Nightmare Halladay scenario could unfold before Rays' eyes

There was an intense conversation going on Tuesday night among the out-of-town scouts who fill the back of the press box at Tropicana Field, but it didn't have much to do with the forthcoming game between the Blue Jays and Rays.

No, this was a much more interesting discussion. Like everybody else, they were guessing where he might go.

He, of course, is Toronto's Roy Halladay, maybe the best pitcher in baseball. Earlier in the day a story broke that the Blue Jays will consider trading him, which sent the baseball world atwitter.

Halladay said before the game that he wants to stay in Toronto but also wants to win. That means he can't stay in Toronto, so here we go.

He also ain't comin' here, even though the local baseball club has been a little scruffy in the starting pitching department for much of this up-and-down season - although James Shields was awfully good, again, in the Rays' 3-1 win in 11 innings Tuesday.

Fantasizing over the idea of Halladay in a Rays uniform is a waste of brain cells, especially when there is a far better use for them - such as the nightmare scenario of seeing him in Yankee pinstripes or Red Sox, uh, socks.

I asked Rays outfielder Carl Crawford if he could imagine such a thing. After a nervous laugh and a shake of his head, he said, "Yeah, I can. I don't want to imagine it, but I can. Oh my gawd. I don't even want to think about that. He's the best right-handed pitcher in the game right now."

Back in the press box, the scouts seemed to figure the Phillies, Cubs and Dodgers would be players for Halladay. The Angels might be a factor along with, of course, the Yankees and Red Sox. Halladay has a no-trade clause but sounded like a man who might be willing to listen to reason - ominously for the Rays.

"My decisions are going to be based on having a chance to win," he said.

While their closest rivals can do whatever it takes - especially with a beast like Halladay on the market - the Rays will make do with what they have. Owner Stu Sternberg made it clear back in the spring that just about all the flexibility was gone from the payroll.

A few more games like Tuesday's win wouldn't hurt. The winning blow was a two-run homer by one Pat Burrell, who was a cover-your-eyes 9-for-63 before that at-bat. The Rays really, really needed this.

This was their first game back home since being swept over the weekend at Texas, ruining what had threatened to be a pretty decent road trip and raising lots of questions.

"We'll play well sometimes, and then sometimes we'll do what we did in Texas. I'm not sure what it is myself," Crawford said. "I don't know if it's a lack of concentration or what it is."

Manager Joe Maddon, as we know, can find the good in anything but even he has limits. I think we just found what they are.

The Rays fielded poorly and pitched worse in Texas, and for those keeping score at home, it dropped their road record to an unsightly 18-26. His eyes narrowed a bit and his words carried a bit more bite than normal when asked about that lost weekend.

"It was frustrating. We've got to be better than that. I'm not saying you have to win every game but the sweep is really the part that kind of irks you a bit because we are the defending American League champs," Maddon said. "We have high goals and standards set for this year and it's not to become the wild-card team. Our goal is to win the division.

"We've got to be better on the road and we cannot let these sweeps occur. Those really set you back."

If you think that was a setback, imagine if Boston or New York wind up with Halladay. That's a game-changer for the Rays. That's a game-changer for baseball.

Just imagine.

Better yet, don't.