attention to Jarrod Washburn and Cliff Lee given the Jays' asking price for Doc.

One of the Phillies' top officials is here in Seattle to keep an eye on Washburn's outing tonight and for Halladay's start on Wednesday. I've heard conflicting reports about whether the Jays have someone scouting Phillies shortstop prospect Jason Donald today, and depending on where you're browsing the web, the Red Sox may or may not have made an offer.

Elsewhere in Bird Land, the Jays activated righty Scott Richmond on Tuesday and optioned reliever Drik Hayhurst to Triple-A Las Vegas. Brian Tallet will remain in the bullpen, considering he has already chalked up a career-high in innings. Adam Lind has the day off and Vernon Wells is temporarily in the No. 3 hole in the lineup.

UPDATE: Told that the Jays do have a scout in Lehigh Valley to watch the Phillies Triple-A team (Jason Donald and Michael Taylor are playing). Also, interesting that there is no representative from the Jays front office on this trip to Seattle. I'm also told that no front-office types are scheduled to travel to Oakland. Just a thought: If Toronto does decide to trade Halladay -- the face of the franchise -- wouldn't that be something he'd be informed of face to face? I'd think so. So, if the general manager shows up on the West Coast, it likely means something's up.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (49-51)
Fourth place AL East, 12.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Vernon Wells, CF
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Alex Rios, RF
6. Lyle Overbay, 1B
7. Kevin Millar, DH
8. Jose Bautista, LF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-2, 2.82)

SEATTLE MARINERS (51-48)
Third place AL West, 7.5 GB

1. Ichiro Suzuki, RF
2. Franklin Gutierrez, DH
3. Mike Sweeney, DH
4. Chris Shelton, 1B
5. Jack Hannahan, 3B
6. Rob Johnson, C
7. Chris Woodward, 2B
8. Michael Saunders, LF
9. Ronny Cedeno, SS

Starter: LHP Jarrod Washburn (8-6, 2.71)

Let's take a break from all this Roy Halladay stuff for a minute, ok? No? Fine. A report indicates that the Phils rejected an offer from the Jays that would've swapped Halladay for Kyle Drabek, J.A. Happ and Dominic Brown.

Moving on...

Let's turn to the fans' favorite punching bag this season: center fielder Vernon Wells. More to the point, have you seen his home-road splits this season? Take a look:

IN 47 GAMES IN TORONTO

.168/.238/.295, 4 HR, 17 RBI

IN 47 GAMES ON THE ROAD

.332/.364/.505, 6 HR, 22 RBI

As I've written numerous times this season, no one is more frustrated with Wells' showing this year than Wells himself. He finally put together a nice little 10-game run before the All-Star break, but then came down with a bad flu bug and missed three games. Since then, he has gone 2-for-16 at the plate, entering Saturday's game.

Manager Cito Gaston was asked if there was any way to explain the drastic difference in Wells' numbers at home versus on the road. If you were at Rogers Centre on Friday night, you might have heard the loud boos directed Wells' way all evening. Gaston said that could have a little something to do with it.

"I can hear the fans starting to boo him," Gaston aid. "Whether you believe it or not, you hear that. You hear that. When they boo you on the road, you just try to kick their butts even more. But when it's your own fans, it certainly gets to you a little bit more. But that hasn't always happened -- this has just happened lately. So, I'm not sure."

Gaston also talked some about right-hander Casey Janssen, who was activated from the DL on Thursday and optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas rather than being called up to rejoin the Jays. The manager said Janssen isn't quite ready to come back, but when he does, the pitcher will likely be a reliever again.

Asked if Janssen was being viewed long-term as a reliever again, Gaston said he wasn't completely sure.

"I have different thoughts about guys in bullpens and guys that start that have bad arms," said Gaston, referring to Janssen's recent shoulder woes. "To me, I've always thought that maybe the bullpen was the worst thing for you, but everybody seems to think -- and maybe he's proved that, too -- that he's better off in the bullpen. I don't know.

"You start, you rest for a couple of days, and then you throw again, and then you pitch again. But in the bullpen, you can be up and down, two or three days. I haven't quite figured that one out yet, but maybe he's different. I haven't had him in the bullpen, so we'll see what happens."

Today's lineups:

TAMPA BAY RAYS (53-44)
Third place AL East, 6.5 GB

1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Ben Zobrist, SS
5. Pat Burrell, DH
6. Carlos Pena, 1B
7. Gabe Kapler, RF
8. Willy Aybar, 2B
9. Dioner Navarro, C

Starter: LHP David Price (3-4, 4.86)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (47-40)
Fourth place AL East, 12.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Kevin Millar, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. Jose Bautista, LF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Brian Tallet (5-6, 4.95)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay altered his typical postgame routine and met with the large pack of media that showed up on Friday night in an interview room outside the team's clubhouse after Toronto's 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay in 10 innings. After logging nine frames, Doc answered questions about his future with the club for 20 minutes.

Here are some of the highlights of the question-and-answer session:

On the crowd and the standing ovations:

"It was electric. It was a great atmosphere. It was fun to be in. I think you have those moments over your career where it's so much fun to be out there. Obviously, coming up on the wrong end of it, it's hard. It was electric. It was a fun place to be tonight."

On his thoughts walking off the mound in the ninth inning:

"How many pitches I had. You hate to come out of games like that. I really didn't know where I was at pitch-wise. That was the big thing. If I get a chance to go back out, can I? I didn't realize I was up that high in pitches, so I think at that point you're still kind of in game mode. You're not done."

On why he didn't tip his hat or answer a curtain call:

"You're always trying to keep yourself in the game. It's tough, especially in a tie game or something like that, to come out and do something like that. It's a tough situation. You have it in the back of your mind that you will go back out there. I really think that for me it was just trying to keep myself in the game and not anticipate it being over before it was."

On if he believes he'll be a Blue Jay come August:

"Right now, yeah, I think I will be here. It's obviously a complicated situation and I think for that reason I've never felt like there's been a big press on being moved or wanting to be moved. ... If there was an urgency to be somewhere else, and an urgency for the team to have me somewhere else, I think it'd be different. I just don't get that feeling. For that reason, I think that at this point I feel like I'm going to be here."

On being ready to have the matter resolved:

"From this aspect of it, yeah. It could be difficult if you do end up going somewhere. It's going to be hard. I think that from this part -- trying to speculate and answer questions -- I'm ready for that part to be over."

Asked if he told the Jays he planned on testing free agency:

"I don't think necessarily in those words. For me, I like being here. Whether we have a chance to win, next year or the year after, I don't know. I would hope so, but for me it was more I would like to wait and see. I don't feel like I want to test -- it has nothing to do with what I might get elsewhere. It has to do with I don't have a crystal ball. I don't know 100 percent what's going to lay in store here or somewhere else. For me, I feel like it's just something that I don't want to try and look that far in the future right now. I would rather assess the situation when my contract is up."

On talking to interim president and CEO Paul Beeston:

"I definitely feel like there's a plan in place. I feel like it's an organization that's trying to move forward. That it's trying to get better. From that aspect of it, I think there's a lot to look forward to here. I think for me, it's more of a wait-and-see. I know Paul's done a great job and I have a lot of confidence in J.P. The time that I've been here, he's done the best he can to put the best team out there. ... There's a lot to look forward to here. I just think I owe it to myself at this point to kind of wait and see and assess the situation when I have to. I do feel like there's a lot of positives here."

On going over a list of teams to which he'd approve a trade with the front office:

"They're aware of what I'm looking for -- that I want a chance to win, whether it be here or somewhere else. I think in certain cases, you do have to let them know what would be a possibility for you. Otherwise, you're wasting a lot of peoples' time. If something does work out, it's for the best for both sides. I think you definitely have to. If you are going to talk about it, there's certain places that maybe you would go and I think they need to know that. If not, you're kind of wasting your time. There have been a little bit of those talks, but I'd hate to go too far in-depth."

Asked if he thinks the Jays need "major changes" to contend:

"Major changes? No. I think the hardest part is obviously the division we're in. The two, three, four teams that you're up against -- two of them being able to go out and get guys when they need them -- I think that's the hardest part. I don't think that there's major changes. I think at some point you have to catch lightning in a bottle and a lot of things have to go right -- kind of like what happened for Tampa last year. I think a lot of those pieces are in place. A lot of the future is there. It's just a matter of, when will that happen and when will it all come together? I personally don't believe that there's major changes. I think things are headed in the right direction."

On how frustrating has it been not to win with the Blue Jays.

"I think any player would say that the longer you go without having that chance, the harder it is, especiall late in your career. Earlier in your career, you're establishing yourself -- there's a lot of different things going on. I think the longer you play, the more winning becomes a priority, so it is hard. It's tough. But I think you ask every single one of those guys in the clubhouse who've been here for a long period of time, I think they'll tell you the same thing. I think that everybody has that desire. It's just a matter of having it come to fruition."

On the whole trade rumor situation:

"Obviously, I think a lot of it probably has to do with the fact that I told them I would like to wait until my contract's up to make the best decision. That probably plays into it. But as soon as they say, 'We're interested in maybe seeing what's out there' and 'Are you interested?', I think at that point there has to be a little bit, 'Well, if this is what you're looking for, this is what I'm looking for?' And basically that's all it is. I don't think at that point you sit down and give them a list of six teams you want to go to. But I think for me it was important to make clear what I wanted to accomplish and where I was coming from. And I think that part of it's important. As far as nailing down specifics, at that point, no, that didn't happen."

Asked if he's heard from players on other teams:

"A little bit, but more jokingly I think. Obviously it's kind of taken on a little bit of its own character. ... But I don't feel like I've been sold by anybody. It's not a sales pitch, it's more 'Hey, how's everything going? How are you doing with this? What do you think about playing here?' So there haven't been sales pitches."

On possibly signing an extension this coming offseason:

"I think it would be tough on me. Again, it's not that I want to go somewhere else, or I want to play somewhere else, but I really feel like I've fulfilled a lot of obligations, and I think at some point you have to be a little bit selfish in what you want. I think that I've kind of gotten to the point where I can right now. I can make that decision at that point and go with what I think is best. It's purely based on having a chance to win. It really is. I love it here, I want to stay, and I really do hope it's here. But I think for me, I've taken care of a lot of things and I fel like I would hate to look back and regret that I had this three- or four-year window and I didn't take a chance to give myself the best opportunity, and that's really all I'm trying to do, whether it's here or somewhere else."

--JB

Happy Halla-Day everyone. If this indeed the swan song of the good doctor in Toronto, let me just say that Roy Halladay has been a joy to cover over the past few seasons.

But, anyways...

We tried to chat some with GM J.P. Ricciardi before the game tonight, especially considering he altered his story about Halladay presenting the team with a list of teams to which he'd approve a trade. Ricciardi was in no mood for talking.

"We're not talking about Halladay," Ricciardi told reporters. "I'll talk on the 31st. There's not else to say."

Fair enough, I guess. I mean, what else is there to say, really? Ricciardi said a whole lot on Thursday and ended up having to clarify a bunch of his comments. It's possible that Ricciardi also irked Halladay a little by some of the things he revealed.

Here's what we know: the Phillies continue to be the front-runner to land Halladay in a deal, there are at least four teams considered to have serious interest, and the Jays have run a list of teams by Doc to see where he'd prefer to be moved, if he's moved. There were rumors that a deal was close with Philadelphia and could be finalized in the next 24 hours. That was inaccurate.

On Friday afternoon, manager Cito Gaston said he had Halladay penciled in the rotation well beyond the Trade Deadline. Asked what he thought about having to change his rotation in the event that Halladay is dealt, Gaston replied: "I don't even want to think about it."

Everyone seems to be chiming in on this Doc Halladay saga these days, too.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was asked about the Halladay rumors on Sirius XM radio and had this to say:

"We'll see what happens. I'm hearing conflicting versions. They may get rid of him and today I was told by somebody with pretty good inside knowledge that they won't get rid of him. Now whether that's true or not, I don't know. And, you know, clubs are going to start bidding it up.  On the other hand, if they know [the Jays] can't sign him then they're doing the smart thing.  So the Jays are going to have to make a reasoned judgment at some time: where are they better off in the future?  I'll tell you one thing: they can get a lot for him and Doc Halladay is a great pitcher."

"They've got to send him where they think they can get the most. I won't make a judgment on that right now. I think, from everything I'm hearing - and that could change now, you know, this is a very fluid situation - but I think if he gets traded he's going to wind up in the National League."

Today's lineups:

TAMPA BAY RAYS (52-44)
Third place AL East, 6.5 GB

1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Ben Zobrist, 2B
6. Pat Burrell, DH
7. Gabe Gross, RF
8. Michel Hernandez, C
9. Jason Bartlett, SS

Starter: RHP Matt Garza (6-7, 3.80)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (47-49)
Fourth place AL East, 11.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Joe Inglett, LF

Starter: RHP Roy Halladay (11-3, 2.73)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

Following the Blue Jays' game against the Indians on Thursday afternoon, reporters caught up with general manager J.P. Ricciardi to ask about his comments on a Toronto radio station earlier in the day. Ricciardi indicated that Roy Halladay informed the team that he planned on testing free agency after 2010, leading Toronto to explore trading the ace pitcher.

"That's the whole reason we're going down this avenue," Ricciardi told reporters.

Ricciardi was asked when this conversation with Halladay took place. The GM didn't remember precisely when, but noted that Halladay mentioned some time during the season that he was not interested in signing a contract extension before free agency.

Ricciardi was then asked if Halladay gave the Jays a list of teams to which he'd approve a trade.

"Yes," Ricciardi answered.

After being asked a second time, Ricciardi again said, "That's right."

In Friday's Globe and Mail, Ricciardi altered his story slightly, saying that Halladay had not given the team a list after all.

"Roy Halladay has not demanded a trade," Ricciardi told the newspaper. "We know what he wants and he knows what he wants. He hasn't given us a list of teams. We've run teams by him to see if he has any interest in going there - yes or no. There is no secret, hidden agenda. We're not playing divide and conquer ... and, again, my gut tells me that I just don't see anything happening."

After the Jays' game on Thursday, Halladay declined when asked if he'd be willing to address Ricciardi's latest comments, and the pitcher appeared to be a bit irked by the crowd of reporters waiting at his locker the day before his next start.

"I don't want to address it," Halladay replied. "I don't even know what he said. I'll do it after I pitch."

Halladay takes the mound in Toronto Friday night against the Rays in what could be Doc's final outing in a Blue Jays uniform. If anything, it could be his last start at home. Halladay is scheduled to start on Wednesday in Seattle, and the Blue Jays hope to have a trade finalized before then, if Halladay is indeed going to be dealt.

--JB

During a radio interview on The FAN590 prior to Thursday's Blue Jays-Indians tilt at Rogers Centre, general manager J.P. Ricciardi shed a little more light on why Toronto is suddenly willing to shop ace Roy Halladay.

"What's changed is Roy has told us that he's going to test the free-agent market," Ricciardi said.

Halladay is under contract for $14.25 million this season and $15.75 million in 2010, which is the final year under his current deal. The Blue Jays originally planned on discussing an extension with Halladay this coming offseason, but Ricciardi's comments make it clear that's not going to happen.

The chances of Toronto retaining Halladay seemed slim already, considering the fact that the club has trimmed its payroll and the pitcher has expressed that he wants to have a chance to play October baseball. With the Jays in fourth place in the AL East, and a rotation filled with injuries and young arms, contending soon doesn't seem realistic.

Halladay is scheduled to start for the Jays on Tuesday in Seattle and Ricciardi doesn't want the pitcher taking the mound with the thought that he might be traded in the following three days leading up to the July 31 Deadline. Ricciardi said Toronto's internal deadline of Tuesday is flexible, depending on how close the club might be to a deal.

"If we're down the road with something, obviously the deadline can fluctuate," Ricciardi told reporters earlier Thursday morning. "If we're not down the road by the 28th, nothing's going to happen."

The team considered to be the front-runner to land Halladay continues to be the Phillies. Even though Philadelphia is believed to be opposed to including top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek in a possible deal, the Blue Jays sent assistant general manager Tony LaCava to scout Drabek's latest start on Wednesday.

The Brewers are also considered to have serious interest in trading for Halladay. Other teams who have been tied to Halladay in various reports include the Dodgers, Cardinals, White Sox, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees. Ricciardi said only a few teams have approached him with serious interest.

"Some are serious and some I would say are delirious," Ricciardi said during the radio interview.

--JB

Chatting with manager Cito Gaston today, us scribes decided to see if there were any updates on injured starters Shaun Marcum and Dustin McGowan. A pretty routine move for a relaxed afternoon pregame session.

Marcum made a successful rehab start on Tuesday, but there's no established timetable for his return to the rotation just yet. McGowan? He had knee surgery a few weeks ago.

Stunned silence from the reporters.

"What, you guys didn't know that?" Gaston asked.

Umm, no. And I'm pretty sure we've asked how McGowan was doing at some point over the past couple weeks. But, I digress. Back to the point.

According to general manager J.P. Ricciardi, McGowan -- already on a long road to recovery from the right shoulder surgery he had July of last year -- blew his left knee out while running during routine conditioning drills. He had surgery on July 9 to repair cartilage and Ricciardi said the pitcher needs roughly six weeks to recover from the operation.

It's another setback for a pitcher who was supposed to be a legit No. 2 guy on the staff by now. That was before his shoulder issues came up last season. Back in May, when the Jays were on the road in Atlanta, I spoke with McGowan after he began working through some long toss sessions and he sounded optimistic about his progress.

He just can't seem to catch a break.

When it was clear that McGowan's pace made him a long shot to return early this season, as the team initially hoped, the chances of him returning at all this year became slim. Now, there's zero chance you'll see McGowan back with the Jays this season. At this point, given this latest setback, all Toronto can do is wait to see how McGowan looks come Spring Training.

Today's lineups:

CLEVELAND INDIANS (37-58)
Fifth place AL Central, 13.5 GB

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Shin-Soo Choo, RF
4. Victor Martinez, DH
5. Jhonny Peralta, 3B
6. Ryan Garko, 1B
7. Ben Francisco, LF
8. Jamey Carroll, 2B
9. Chris Gimenez, C

Starter: LHP David Huff (4-4, 6.60)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (47-48)
Fourth place AL East, 10.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, DH
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, LF
4. Kevin Millar, 1B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Jose Bautista, 3B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. John McDonald, SS

Starter: LHP Marc Rzepczynski (1-1, 2.50)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

What does it mean if the Blue Jays do decide to trade ace Roy Halladay? Asked that question recently, catcher Rod Barajas smirked, knowing that he and the reporters surrounding him all knew exactly what such a move would mean in terms of the direction the organization was heading.

It would mean the focus has shifted toward being competitive in 2010, or perhaps even further down the road.

"We don't want it to happen," Barajas answered. "We'd like to keep fighting and giving ourselves an opportunity to do something. If Doc's gone, then that pretty much means..."

Barajas paused, realizing where he was going with his thought.

"... it means that we're not looking to win this year," he continued. "Not so much win, but compete for a playoff spot. We hope it doesn't happen, but if it does, it's almost like you're looking to next year."

The reality is that the club was looking ahead to 2010 before this season began. That changed some when the Jays got off to their hot start. Given the recent slide, though, it makes complete sense to question if contending next season is realistic with the current nucleus of players.

Even with all that being very much the case, the players inside Toronto's clubhouse don't want to believe that there isn't enough time to still make a run at the playoffs this season. Obviously, having Halladay leading the young rotation would be necessary for that type of miracle turnaround to happen.

Rookie Ricky Romero doesn't like that people are dismissing the Jays already.

"What would be better than making a run with our young pitching staff when people are counting us out?" Romero said. "People are saying we're no good, this and that. To me it just lights a fire under my skin and I want to go out there and just do the best I can."

Chatted with Vernon Wells today about his thoughts on the whole Halladay saga. More on that later on bluejays.com.

Today's lineups:

CLEVELAND INDIANS (37-57)
Fifth place AL Central, 13.5 GB

1. Grady Sizemore, CF
2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS
3. Victor Martinez, C
4. Travis Hafner, DH
5. Jhonny Peralta, 3B
6. Ryan Garko, 1B
7. Ben Francisco, LF
8. Luis Valbuena, 2B
9. Chris Gimenez, RF

Starter: RHP Carl Pavano (8-7, 5.13)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (46-48)
Fourth place AL East, 10.5 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. David Dellucci, LF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Ricky Romero (7-4, 3.25)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

If the Blue Jays are going to pull the trigger on a trade that sends ace Roy Halladay to a contender for a blockbuster package of players, the deal isn't likely to be of the last-minute variety. In fact, Toronto may be inclined to set an internal deadline prior to the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline.

"If you ask me today if we're going to trade Roy Halladay, I'd say no," Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi told the New York Times. "Something could happen between now and the Trade Deadline, but this isn't something that's suddenly going to happen with someone on the 30th."

As things currently line up, Halladay is scheduled to start on the road against the Mariners on July 29. According to the report in the NY Times, Ricciardi indicated that he doesn't want Toronto's ace taking the hill in Seattle with the thought that he could be dealt in the two days following his start.

Beyond that aspect, the Blue Jays would likely become sellers in the event that Doc is dealt. If Toronto is blown away by an offer and opts to trade Halladay, doing so before the 30th would give the club more time to shop some of its other players. Other Jays players involved in rumors include Scott Rolen, Alex Rios, Vernon Wells, Lyle Overbay, Jason Frasor and Scott Downs.

SIDE NOTE: I will not be at the ballpark tonight. For some Blue Jays' updates, you can follow @BlueJays or @e_gilbert on Twitter. Catch you from the 'yard tomorrow.

~JB

Today's lineups:

BOSTON RED SOX (55-35)
First place AL East, -- GB

1. J.D. Drew, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Kevin Youkilis, 3B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Mark Kotsay, 1B
9. Nick Green, SS

Starter: LHP Jon Lester (8-6, 3.87)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (45-47)
Fourth place AL East, 11.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, LF
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Alex Rios, CF
7. Kevin Millar, DH
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Jose Bautista, RF

Starter: RHP Roy Halladay (10-3, 2.85)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

So, what has happened to these Blue Jays?

From the cream of the American League crop to flirting with the cellar in baseball's toughest division, all in a matter of two months.

Seeing as it's a slow news day here at the Dome -- David Dellucci day-to-day after X-rays came back negative on his left foot and Vernon Wells still sick and out of the lineup -- it seems appropriate to take some time to compare Toronto's hot start to its prolonged skid.

Really, it's a tale of two seasons: Before the nine-game losing streak and after the nine-game losing streak.

Prior to that skid, the Blue Jays were 27-14 and in first place in the East by 3.5 games. They jumped out of the gates with a strong offense (.289/.358/.463 with 1.2 HR/G, 5.7 R/G, 10.3 H/G) and decent pitching (3.85 ERA with 6.9 K/G, 3.1 BB/G).

In the 50 games since then, the Blue Jays have gone 17-33 and now sit in fourth place in the East, 12 games back of the Red Sox. The pitching has had its share of issues -- injuries, tired bullpen, inexperience -- and it has shown (4.59 ERA, 7.5 K/G, 3.6 BB/G). The offense, with a revolving door in left field, and subpar showings from Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, has slumped to the tune of .255/.318/.403 with 1.0 HR/G, 4.1 R/G, 9.0 H/G.

Has schedule played a role? Early on, it was hard to really know what to make of the Blue Jays' hot start due to the fact that it primarily played the AL West and Central while running to first place in the East. It looks like there may have been something to that after all.

Consider that in Toronto's first 41 games -- before that nine-game slide at the end of May -- the team played only six games against division rivals. In the last 50 games, the Jays have played 23 games against the East (5-18), 18 games against the National League (7-11) and nine against other AL divisions (5-4).

The way things have been going of late, the Blue Jays should simply be aiming to finish this season with a winning record. I guess the thing for Toronto fans to keep in mind is -- despite the team's hot start -- the Blue Jays were widely predicted to be a fourth-place team this season.

Today's lineups:

BOSTON RED SOX (55-34)
First place AL East, -- GB

1. J.D. Drew, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Rocco Baldelli, CF
8. Jed Lowrie, SS
9. George Kottaras, C

Starter: RHP Brad Penny (6-3, 4.71)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (44-47)
Fourth place AL East, 12.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, LF
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Alex Rios, CF
7. Kevin Millar, DH
8. Jose Bautista, RF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Marc Rzepczynski (0-1, 3.00)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

While discussing innings limits for a few of his pitchers, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston was asked if Brian Tallet's innings would need to be monitored similarly -- seeing as he was moved from the bullpen to the rotation earlier this year.

"Since you asked that, we're going to move Tallet back into the bullpen," Gaston replied.

Part of the reason is, yes, the Jays need to watch his work load, considering he's been a reliever throughout his career and he's almost thrown more innings this season than in the last two combined already. The other reason is Toronto has so many off-days coming up that the club doesn't require a fifth starter until July 25 -- a start tentatively planned for Tallet.

So, on Saturday, the Blue Jays will send rookie lefty Marc Rzepczynski to the mound to face the Red Sox. Initially, it was thought that Scott Richmond (sore right shoulder) would be activated from the DL and inserted back into the rotation after the All-Star break. Gaston said today that Richmond will likely be sidelined until the Oakland series at the end of the month.

With so many off-days, there's really no rush to bring Richmond back, especially if Rzepczynski can continue to hold his own. After this three-game set with Boston, Toronto has off-days on Monday and July 30, as well as five off-days in August (on the 3rd, 6th, 13th, 17th and 27th). Enjoy the rest, Jays, because in September? One day off on the 17th.

Blue Jays center fielder Vernon Wells was out of the starting lineup on Friday night due to a stomach virus, according to Gaston. Toronto's manager didn't expect Wells to miss too much time.

And, no, ace Roy Halladay has not been traded yet. But he was on the field giving a pitching clinic to two young boys from the local Rookie League.

On June 26, the Jays Care Foundation hosted a charity auction and one was for a private pitching lessons with Doc. A bidding war ensued and Brandy Halladay, Doc's wife, allowed the top two bidders to take part in the lesson. The second winner, with no kids of his own, donated the spots to Jays Care.

The foundation awared the spots to 10-year-old Faris Adamou and 12-year-old Joseph Bryan, who play in the Rookie League -- a baseball program for kids within Toronto Community Housing. They began by playing catch with Halladay in the outfield and then moved by the mound, where Doc gave them personal tips.

Today's lineups:

BOSTON RED SOX (54-34)
First place AL East, -- GB

1. J.D. Drew, RF
2. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
3. Kevin Youkilis, 1B
4. David Ortiz, DH
5. Jason Bay, LF
6. Mike Lowell, 3B
7. Jason Varitek, C
8. Rocco Baldelli, CF
9. Nick Green, SS

Starter: RHP Clay Buchholz (Season debut)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (44-46)
Fourth place AL East, 11.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Alex Rios, CF
7. Jose Bautista, RF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. David Dellucci, LF

Starter: LHP Ricky Romero (7-3, 3.00)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB

It's that time of year. Time to roll out the first-half honors for baseball's standouts through the unofficial midpoint of the 2009 campaign. Time will tell if these serve as predictors of the year-end accolades. Agree? Disagree? Debate away...

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Most Valuable Player: Joe Mauer, Twins

Stats: .373 average, 15 homers, 49 RBIs, 1.069 OPS

Comment: Only 241 at-bats. So what? If this holds up, Mauer will be the MVP.

Cy Young Award: Zach Greinke, Royals

Stats: 10-5, 2.12 ERA, 129 K, 21 BB, 127.1 IP

Comment: Greinke has been one of the stories of 2009 to this point.

Rookie of the Year: Ricky Romero, Blue Jays

Stats: 7-3, 3.00 ERA, 69 strikeouts, 30 walks, 87 innings

Comment: If Doc winds up being traded, the "ace" tag might be Romero's to lose.

Manager of the Year: Ron Washington, Texas

Stats: 48-39, 2nd place AL West

Comment: Were without Hamilton and in a bandbox, but still hanging with the Halos.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Most Valuable Player: ALbert Pujols, Cardinals

Stats: .332 average, 32 homers, 87 RBIs, 1.179 OPS

Comment: Bases loaded: 8 AB, 6 H, 4 HR, 20 RBIs. I mean ... really?

Cy Young Award: Tim Lincecum, Giants

Stats: 10-2, 2.33 ERA, 149 K, 34 BB, 127.2 IP

Comment: Needs to get a haircut and some more room on his mantle.

Rookie of the Year: Colby Rasmus, Cardinals

Stats: .278 average, 11 homers, 34 RBIs

Comment: Has scored 46 runs in 270 at-bats. Must be nice hitting in front of El Hombre.

Manager of the Year: Joe Torre, Dodgers

Stats: 56-32, 1st place NL West

Comment: No Manny? No problem.

~JB

It's nice when the stars allign and certain players earn exactly what they deserve. This is not always the case with baseball's annual All-Star Game, which tends to be a popularity contest when it comes to the starting position players and is often about first-half standouts when it comes to the starting pitchers.

That's not the case this year for Jays second baseman Aaron Hill and ace Roy Halladay.

Hill has arguably been the top second baseman in the game up to this point this season -- this after coming back from a severe, career-threatening concussion. The players appropriately gave Hill the nod in peer voting, but the fans elected Boston's Dustin Pedroia to start. Pedroia is skipping the ASG to be with his pregnany wife -- good call -- and Hill has been named the starter at second as a result.

Hill, who will be batting eighth for the AL, should have been the starter all along.

Well deserved.

Halladay will be on the mound as the starter for the AL in his sixth All-Star appearance. Halladay's has deserved to start before, but circumstances haven't afforded him the opportunity -- think Kevin Mench line drive in '05 or Cliff Lee's stellar season in '08, for example. This year, Rays and AL manager Joe Maddon could've easily given the nod to KC's Zack Greinke and no one would've complained. Instead, Maddon decided to hand the start to Doc due to the ace's "body of work."

Nice touch.

In his press conference, Halladay did address the recent trade rumors swirling.

"I think there is so much that goes into it," Halladay said. "I'm still not 100 percent sure which direction we're going in in Toronto. If Toronto does decide to do something, it's really going to be something that helps the organization. There's going to be a lot of pieces; it's going to be complicated. I think it's going to be kind of 50-50."

~JB

Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston admitted that it was hard to not include Marco Scutaro or Scott Rolen in the starting lineup for Thursday's tilt against the Rays.

Scutaro has hit .323 in his last seven games and has been a catalyst all season for the offense. Rolen is riding a career-best 25-game hitting streak. And the Jays are in a slump, losing 10 of their past 13.

"It's real tough, especially when you've got one of your better pitchers going," said Gaston, referring to ace Roy Halladay. "I just kind of gave [bench coach Brian]Butterfield the lineup and said, 'Hey, go get 'em Doc.'"

The bottom line was that Rolen had been receiving days off on day games after night games frequently this season to help keep him fresh. Scutaro -- a part-time player throughout his career -- had started every single one of Toronto's 86 games before Thursday.

"We talked about it earlier in the week that I was going to give him today off," Gaston said of Scutaro. "It's well deserved. I think after the All-Star break, I'm going to try to get him and [second baseman Aaron] Hill out of there maybe once a week and give [John McDonald] some more playing time -- just rest those guys a little bit."

Gaston said he hasn't seen any signs of Scutaro tiring due to the increased work load.

"Not really," Gaston said. "This kid goes and plays hard every day no matter what. I do know that he probably needs a rest here and there every once in a while and I think that's what we're going to do. What'd he get? Two hits last night? When guys are dragging, they don't swing the bat like that."

ON TALLET: Following the lemon he turned in on Wednesday night, Blue Jays lefty Brian Tallet described his outing as "horrible" and said that it seems like when he goes bad, he goes REALLY bad this season. It's true, considering three blowups really skew his performance as a starter.

Here are Tallet's worst three starts:

July 8 at Tampa Bay: 3 IP, 8 R, 11 H
June 14 vs. Florida: 3.1 IP, 8 R, 10 H
April 29 at Kansas City: 4 IP, 10 R, 11 H

In those three outings: 0-2 with a 22.65 ERA (10.1 IP/26 ER)

In Tallet's other 14 starts: 5-4 with a 2.72 ERA (86 IP/26 ER)

"That's the problem," Tallet said. "It's the game where I don't get out of the fourth inning or I don't get out of the third inning and I give up eight or 10 runs. I've got to find a way to get rid of those, because those are unnaceptable at this level -- at any level. If I'm doing that in A ball, I'm getting released. I've got to figure out what's going wrong when I'm going bad and not allow it to happen."

STEPPING AWAY: Gaston will not be heading with the Blue Jays to Baltimore following today's game in St. Pete. Last Thursday, Cito's sister, Mattie Clarke, passed away and Toronto's manager is heading to San Antonio to attend her funeral services this weekend. He hopes to rejoin the Jays on Sunday. Butterfield will serve as temporary manager until Gaston's return.

HEADING HOME: I will not be making the trip to lovely Baltimore, either. I'm heading back to Toronto for a few days off. I am also not heading to St. Louis this week for the All-Star Game, so bluejays.com will be in someone else's hands and I'll be blogging a bit less until the second half resumes. I'll probably roll out my First Half Award Winners during the break.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (43-43)
Fourth place AL East, 9.0 GB

1. Jose Bautista, 3B
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, LF
4. Kevin Millar, DH
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Alex Rios, RF
7. Lyle Overbay, 1B
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. John McDonald, SS

Starter: RHP Roy Halladay (10-2, 2.79)

TAMPA BAY RAYS (46-39)
Third place AL East, 5.5 GB

1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Ben Zobrist, 2B
6. Pat Burrell, DH
7. Gabe Gross, RF
8. Jason Bartlett, SS
9. Michel Hernandez, C

Starter: LHP David Price (2-3, 5.21)

It was a given that someone was going to be removed from the Blue Jays' bullpen soon. Closer Scott Downs was coming off the DL and a spot had to be vacated.

Even with B.J. Ryan's recent struggles, though, learning that the club decided to release the former closer came as a bit of a shock.

"I mean, we knew Downs was coming back at some point and someone had to come out of the 'pen," said reliever Jason Frasor, who served as the interim closer while Downs' was on the DL. "But, when I heard it was B.J., it was like 'Wow. They actually did it.'"

Wow indeed.

Ryan is still on the books for roughly $5 million more this season and another $10 million in 2010 -- paychecks that will continue to head his way from the Blue Jays.

Assistant GM Alex Anthopoulos said the Blue Jays discussed the move internally on Tuesday night, cleared it with ownership Wednesday morning, and Ryan learned he was being released around 3 p.m. ET -- a half-hour before the clubhouse doors open. Word is that he rode away in a golf cart in the service-level tunnel.

Ryan didn't help his cause on Monday when he said he felt some of his command issues stemmed from his sporadic use. It was the ol' Catch-22, as Anthopoulos pointed out. Ryan believed more time on the mound could help, but manager Cito Gaston no longer trusted Ryan to pitch in critical situations.

"A few days ago, I think we saw in the media that he expressed some frustration of not being able to pitch more and be used more," Anthopoulos said. "I think that's what it came down to, that the role that we had for him right now, we couldnt get him the work that he wanted to have.

"It was one of those things that it's a Catch-22. He needed to pitch more to get the results, but unfortunately we're in the business of trying to win games and Cito needs to do what he can to give the team the best chance to win and put the best guys in there that he feels gives us the best chance."

Downs, who was activated from the DL after a bout with a sprained left toe, will immediately return to the closer's role -- a job he was handed in April in light of Ryan's continued issues on the mound. With Downs as the closer and Brian Tallet in the rotation, heavily-used Jesse Carlson is the lone lefty specialist available in the bullpen now.

Today's lineups:

*TORONTO BLUE JAYS (43-42)
Fourth place AL East, 8.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Vernon Wells, CF
6. Kevin Millar, 1B
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. Jose Bautista, LF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Brian Tallet, (5-6, 5.38)

TAMPA BAY RAYS (45-39)
Second place AL East, 5.5 GB

1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Ben Zobrist, 2B
6. Pat Burrell, DH
7. Jason Bartlett, SS
8. Gabe Kapler, RF
9. Dioner Navarro, C

Starter: LHP Scott Kazmir (4-5, 6.79)

*The Jays have not slipped to a .500 record at any point this season

So Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi has let it be known that he's willing to entertain trade offers for ace Roy Halladay. Toronto isn't shopping its best player, but the club is at least admitting that it will listen to what is out there.

So how does Doc feel about all of this?

"For me, the best I can do is try to avoid letting it become a distraction and go from there. I understand, obviously, the economics of the game and how the game works. It's a situation where I think if it's best for the team, if it's best for me, then you go from there. At this point, it's too hard to tell."

Doc's reaction seemed to indicate that he's a little more open to the concept of a trade than he has been in the past. Toronto is in fourth place, the rotation is in shambles, Halladay is a free agent after 2010 and he wants to win. He wants to win in Toronto, but he needs to feel the situation north of the border is going to improve swiftly for him to want to stick around for the long haul.

"My goals have always been the same," Halladay said. "I love Toronto. I want to stay here, but I want to win as well. That's becoming more and more of a goal for me. Obviously, my first choice would be to do it here. Like I've said in the past, whether or not our organization and my goals line up, it's never always going to be that way. Sometimes teams have to take steps back and I understand that. I think you always keep in mind the direction you want to go as a player."

If he's not dealt, Halladay was asked if he'd want to wait to see how the 2010 plays out before opting to sign an extension.

"I don't know if you were to talk about something like that what it would entail. I think my biggest decision would be, 'Do I feel like this is going to go in a direction where we have a chance to win, and quickly?' And that's it. It's hard to tell, but it's not going to be a decision based on whether it's a certain years or a certain number. It's going to be based on winning."

Halladay said Ricciardi might even be willing to listen to offers knowing the pitcher's desire to finally reach a World Series.

"He knows where I'm coming from," Halladay said. "I really believe, even in situations like this, that maybe he's looking for my best interest, too. Obviously, I'm grateful to have a guy who does take that into account. We really haven't had those talks, but I think it's always been open communication."

In the past Halladay has said he'd prefer not to play for teams that throw tons of money at players in order to try to "buy" championships (see: New York Yankees). Halladay wants to feel his team has fought it's way and earned a title. Would Halladay accept a trade to a team like the Yankees now?

"That's a hard question to answer. Really, at this point, I have to do the best I can to focus on my job here. If something does come up, you weigh your options at that point. I hate to put the cart before the horse and start saying I don't want to go here, I want to do this or I want to do that. I think you just evaluate situations when they come up. I have to focus on my job here."

Asked if he was more open to a trade than in the past, as it seemed during the interview, Halladay grimaced and hesitated.

"That's tough. That's a tough question to answer, honestly," Halladay said. "I want to stay here, but I think when an organization is kind of thinking that maybe we kind of want to go this direction and it's a situation that suits the team and yourself, then you have to evaluate that and say, 'Maybe this is the best thing.' I'm really not in that situation yet.

OTHER ITEMS: Blue Jays pitcher Shaun Marcum (Tommy John on right elbow at end of last season) logged three innings for Class A Dunedin on Monday. If everything goes according to plan, Toronto believes Marcum might be able to join the big league rotation the first week of August. ... Scott Richmond (sore right shoulder) received a cortisone shot and underwent an MRI on Tuesday and is waiting on the results. The team doctor believes it's just inflammation. Richmond can't resume throwing for at least three days. ... LHP Scott Downs (sprained toe left foot) threw off a mound on Tuesday. The Jays will wait and see how he feels on Wednesday before determining if he can be activated from the DL to rejoin the bullpen. ... RHP Jesse Litsch (TJ right elbow earlier this year) made an appearance at The Trop. ... The Jays players and coaches were all wearing "LIND YOUR VOTE" shirts during pregame to promote Adam Lind for the Final Vote All-Star spot. You can vote for Lind on bluejays.com.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (43-41)
Fourth place AL East, 7.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. David Dellucci, LF
9. Rod Barajas, C

Starter: LHP Marc Rzepczynski (MLB debut)

TAMPA BAY RAYS (44-39)
Second place AL East, 5.5 GB

1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Ben Zobrist, 2B
6. Pat Burrell, DH
7. Jason Bartlett, SS
8. Gabe Kapler, RF
9. Dioner Navarro, C

Starter: RHP James Shields (6-6, 3.50)

One look at the American League home run leaders, and it'd seem to make sense that MLB might ask Blue Jays second baseman Aaron Hill if he'd be interested in taking part in the Home Run Derby.

Hill ranks third in the league with 20 bombs, which are the most for any second baseman in the game right now. On top of that, his total already is a team record in a season for a second sacker.

"Yeah, but those are in games," Hill said with a laugh on Monday morning. "Have you seen me in batting practice? Maybe if they do something about the fences I'd consider it."

So, don't count on Hill swinging for the fences in Busch Stadium. Besides, I doubt he'd want to risk ruining the good swing he's got going for him right now. "It's bad luck, isn't it?" said Hill, when asked about the Derby. It sure didn't do much for Alex Rios, who took part in the event in 2007 in San Francisco.

Prior to Monday's game, Hill came out into the dugout to do a TV interview and a kid -- maybe nine or 10 years old -- wearing a red Yankees cap, was leaning over the railing with a baseball and a pen, asking "Mr. Hill" for an autograph. When Hill obliged, the kid said "congrats" since the second baseman just made his first All-Star team. Savvy kids here in New York.

Blue Jays closer Scott Downs is scheduled to throw off a mound in a bullpen session on Tuesday. Downs is still fighting a sprained toe on his left foot, an injury that's kept him on the DL for nearly three weeks. With only six games remaining before All-Star break, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston said there's a chance Downs might not return until the second half. That's still "up ion the air" though.

Chatted some with B.J. Ryan today. Check bluejays.com a bit later for more.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (42-41)
Fourth place AL East, 8.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, DH
3. Vernon Wells, CF
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Alex Rios, RF
6. Kevin Millar, 1B
7. Jose Bautista, LF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. John McDonald, 2B

Starter: LHP Ricky Romero (6-3, 2.85)

NEW YORK YANKEES (48-33)
Second place AL East, 1.0 GB

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Nick Swisher, 1B
3. Mark Teixeira, DH
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Jorge Posada, C
6. Robinson Cano, 2B
7. Melky Cabrera, LF
8. Eric Hinske, RF
9. Brett Gardner, CF

Starter: LHP Any Pettitte (8-3, 4.25)

Adam Lind's chances of making it to the All-Star Game were slim before this season even started. As the Jays' projected DH, Lind was left off the ballot, due to the game being played in a National League park.

No matter how well Lind played, it was going to be difficult to convince fans to write his name in enough times to send him to St. Louis. Well, Lind has been enjoying a breakout season, and now his name IS on a ballot.

The Final Vote ballot.

Lind joins L.A.'s Chone Figgins, Tampa Bay's Carlos Pena, Detroit's Brandon Inge and Texas' Ian Kinsler as the American League choices for the final spot on the league's elite squad.

Blue Jays fans can vote for Lind until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, and he certainly deserves to join ace Roy Halladay and second baseman Aaron Hill at Busch Stadium. Through 80 games, all A Mighty Lind has done is hit .309 with 17 homers, 25 doubles and 55 RBIs, putting up a .384 on-base and a .553 slugging. He added a two-run homer in the third-inning at Yankee Stadium today.

So, this is your chance as Blue Jays fans to potentially help Lind to his first All-Star Game. CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE.

~JB

MEET YOUR 2009 BLUE JAYS ALL-STARS

Second baseman Aaron Hill

Hill gets his first All-Star selection thanks to his peers. Well deserved. It would've been a shame for him to miss out on the Midsummer Classic just because his particular position is stacked with talent, especially in the bigger more publicized markets. Through 81 games, Hill has hit .297 with 19 homers (club record for second baseman) and 56 RBIs. His 105 hits were the second-most in the Majors and he ranked first among all second baseman in hits, homers, RBIs and total bases (175). This after missing much of last season with a serious concussion.

Jays ace Roy "Doc" Halladay

Halladay heads to St. Louis for his sixth All-Star appearance. The only question is whether Toronto's ace will be honored with the start. Through 16 outings, the good doctor has gone 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA and three complete games. Even with two weeks spent on the DL in June, Halladay is tied for the most wins in the game and his 116 innings mark the sixth-highest total. He has 98 strikeouts against 17 walks and has induced an American League-high 193 groundouts. Doc's 1.09 WHIP is the third-best among AL starters and he's averaged just 14.1 pitches per inning.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (42-40)
Fourth place AL East, 7.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, LF
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. David Dellucci, DH
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Brett Cecil (2-1, 5.09)

NEW YORK YANKEES (47-33)
Second place AL East, 1.0 GB

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Jorge Posada, C
5. Hideki Matsui, DH
6. Nick Swisher, RF
7. Robinson Cano, 2B
8. Melky Cabrera, CF
9. Cody Ransom, 3B

Starter: RHP Joba Chamberlain (4-2, 3.89)

Asked about the old Yankee Stadium last week, Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston called it a "dump", saying "All it has is history."

Now, it's a reversed situation. The new Yankee Stadium is a luxurious facility for fans, press and players alike. What it lacks, though, is history. The Yankees are at least doing their best to add some early lore to the building.

On the lower level, in the tunnel that leads to the clubhouses, there is a hole in the ground that is sectioned off by some piping (pictured right). It is where the David Ortiz jersey was dug out of the foundation during the stadium's construction. Click the link to read more about the history of the hole.

They could've easily filled the hole in, but where would the fun be in that?

Sitting in the visiting dugout this afternoon, us scribes were chatting with Jays second baseman Aaron Hill. He said heading to the old Yankee Stadium for the first time was a special moment for him as a young player. He showed up early, walked around the stands, walked out in the outfield, soaking it all in.

That's something that is missing from the new park. But, maybe a century from now, some Blue Jays manager will be asked about this Yankee Stadium, and maybe it too will one day be called a "dump" with nothing but history going for it.

OTHER ITEMS: Scott Downs (sprained toe left foot) threw again on Saturday, but there is still no timetable for his return from the disabled list. "He feels good. That's about all I can tell you. He feels good and hopefully he gets back before the All-Star break. If not, we'll just suck it up until then." ... Not sure if you've noticed, but Jays lefty Brian Tallet has taken to flapping his glove a little before delivering a pitch lately. Gaston noticed a while back that Tallet would only do it on certain pitches -- perhaps tipping hitters off as to what he was throwing. So, Tallet has started doing it all the time to hopefully eliminate the problem. ... Third baseman Scott Rolen enters today riding a 20-game hitting streak. He's hit .415 (34-82) with a .449 on-base, a .610 slugging, three homers, seven doubles, 12 RBIs and 16 runs over the streak. Within those 20 games, Rolen has 11 multi-hit games and three three-hit showings.

ALL-STARS: The All-Star teams will be revealed on Sunday, with 32 of the 33 roster spots being announced for the AL and NL squads. Deserving to go for the Jays: Roy Halladay, Aaron Hill, Marco Scutaro, Adam Lind and Scott Rolen. Halladay is the only lock and Hill will have a good shot if Ian Kinsler of the Rangers wins the popular vote. Stay tuned...

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (42-39)
Fourth place AL East, 7.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. David Dellucci, LF
9. Rod Barajas, C

Starter: RHP Doc Halladay (10-2, 2.56)

  NEW YORK YANKEES (46-33)
Second place AL East, 2.0 GB

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Robinson Cano, 2B
6. Jorge Posada, C
7. Hideki Matsui, DH
8. Melky Cabrera, RF
9. Brett Gardner, CF

Starter: RHP Chien-Ming Wang (1-6, 10.06)

One thing that Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston has always done is be upfront and honest with his players, especially when it comes to lineup decisions. Gaston will always talk to his players first and then make a move, and this is something they respect.

I bring this up because Cito had a chat with center fielder Vernon Wells on Wednesday to tell him that the lineup was going to see some changes. The struggling Wells was going to have a day off and then he was going to be pushed down to the lower portion of the lineup.

"He just said some changes are going to be made," Wells said on Wednesday. "He's always been straight-up and forward with me. That's something that he's been since Day 1. He's called us in his office and told us how he's felt about different things. It's been an open relationship."

Here at the new Yankee Stadium today, Wells was in the sixth spot for the opener of a four-game all-afternoon set against the Bronx Bombers. Until Wells starts to come around, this is likely where he'll remain -- the same for Alex Rios in the seven hole. Eventually, Wells and Rios could return to the heart of the order. That's up to them.

"Players do write up the lineup," Gaston said. "If he starts to swing the bat well, I'll get him back up that way. You always like to have your speed up there at the top if you can. Hopefully, this will take a little of the pressure off of him and he can just be a little bit more loose and go out and start swinging the bat like he's capable of doing."

Closer Scott Downs threw in the bullpen prior to today's game, testing that pesky sprained big toe on his left foot. Downs said recently that he would love to be activated from the DL this weekend -- he's now eligible. Said Gaston: "I doubt if it'll be here, but who knows? ... We'd love to get him back as soon as we can." A lot will depend on how Downs feels on Saturday.

Prior to the game, the Blue Jays also announced that Russ Adams had been designated for assignment and David Dellucci's contract had been purchased from Triple-A Las Vegas. Dellucci will play left field and some DH and Cito is hoping he can add some pop from the left side to Toronto's lineup. Check bluejays.com later for more on Dellucci.

Today's lineups:

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (42-38)
Fourth place AL East, 7.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, DH
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Vernon Wells, CF
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. David Dellucci, LF
9. Raul Chavez, C

Starter: LHP Brian Tallet (5-5, 4.47)

  NEW YORK YANKEES (45-33)
Second place AL East, 3.0 GB

1. Derek Jeter, SS
2. Johnny Damon, LF
3. Mark Teixeira, 1B
4. Alex Rodriguez, 3B
5. Robinson Cano, 2B
6. Nick Swisher, RF
7. Hideki Matsui, DH
8. Francisco Cervelli, C
9. Brett Gardner, CF

Starter: RHP A.J. Burnett (6-4, 3.93)

The Blue Jays' lineup wasn't drastically different on Wednesday morning, but manager Cito Gaston did make some noticeable alterations to the local nine.

First and foremost, slumping center fielder Vernon Wells was out of the lineup, given a day off to "clear his head" as Cito put it. Come Friday in New York, Wells will be back in the lineup, Gaston just isn't sure where he'll be batting.

"I'll think about it," Gaston said. "Give me a couple days to think about it and I'll see what I can come up with."

We chatted some with Wells, who once again said he's as frustrated now as he has been at any point in his career. Asked if about potentially being dropped lower in the order by Gaston, Wells shrugged and had this to say:

"Unfortunately, I haven't given him a choice," Wells said. "If you swing the bat, you're going to be in the position where you're supposed to be. If you're not, you're going to be put in a different position. That's part of this game and that's something that, if you're moved, you've got to try to prove that you need to be back in that position.

"It puts it right back on your shoulders and you've got to go out and start swinging the bat better and get back to where you're used to."

Gaston also shifted left fielder Adam Lind to the third spot of the order -- a place previously occupied first by Alex Rios and then by Wells. Rios has struggled and is now batting seventh. Wells will likely be batting fifth or sixth when the Jays open a four-game set against the Yankees on Friday.

"You wouldn't want him hitting ninth or anything like that," Gaston said. "I think you have to put him somewhere that certainly he's not embarrassed or you just put him so low that he's not getting enough at-bats either. He's a guy that we need. We need him to hit."

Going forward, Gaston said that Lind will continue to bat third for the Jays. Shortstop Marco Scutaro and second baseman Aaron Hill won't be moved out of the Nos. 1-2 spots any time soon, and third baseman Scott Rolen has performed well as the cleanup hitter. Everthing else is up for debate right now.

Today's lineups:

TAMPA BAY RAYS (44-35)
Third place AL East, 4.0 GB

1. B.J. Upton, CF
2. Carl Crawford, LF
3. Evan Longoria, 3B
4. Carlos Pena, 1B
5. Ben Zobrist, 2B
6. Pat Burrell, DH
7. Jason Bartlett, SS
8. Gabe Kapler, RF
9. Michel Hernandez, C

Starter: RHP James Shields (6-5, 3.41)

TORONTO BLUE JAYS (41-38)
Fourth place AL East, 7.0 GB

1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Aaron Hill, 2B
3. Adam Lind, LF
4. Scott Rolen, 3B
5. Lyle Overbay, 1B
6. Kevin Millar, DG
7. Alex Rios, RF
8. Rod Barajas, C
9. Jose Bautista, RF

Starter: LHP Ricky Romero (5-3, 3.20)

Don't forget, you can follow me on Twitter: @MLBastian

~JB