Sox in the lead for Halladay but is the Yanks interest growing?

From Ken Rosenthal:

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman spoke on Tuesday with his Blue Jays counterpart, J.P. Ricciardi, as the Red Sox emerged as a leading player for Jays ace Roy Halladay.

Where the Red Sox go, the Yankees follow, and vice versa.

But how serious the Yankees are about Halladay is not known.

The Phillies remain firmly in the mix for Halladay while also exploring options such as Indians left-hander Cliff Lee and Mariners lefty Jarrod Washburn, sources say.

The Rangers continue to show persistence in the Halladay discussions, though many doubt whether they could afford the financial commitment.

The Angels, unable to offer a major-league-ready starting pitcher such as Phillies lefty J.A. Happ or Red Sox righty Clay Buchholz, are on the periphery along with the Dodgers.

With Friday's nonwaiver deadline looming, it is not surprising that Cashman touched base with Ricciardi, regardless of whether he was motivated by the Red Sox's pursuit of Halladay.

For Cashman, such contact is routine. He also inquired on Lee and Washburn on Tuesday.

Cashman, like his Red Sox counterpart, Theo Epstein, checks in on every available big name. Often, Cashman's interest is minimal. But occasionally, he's up to something more.

Informed that the Yankees were merely "touching base" on Halladay, one rival general manager cracked, "That means they're all in."

The Blue Jays, one source says, want both Chamberlain and Phil Hughes in any package for Halladay. The Yankees might include one, but not the other. They also are loathe to put either in the same package with catcher Jesus Montero, who has an .891 OPS at Class AA at age 19. But the Jays also like other Yankees prospects -- catcher Austin Romine, center fielder Austin Jackson, left-hander Jeremy Bleich.

First of all, if the Sox land Halladay you can pretty much say goodbye to the division. I know some would disagree, but I can't see how that Red Sox team with Roy Halladay doesn't take the division. 2.5 games to makeup with that staff is nothing.

The same thing can be said for the Yanks if they land him. A Yankee team with CC, AJ, and Doc would be a force to be reckoned with. And I wonder if the idea of Halladay in Boston and the recent injuries to Wang and Aceves might force Cashman to make a move he may not want to make. I assume there is at least some pressure from Hank and Hal to win this year, acquiring Halladay, or even Washburn or Lee would increase those chances by a lot.

Rosenthal also mentioned that Cashman may have been talking to Riccardi about right-hand reliever Jason Frasor. And, we've also heard they were interested in left-handed reliever Scott Downs.

Personally, I'd rather see the Yanks land Downs and Washburn. I think those two additions are really all the Yankees need. Downs has been one of the better relief pitchers in the league over the past three years and Washburn continues to prove he can be a very effective pitcher, even on bad teams.