The Boston Red Sox will show interest in Roy Halladay, but how far would they be willing to go to acquire him? (AP Photo/Brian Blanco)

The Boston Red Sox headed into the All-Star Break leading the American League East, arguably the toughest division in baseball, by three games over their arch-rival, the New York Yankees. This isn’t an admiration, as they have the most pitching depth of any division contender, while their lineup consists of the right combination of power and speed. Yet, despite their success, they have plenty of questions to answer during the second half of the season.

Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay on the trading block…will Boston show interest?

Halladay, 32, is a throwback of sorts. While other star pitchers of this generation give way to relief after six or seven innings, he is a threat to go the distance on a regular basis. He has three complete games, a shutout, ten wins, and a 2.85 ERA so far this season. He’s been a workhorse, which is nothing new, tossing 123 innings, and has impeccable control, walking only seventeen.

Because of his reputation and his recent play, he is a hot commodity, even more so now that General Manager J.P. Riccardi has said he will listen to offers. Riccardi, considering Halladay is the Blue Jays best player, will command a lot of talent in return.

For some playoff contenders, Halladay would be worth the cost. So, though he has never made the playoffs, his presence along would boost morale. The Red Sox, already stacked pitching wise, still would love to have his services.

They have the talent to get a deal done, but they would be hard-pressed to include center-fielder Jacoby Ellsbury or Jon Lester. Yet, if they can somehow get Riccardi to lower his demands, and willingly send him to a division foe, Halladay would give Boston the best rotation in baseball. Can you imagine if the top of their rotation consisted of Josh Beckett, Lester, and Halladay? Surely, other American League teams couldn’t bear to contemplate this scenario.

The Red Sox don’t need Halladay, but his addition could stick a fork in the New York Yankees, and give them a considerable leg-up over other American League teams. Yet, though Halladay in a Yankees uniform would be heartwrenching, making the trade just to keep him away from New York isn’t reason enough to impulsively acquire.

I think Boston will show interest; General Mananger Theo Epstein usually looks into everything. But, though I think the Yankees will make a huge push, I believe Halladay will end up with the Philadelphia Phillies, since Halladay has said he prefers the National League, and they desperately need a pitcher of his caliber.

Will Mike Lowell’s injury lead to a deadline deal for a bat?

The third baseman’s injury is a mystery, and it is uncertain when–or if–he will return. The Red Sox haven’t missed a beat since he went down, primarily because of slugger David Ortiz’s resurgence. Kevin Youkilis has moved over to his natural position, third base, in his stead, while the combination of Mark Kotsay and Aaron Bates have platooned at first base. Kotsay and Bates have sufficed of late, but Boston, like with the Halladay situation, if the opportunity presented itself, it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade.

The Cleveland Indians’ Victor Martinez, a first baseman and catcher who hits for average and power, might be on the chopping block, given the Indians disappointing first half to the season. He might fit, but at what cost. The Indians, to trade the 30-year old, would ask for a pretty penny in return. The Red Sox take pride in their young talent, so though they have a surplus of arms in the minors, they may balk at the price.

Nick Johnson, the Washington Nationals first baseman and former Yankee, has been linked to Boston in recent weeks, but his price would presumably be steep as well. Yet, the Nationals may be more willing to part ways with Johnson than the Indians with Martinez. Washington would love to acquire Ellsbury or reliever Daniel Bard in return, but like with Halladay and Martinez, the Red Sox may be reluctant to trade their young talent for aging stars.

Who is their shortstop?

The Red Sox have three shortstops, all capable of assuming the starting role. Jed Lowrie, the youngest of the three, is returning soon from injury, and given his stellar play in spurts last season, he could fight Nick Green and Julio Lugo for the starting job.

Green has struggled in the field–he has committed nine errors and has a .936 fielding percentage–and at the plate of late. He started the season strong offensive, but since he hit.321 in May, he’s batted only .207. Unless he starts to hit, the 30-year old’s play-time will drastically diminish.

Lugo has had a difficult career with the Red Sox. He signed a four-year, $36 million dollar contract with the team after the 2006 season, and has, like other post-Nomar Garciaparra shortstops Alex Gonzalez, Edgar Renteria, and Orlando Cabrera, had a tough time acclimating to the atmosphere in Boston and the franchise’s high expectations.

He played miserably his first season, batting a horrid .237. His on-base percentage was equally dreadful–.298– but he managed to drive in 73 runs and steal 33 bases. Nonetheless, he quickly drew criticism, and has since been one of the least favorite Red Sox according to their fan base, who expect perfection.

This year, he’s righted past wrongs and played very well, albeit in a limited role. While Green was on fire, he was on the bench, waiting his turn. When he was designated to the bench, his average was hovering around .300. Because of Green’s play to begin the season, Lugo has only played in 37 games, and has just 107 at-bats at the break. In that time, he’s batted a respectable .284 with a .355 on-base percentage. He’s been notoriously poor in the field, like Green, but given how much the Red Sox have invested in him, barring injury, I think he’ll get the bulk of the playing time.

Because Boston has three shortstops, one could be dealt as part of trade to land a big bat. As a team in first place, it’s good that the only questions that need answering involve adding depth and improving in areas that don’t necessarily need improving.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Jerryd Bayless had his moments, and, given his willingness to pass, he may be turning into a point guard.

To tune up for his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers, guard Jerryd Bayless took the Summer League by storm. In his first game, he lit up the Washington Wizards for 28 points in 33 minutes, and finished his four-game stint of development averaging 29 points per game. This is all well and good, but not what the Blazers wanted.

Bayless, a scorer in his lone year at the University of Arizona, took the initiative, aggressively drove to the hoop; he attempted 61 free-throws in those four games, including 23 in his debut. He trusted his outside shot, too. But Portland had to be discouraged. He’s not a point guard by nature, but has a point guard’s build, so Portland wanted him to mature into a true point guard.

Bayless, though immensely talented, could not. In those four games, he rarely passed, tallying only 5 total assists, including a goose-egg in his first outing. Then, during the season, he didn’t have a point guard’s unselfish mentality. Yes, he was trying to adjust to the NBA game, and yes, he was just 19 years old, but to be considered a commodity and their point guard of the future, he had to show the Blazers he possessed the qualities the position demanded.

With a season under his belt, albeit one in which he saw little action, he entered this year’s Summer League somewhat changed. He dished four assists in the first seven minutes in their opener against the Toronto Raptors, leading fans to believe he was developing into the point guard their team needs him to be. Then, he started firing and stopped passing.

He was confident offensively, which is something Portland’s fans, including myself, have only witnessed during the Summer League. He wants to shoot, and show off his explosiveness, and the Blazers want him to trust his outside shot and continue to be aggressive, but to succeed with the team, he has to consistently make savvy decisions and display the qualities of a leader.

Bayless crossed over his defender repeatedly, drove the basket, and created shots off the dribble. Some of his attempts were ill-advised, but his perimeter game showed great improvement, with a wider array of shots. He took 17 shots to score 22 points. Yet, though he looked to score in spurts, he passed with regularity, but didn’t rack up the assists because his young, inexperienced teammates failed to reward him by missing countless attempts; he had three assists over his final 25 minutes.

He was aggressive on defense, which cost him early, to the tune of three fouls in the first half of the first quarter. He settled down, and committed just one foul the rest of the way, but his on-ball defense suffered, perplexing considering his quickness. He was pass-happy, yet missed his target numerously, which led to six turnovers. To be a floor general and a venerable backup to Steve Blake this season, he has to know where his teammates are at all times, especially when he drives into the lane, which he did repeatedly. But, Bayless showed promise, and is in the right place to improve and turn his weaknesses into strengths.

While Bayless and incoming rookies, power forward Jeff Pendergraph (12 points, 9 rebounds) and small forward Dante Cunningham (21 points, 9 rebounds), led the Blazers in defeat, star Brandon Roy and the team’s management stil had a difference of opinion regarding an extension.

Evidently, this is the holdup: Roy wants four years guaranteed and a fifth year player-option, while Portland is reportedly offering four years without a player-option. The Blazers brass should give Roy what he wants, clearly, considering he’s their present and future.

I can see why Roy is “frustrated” about his lacking of an extension. The Blazers offered current Toronto Raptor Hedo Turkoglu five years,  how can they fail to go the extra year for their best player? It’s befuddling to say the least. Also, with the four-year offer to free-agent power forward Paul Millsap, it appears the Blazers are negotiating with everyone else but Roy and his sidekick, LaMarcus Aldridge. This is not a good sign. Portland’s biggest priority this offseason should be signing both longterm.

General Manager Kevin Pritchard said they “will be here for a very long time” but he doesn’t make the final decision. As much as I think he’d extend both with maximum contracts, owner Paul Allen, who’s worth more than $17 billion, has the final say. He’s the holdup, because if he was willing, at this time, to offer five years to Roy, the guard would be signed.

Allen, who was up out of his courtside seat every time Roy or any other young talents appeared injured, has to understand what he means to the franchise. Portland has such a bright future, and though I think a deal will eventually be hammered out with Roy, it could be a lot dimmer if he isn’t around.

Boston Red Sox ace Josh Beckett (left) was magnificent in tossing a complete game against the Kansas City Royals. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Since Josh Beckett graced Fenway’s mound, he has been the Boston Red Sox undeniable ace. During the 2005 offseason, Beckett, then 25 and fresh off a 15-8 season with the Florida Marlins, was traded to the Red Sox for top-prospect and current Marlins star shortstop Hanley Ramirez. I didn’t know much about Ramirez, but he was heralded as a five-tool player near major league ready. Boston, despite knowing Ramirez would soon be a star, thought enough of Beckett to make the deal.

The ace struggled in his first season with the Red Sox, while Ramirez was named the National League’s Rookie of the Year. Although he won 16 games, a career-high at the time, he allowed an unsightly 36 home-run and had a 5.01 ERA. At this time, the trade was clearly deemed a bad one for Boston.

Yet, he felt much more comfortable the following year, which may be an understatement. He allowed Red Sox fans to forget about Ramirez, winning 20 games with a 3.27 ERA. He was officially a Red Sox, and their ace.

He managed only 12 victories in 2008, but was due to a lack of run support, not his performance. He was very dependable, a workhorse that could be counted on to give his offense a chance every start. Boston’s management became enamored with his mound presence and his consistent efforts, but acquired him as much for his postseason success.

All of 23 years old, he took a tough loss at home in Game Three of the 2003 World Series against the heavily favored New York Yankees, striking out ten in 7 1/3 innings. The 6′4″ Texan sought revenge in Game Six, this time facing the Bronx Bombers in their house. The Marlins held a 3-2 series as Beckett took the mound. The series was won once he left it. The baby-faced righthander dominated the Yankees, failing to surrender a run while striking out nine. Nothing like a complete-game shutout in the World Series-clincher against the most decorated franchise in baseball history to put you on the map.

Since the magical night of October 25th, 2003, Beckett has added to his legacy. Behind another title run in 2007 during which he was 4-0 with a 1.20 ERA and another complete game shutout, he solidified himself as the clutchest postseason pitcher of his era.

As his first half of the 2009 indicates, he’s also pretty darn dominant during the regular season. Entering his final start of before the All-Star Break, he had 10 wins to his name and an ERA in the mid-threes. Beckett had a rough start to the season, but since April’s 7.22 ERA in five starts, he has been brilliant, with only two hiccups over the past two and a half months.

The Kansas City Royals, his opponent in this final outing of the first half, didn’t stand a chance. Their offense has a few bright spots–Alberto Callaspo is hitting .300, Billy Butler has 27 doubles, 8 homers, and is batting .290, Mark Teahen has 41 runs scored, and Willie Bloomquist has 7 steals and 16 stolen bases–but overall they have little that would scare Beckett. No one to challenge him, and make him work, at least that’s the way it transpired.

Beckett was on his game, making the Royals offense appear that much more paltry. He struck out the first two hitters of the game, then the first two of the second inning. After another strikeout in the third, he allowed his first hit in the fourth, a leadoff double to David DeJesus.

A sacrifice bunt moved DeJesus over, but the heart of Kansas City’s lineup couldn’t take advantage of the situation. Beckett retired Butler and Teahan on groundouts. In all, Beckett needed just six pitches in that inning, disposing of the Royals almost too easily.

His offense, which scored a run in the bottom of the first on a Kevin Youkilis rbi-single, scored three more in the fourth. The first of the frame came home via the second hit of Aaron Bates’ career, a double crushed to center. The second, after Jacoby Ellsbury reached and moved Bates to third, then swiped his 40th base, David Ortiz drove in Bates with a groundout.

Tejeda didn’t know where his pitches were going. His velocity was off the charts, but Boston took pitch after pitch well out of the strikezone. He walked two straight, forcing in a run. Beckett had insurance, as if he needed it.

It turned out, all  Beckett needed was the run Dustin Pedroia scored in the opening inning. He continued to mow down the hapless Royals, throwing his 96-mile per hour fastball in, then his sweeping curveball and slider away to torture them into weak swings often resulting in strikeouts or measly hit groundballs.

Two of the three hits he allowed came in the seventh inning, but, staked a five-run lead at this point, Beckett calmed, pounding a fastball in on the hands of Branyan Pena, sawing off his bat to end Kansas City’s lone threat with the double-play grounder.

Upon retiring the eighth inning’s three victims on eleven pitches, he needed only eleven more to send down the final three in the ninth. The final batter, Butler, went as quickly as possible, and epitomized Beckett’s outing. Beckett took something off a first-pitch curveball for strike-one, then came back with a fastball still touching 94 which Butler swung right through. The final pitch, Beckett decided, would be a curveball. Any pitch in his perfected repertoire would have sufficed, but the big bender did the deed just fine. The offering snapped out of his hand and tumbled into the lower depths of the strikezone. Butler whiffed miserably.

In his second complete game of the season, Beckett allowed only four base-runners and didn’t walk anyone. His control was top-notch, throwing 66 of his 94 pitches for strikes. The ace made his eleventh win look effortless. He was the ace that shut down the Yankees six years ago, the ace worth trading Ramirez for.

Kendy Morales (left) and Mike Napoli had big days for the Anaheim Angels, which trounced the New York Yankees.(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Under manager Mike Scioscia, the Anaheim Angels have been built around the small-ball philosophy. They have home-run hitters, but they have taken pride in excelling at the little things: stealing bases, taking the extra base, bunting, and moving runners over.

So, after the New York Yankees scored the first four runs of the game via a two-run home-run by Alex Rodriguez, a solo-shot by newly acquired Eric Hinske, and a rbi-single by Robinson Cano, the Angels ran their offense to perfection.

Yankees starting pitcher Andy Pettitte cracked in the fourth inning, surrendering an rbi-single to former teammate Bobby Abreu, before completely imploding in the ensuing frame.

Second baseman Howie Kendrick, one of the few Angels to struggle offensively this season, led off the fifth inning with a single.

Pettitte, well past his prime, has lost a considerable amount of velocity on his fastball. He was never a very hard thrower, but to such skilled hitters in a stacked lineup, the difference between a 93-miles per hour fastball and a 89-miles per hour fastball can make all the difference.

Brandon Wood, Anaheim’s highly touted 24-year old third baseman, a player they have repeatedly refused to include in trades, took advantage of Pettitte’s lifeless and mislocated 89-miles per hour heat, clocking the final of four straight fastballs into the right-field bleachers to cut the deficit to just one.

Pettitte wasn’t right, and the Angels feasted on his mediocrity. What will dictate whether a pitcher can succeed or not is their ability or inability to keep the ball down. Often, pitchers rely heavily on the fastball, which gets them into trouble because a fastball has the tendency to rise in the strikezone, and is nearly impossible to consistently keep down. Pitchers like the San Francisco Giants Tim Lincecum and Toronto Blue Jays Roy Halladay are workhorses and arguably the best pitchers in their respective leagues because they consistently work low, and rarely giving hitters anything comfortable to hit.

Pettitte continued to give Anaheim plenty to hit. Robb Quinlan followed up Wood’s blast with a single. After Chone Figgins’ speed broke up a potential double-play, Eric Aybar and Abreu hit consecutive singles to chase Pettitte. All in all, Pettitte allowed seven hits, five coming in a fifth inning in which he recorded only one out.

The Angels weren’t happy to see Pettitte leave, but they fared similarly against reliever David Robertson. Catcher Mike Napoli greeted him by nailing his first pitch curveball into the gap in right-center, plating both Aybar and Abreu to grab the lead for Anaheim.

A two-run advantage grew to four as Kendrick completed the seven-run fifth with a two-out, two-run single. He promptly was thrown out at second trying to steal, but the damage was done.

Aybar added to the lead in the sixth, driving a two-out rbi-triple to deep center-field. The Angels, after being dealt a four-run deficit, were in control.

But no lead is safe when playing the Yankees. Hinske, turning out to be a great pickup, belted his second home-run of the game, a two-run shot in the seventh inning. Rodriguez and Matsui continued the home-run barrage, hitting back-to-back shots in the eighth, but in the bottom of both innings, New York squandered any momentum they had gained.

Napoli answered Hinske’s shot with one of his own to begin the bottom of the seventh. The floodgates opened in the eighth, as Yankees reliever Phil Coke got sloppy. He allowed a single to Reggie Wilits to start the frame, then after a previous pickoff attempt nearly evaded first baseman Mark Teixeira, he missed Teixeira’s glove altogether, moving Wilits to second.

Then, he uncorked a wild curveball to strike-out Chone Figgins, but it snuck past catcher Jorge Posada, awarding Figgins first base. One out later, Anaheim capitalized on Abreu’s sacrifice fly, Kendry Morales’ rbi-double, and Gary Matthews Jr.’s rbi-single.

The scoring was complete. Fourteen runs on sixteen hits for the American League West-leading Angels, frustrating another opponent with their scrappiness and power.

While Paul Millsap is at the Portland Trail Blazers doorstep ready to cash in, Brandon Roy (pictured) wonders when he'll get paid. Blazers fans, don't worry, Portland will ante up for their star.

In his article titled “NBA Free Agency’s Winners and Losers”, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports blasted Portland Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard, labeling him a loser, and made some inaccurate statements regarding the team’s needs.

He began his drivel of an article with this surprising truth:

“As the rejections and criticisms mounted lately, NBA executives and agents described Portland Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard as “agitated” and “panicked” and even “desperate.” He kept returning to teams with the same proposals, only to be dismissed again and again. All his plans had imploded.”

Pritchard has had a rough offseason so far. He has been trying too hard to make the big move that he thinks would put his team over the top. He’s impatient, and wants the Blazers to win a title as soon as next season. He’s indecisive and doesn’t know what to do.

He made his name as an NBA Draft wizard by trading for stars Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge during the 2006 edition. He was hailed as a genius, as a god-like figure who would transform a franchise appropriately dubbed “Jail Blazers” into a championship contender full of law-abiding role models. He has done that, and has since built upon his Roy and Aldridge Legacy by trading dysfunctional star Zach Randolph after the duo’s first season, voicing confidence in head coach Nate McMillan, selecting center Greg Oden with the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, and surrounding the cornerstones of the franchise with similarly gifted young talents.

He doesn’t want to be known as just a draft wizard, though. He wants to make a bold move, like signing Paul Millsap, that will continue to improve Portland and fill a need. What’s wrong with that? Evidently, Wojnarowski has a problem with his sensible philosophy.

“All this cap space, all these big plans, and Pritchard offered a $34 million offer sheet for Paul Millsap to play behind LaMarcus Aldridge. They need a small forward, but he refused to make a bid for the most talented one on the market – the Los Angeles Lakers’ Lamar Odom.

Odom could’ve been had for the Blazers, but Pritchard has, for now, committed his money to a backup power forward. He could’ve dented the Lakers and met his most pressing need with Odom’s length, athleticism and versatility.”

He thinks the Blazers most pressing need is a small forward? Did this bone-headed columnist even watch the Blazers this past season? He clearly did not, since all he had to do was look at their depth chart to prove his ridiculous opinion wrong. Portland already has two small forwards–Travis Outlaw, 24, and Nicolas Batum, all of 20–and, in small lineups, two others that can fill the role–Rudy Fernandez and Martell Webster. Yeah, why doesn’t Portland get rid of one of their prime talents to bring in a player with a terrible attitude, Odom, just so that they can trump the Lakers? Doesn’t he know that Los Angeles just replaced Odom with Ron Artest? I guess not.

If he followed the Blazers at all, he would have realized that their lone weakness was a lack of toughness and consistency from their second unit. Portland had trouble holding back opponents when Roy, Aldridge, and center Joel Przybilla got their rest. This was because they didn’t have anyone, aside from Oden, who could rebound, defend, and score on a regular basis. Millsap can do all those things to provide a nightly spark that would give the Blazers what they have missed.

Millsap may be a tad overpriced, but he’s only 23. Outlaw, their current backup power forward, is wiry thin, and has played out of position. He’s just 24 and has grown into an asset for Portland. Yet, if Millsap is signed, Outlaw may be on his way out since the Blazers would have too much depth and not enough minutes for all of their rising stars.

That’s the predicament Pritchard is in. No matter who he signs, someone has to leave. It’s unfortunate, but necessary in order to upgrade. This means that he can’t be reluctant to move Outlaw if Millsap signs. What makes Outlaw tradeable to bring in Millsap and not regarding Wojnarowski’s Odom is that Millsap is considerably tougher than Outlaw and much younger than Odom. If Outlaw can be replaced by a player of similar youth that can bring more to the table, then Pritchard shouldn’t waste any time making the move.

Then there is another problem: To trade Outlaw, the Blazers have to acquire someone. They wouldn’t need anyone (no, not a point guard), so though this may be 20 cents on the dollar, I would consider taking future draft picks in return. Another problem: they wouldn’t need any of those. For example, in order to sign Millsap for $9 million annually, they will have to renounce the rights to Joel Freeland, a power-forward selected in the second-round of the 2006 NBA Draft, and Petteri Koponen, a guard drafted in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft, two players the Blazers never have and never will have room for.

Two players Portland they plan to build around for years to come, Roy and Aldridge, have yet to sign extensions as they enter the final year of their rookie contracts. This was another topic Wojnarowski failed to understand.

“Now, Pritchard is struggling to convince [Owner Paul] Allen to give Brandon Roy a full five-year max extension. The process has increasingly stunned and angered Roy. Whatever anyone thinks, no one has had more to do with the Blazers’ revival than Roy.”

Speaking in an interview with KJR, a radio station based in Seattle, Roy vented the frustration Wojnarowski references to, stating that:

“I sit back and think about all the hard work I put in to my dream…There’s days where I feel like things will get done and then there are days that I feel like, you know … hey, this may not happen…I would love for it to get done.”

Roy wants to be a Portland Trail Blazers for a long time. Pritchard said “they [Roy and Aldridge} will be here for a long time.” So, there is no reason Roy won’t get his max-deal. He’s the franchise’s backbone. Fans would be calling for Pritchard’s head if he wasn’t signed. Though Roy’s quotes are sincere, posing the question of whether Roy and Aldridge will sign is very naive. Of course they will. Portland can’t afford not to ante up.

Did it ever occur to crazed fans expecting the worst and Wojnarowski, a nonsense-spouting columnist, that Portland may be waiting until Millsap’s decision to crunch the numbers and sign Roy and Aldridge? After all, their franchise would be in ruins without either.