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The Philadelphia Phillies are the favorites to land Roy Halladay if the All-Star pitcher is traded by the Toronto Blue Jays before the end of the month, according to the Internet gambling Web site BetUS.com.

Blue Jays General Manager J.P. Ricciardi has said he'd consider trading Halladay, a two-time 20-game winner who won the 2003 Cy Young Award as the best pitcher in the American League. The 32-year-old Halladay has an 11-3 record with a 2.73 earned run average this season.

The World Series-champion Phillies have 5-2 odds of acquiring Halladay ahead of Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, according to BetUS.com. Ricciardi said yesterday that the team's deadline for a deal is July 28, one day before Halladay's scheduled start in Seattle.

"The Phillies make the most sense as a possible destination for Halladay,'' BetUS spokesman Reed Richards said from the Web site's Costa Rica-based office. "Despite looking like they have no real challengers in the (National League) East at this point the feeling is that Halladay would truly put them over the edge. Add to this the fact that they have the prospects to deal for Halladay and it makes sense for both sides.''

The Milwaukee Brewers have odds of 3-1 to add Halladay, followed by Los Angeles' Angels and Dodgers at 4-1, according to BetUS. The St. Louis Cardinals have odds of 5-1 on the Web site, the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves are 6-1, and the New York Mets are listed at 10-1.

Jays Seek Young Talent

The Blue Jays are seeking to receive young talent in exchange for Halladay, who has spent his entire 12-year major- league career in Toronto. The odds of a trade being completed are 3-2, according to BetUS, though Ricciardi said yesterday that a deal looked "unlikely.''

"As you get closer and closer to the deadline, no one's really stepped up yet, and at that point I think time starts running out on you,'' Ricciardi said on the team's Web site. "We've got to be highly motivated to move him, so we haven't been highly motivated yet.''

Ricciardi declined to say how many teams made serious offers for Halladay.

"There's been enough, though,'' he said.

If no offers have the right combination of prospects to suit Ricciardi, he could try to make a trade that clears waivers in August, restart trade talks with other teams at baseball's winter meetings in the offseason, or keep Halladay to head the Blue Jays' rotation again next year.

Halladay, who has a 142-69 career record, is set to earn $14.3 million this year and $15.8 million in 2010 before becoming a free agent. He threw a six-hitter to beat Boston in his last start three days ago, recording his fourth complete game of the season and the 44th of his career.

World Series Favorites

ESPN baseball analyst John Kruk said if Halladay is traded, whichever team adds him to their starting rotation should be the favorite to win the World Series.

"That's how great a pitcher he is and that's what he would mean for the boost in morale to the team that he goes to,'' Kruk said on the Walt Disney Co. cable network. "He saves your bullpen. He likes to finish what he's started, not a lot of guys have that ability anymore.''

While the Phillies (53-38) have a 6 1/2-game lead atop the NL East, Halladay could bolster a pitching staff that ranks 24th out of 30 major-league teams with a 4.46 ERA.

The Yankees (56-37) and Mets (44-49) had the highest Opening Day player payrolls in 2009, though BetUS's Richards said he doesn't expect either club to go after Halladay even though they have team ERAs of 4.34 and 4.40, respectively.

"The Yankees re-tooled their entire rotation in the offseason and are right in the hunt,'' Richards said. "The feeling is that they are confident that the staff will come around and they'll be in place to either win the division or take the wild card at the end of the season. As far as the Mets are concerned, we feel that, with a disappointing season only getting worse, they are gun-shy to make any moves, big or small.''

 Tags  Philadelphia Phillies Roy Halladay Toronto Blue Jays

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