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MLB

– Blue Jays ace RHP Roy Halladay is reportedly not interested in re-signing with the team once his current contract expires at the end of next season. Team president and CEO Paul Beeston doesn’t believe Halladay will return to Toronto, saying the ace right-hander wants to win now.

“We would like to sign him, he is an original Blue Jay and we have never had a pitcher as good as him. But he is not inclined to sign with us.”

Halladay’s future has become the Jays’ primary focus during the off-season, with new GM Alex Anthopoulos hinting earlier this month that Halladay’s time with the team may be winding down. “(Halladay) stressed his timeline for winning and ours may not mesh and may not match.”

Doc, 32, went 17-10 last season with a 2.79 ERA, finishing fifth in the American League Cy Young voting. Halladay is 148-76 lifetime with the Blue Jays, and won the Cy Young in 2003 after winning a career-high 22 games. If he leaves Toronto, consider baseball north of the border to be officially dead.

– Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says that many in the Cubs front office feel it would be “foolish” to trade prospect SS Starlin Castro to the Tigers for OF Curtis Granderson. Castro has quickly established himself as the best Cubs prospects after his showing in the Arizona Fall League. Granderson, conversely, has been one of the best centerfielders in the game (against right-handed pitching) and is thought to be available. Rogers says that Cubs GM Jim Hendry “appreciates” what Granderson brings to the table and wonders if new hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo could help address Granderson’s platoon issues. If the Cubs won’t give Castro up in a Granderson deal, it will be extremely tough to pull off.

– Ken Davidoff of Newsday reports that the Yankees’ priority right now is re-signing OF Johnny Damon, with DH Hideki Matsui on the back-burner. Even though Matsui turned heads in the World Series, Damon is the better property going forward considering Godzilla can no longer play the field. Agent Scott Boras is pushing for a four-year deal, but realistically, a two-year deal is most likely. Damon and the Yanks should finalize something soon. Then look for the Yankees to turn their attention to Jays ace RHP Roy Halladay and the free agency pool.

– Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker reports that RHP Jose Contreras is seeking employment in Japan. There was a report of Contreras reaching out to the Hanshin Tigers earlier this week, but the rumours hold more weight now that we learn his 16-year-old son is hoping to take part in an exchange program with a high school in Japan. The 37-year-old right-hander is expected to visit Japan next week, with the SoftBank Hawks and Hiroshima Carp as the most likely landing spots, based on geography, according to Newman.

– Jorge Arangure of ESPN tweets that free agent LHP Aroldis Chapman is now represented by Randy and Alan Hendricks. Chapman’s previous agent was Edwin Mejia of Athletes Premier International. Other clients of the Hendricks brothers include Angels 1B Kendry Morales and Yankees LHP Andy Pettitte. There is no word as to the reasoning of the switch, but it would be logical to assume that the process will now be far more streamlined, as the Hendricks are veterans in the business while Meija and API started in 2006. Still, the timing is a bit curious.