If asked to, Roy Halladay would pitch in Egypt but...

Approval or not Roy Halladay, one of the game's best pitchers, is not leaving Toronto for Chicago.

That goes for both Chicago teams.

No. 1 - The Cubs do not have the prospects the Blue Jays want so count them out right there.

No. 2 - The Chicago White Sox claim to not have payroll flexibility anymore but the real reason is that Gordon Beckham will not be part of any trade for anyone. The third baseman has breathed new life into a team coasting toward a 70-win season and turned them into a contender. Beckham is the clear and present future of this team and Josh Fields is not. Would Halladay make the White Sox into a World Series contender? Yes. They are contenders only if Beckham stays on this team though.

It's not like he's an over-hyped prospect raking in the minors, he's already getting the job done here.

Would I mortgage anyone else on the farm along with pitchers Aaron Poreda and Clayton Richard? Absolutely.

I've never been a firm believer in Richard. He seems like a poor man's Kip Wells. A soft-tosser that's expendable. Poreda could be a stud one day because he's a hard throwing lefty. But can he be Halladay good? I don't know and I'd be willing to take that risk. Throw in another prospect or two and I'd still make the deal.

That being said I thought the White Sox trade for setup man Tony Pena was shocking. First, I'd place bullpen issues at the bottom of my concerns list. Second, they sold low on Brandon Allen, a first baseman who I assumed would be part of some bigger trade.

Pena has struggled at times this year with an ERA swelling over 4.00 but seems like an ideal candidate to replace Octavio Dotel next year if pitching coach Don Cooper can get him figured out.

Hopefully, there are more trades in the works because I still feel like this team is a starting pitcher (righty) away from being a serious contender.