Roy Halladay to the White Sox?

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Peter Gammons was on ESPN 1000 with Waddle and Silvy today, and the possibility of Roy Halladay to the Sox was a major topic.

Blue Jay's GM J.P. Ricciardi recently said that they'll have to at least listen to offers for their ace starter, and the Sox seem to make a lot of sense as a landing spot. They've already tried to acquire an ace pitcher once this season, and they seem to have the requisite young talent to make an offer.

Gammons stated that he, "would be absolutely floored if Kenny (Williams) doesn't make a serious attempt to get J.P. (Ricciardi)'s attention."

Frankly, I'm rather torn on this issue.

On the one hand, Halladay would clearly be a massive upgrade in their starting rotation. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball, and has been phenomenal this season.

The Sox would have one of the strongest rotations in baseball if this deal were to happen. Their pitching is already second in the AL in ERA thanks to the performances of All-Star Mark Buehrle, youngsters John Danks and Gavin Floyd, and the rejuvenated Jose Contreras.

That's not a staff that you want to face in the playoffs. Yes, I said playoffs. In my opinion the Sox are already in a strong position to win the division even before factoring in the potential impact of a starter with Roy's ability on the race.

I worry about the level of talent it would cost for the Sox to acquire "Doc," though. Rumor has it that Toronto will be looking to acquire at least four solid pieces for their prized starter. I'm sure they're asking for Gordon Beckham (whom I highly doubt is available) and would not settle for anything less than Aaron Poreda, Tyler Flowers, Dan Hudson, and another player like Jordan Danks, Dexter Carter or Brandon Allen.

That's a steep price to pay, especially given Halladay's age and contract status. The ace starter turned 32 in May, and his contract expires after the 2010 season. You're only guaranteed to have him in your rotation for a year and a half, after that you will likely have to pay at least $16 million per season to a 33-year-old starter.

Pitching also hasn't been the main issue for the Sox this year, especially over the last month. Granted, it would be nice to replace Clayton Richard with Halladay in the rotation, but the Sox biggest issue has been their defense.

Their offense has also struggled for much of the year. Though they have hit better of late, their lineup still seems like it could use a boost more than the rotation, especially if Carlos Quentin doesn't return at full strength.

The future makeup of the team should also be considered. I have a hard time seeing the organization bring back Jim Thome and Jose Contreras next year, and the return of Jermaine Dye is also in doubt. That could be three key pieces of the team leaving the organization, and Halladay would likely put a serious dent in the money available to replace them.

Can the team really win with that makeup after this year? Frankly, I don't know.

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