According to a report by ESPN.com, a deal between the Phillies and Indians involving ace Cliff Lee is “heating up.”

According to sources who have spoken with officials of both clubs, they’ve discussed a variety of packages for Lee. One potential package is believed to include Carrasco, a top position-player prospect yet to be determined and two hard-throwing Class A pitchers, Jason Knapp and Trevor May.

Asked if he believed the Phillies could make a trade for Lee without including Kyle Drabek, whom Toronto has insisted upon in any deal for Halladay, one source replied: “If they were going to [trade] Drabek, they might as well do the deal for Halladay.”

Phillies officials have continued to tell other clubs they believe they can make a deal for Lee without giving up either their top pitching prospect, Drabek, or their top position-player prospect, outfielder Dominic Brown.

I couldn’t see the Tribe giving up Lee (whose contract is manageable through 2010) without getting back Drabek in return. But if Philadelphia could swing a deal for Lee that didn’t include Drabek (or Brown for that matter), that would be an impressive feat.

Lee isn’t Halladay, but there’s no doubt that he would dramatically improve the Phillies’ starting rotation and give them the arms needed to make another run at a World Series. A rotation of Lee, Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ and either Joe Blanton or Jamie Moyer would be tough to contend with in the NL come playoff time.

What’s interesting to me is that Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro seemed dead set against trading Lee only a couple weeks ago and now it almost seems certain that the ace will be dealt by Friday. Granted, Shapiro (along with every other MLB GM) was probably just throwing out smokescreens, but the reports seemed genuine that Lee wasn’t going to be moved this year.

Update: The Phillies have made an official offer for Lee according to FOXSports.com. Apparently the deal on the table is for single-A right-hander Jason Knapp, Triple-A right-hander Carlos Carrasco, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson. Your move, Tribe…

With the MLB trade deadline approaching on Friday, I have zero time to waste writing a creative intro that you’ll either a) take the time to read or b) take the time to read.

So I’ll cut right to the chase: I have got about a million random thoughts and predictions (25, actually) bouncing around in this noggin of mine, so I’ve decided to compile them in one heaping pile of organized chaos below. Feel free to add your own thoughts and predictions in the comments section and then we can play a couple rounds of “I told you so!” after the trade deadline passes on Friday.

1. I was close, but wrong with my prediction early last week that the Blue Jays will trade Roy Halladay to the Phillies. They would have traded him to the Phillies, but Philadelphia didn’t want to give up a promising major league starter in J.A. Happ, their top minor league pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, and a promising minor league outfielder named Dominic Brown in order to complete the deal. And who could blame them? That’s one steep price to pay, even for a player of Halladay’s caliber.

2. Instead, I fully believe that Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi was never going to trade Halladay in the first place, unless he was so blown away by an offer that he couldn’t pass it up. Halladay isn’t a free agent until after the 2010 season, so Ricciardi used this past month to gauge what he could potentially get for the ace for next year.

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- The Brewers and Mariners are in serious talks that could send starter Jarrod Washburn to Milwaukee according to the Journal-Sentinel.

- The Yankees are looking for arms and according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark, the Bombers are interested in the Bucs’ Ian Snell, John Grabow and Matt Capps, the Nats’ Joe Beimel, the Royals Ron Mahay, and the Reds’ Bronson Arroyo.

- The Giants are still in desperate need of bats and according to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Indians have been scouting the G-Men’s farm system. Could either Victor Martinez or Ryan Garko be on their way to San Fran?

- Despite Toronto GM J.P. Riccardi saying there is a very slim chance that a trade will happen, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that talks between the Phillies and Blue Jays remain intense. The paper also suggests that the Phillies could turn their attention to Cliff Lee if a deal for Halladay cannot be struck.

- According to the Boston Globe, the Red Sox still remain very much in the hunt for either Roy Halladay or Victor Martinez.

- The Dodgers are denying that a deal between them and the Indians involving Cliff Lee, Victor Martinez is in serious discussion. FOXSports.com reported over the weekend that L.A. and Cleveland were discussing a blockbuster trade that would send Lee and Martinez to the Dodgers for James Loney and either Chad Billingsley or Clayton Kershaw.

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com is reporting that the Indians and Dodgers are in serious discussions about a possible trade that would send Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez to the Dodgers for a package that would include either Clayton Kershaw or Chad Billingsley.

Top club officials from both teams strongly denied a FOXSports.com report saying that the teams were in serious discussions about a blockbuster that would send left-hander Cliff Lee and catcher Victor Martinez to Los Angeles for first baseman James Loney, one of the Dodgers’ young rotation members and prospects.

Those names have at least surfaced in internal discussions on both sides, but a deal involving those specific players is not under consideration, the club officials said.

The Dodgers have had steady interest in Lee. They have not discussed Martinez with the Indians, one source said, but some club officials evidently view Martinez as another potential upgrade.
One thing is clear: The Dodgers are exploring ways to improve a team that has built a wide lead in the NL West and the best record in the National League.

Wow. L.A. would be giving up a ton of young talent, but one of the unwritten rules in baseball is that if you have a chance to win now, you take it. And the Dodgers definitely have a chance to win now.

Personally, I think losing Kershaw would be a bigger blow to the Dodgers than losing Billingsley, who has electric stuff but seems streaky. At the ripe age of 21, Kershaw has been outstanding this season and has the highest ceiling of any pitcher in L.A.’s organization, which is why it’s understandable that the Tribe would want him in return for a deal that included Lee.

But still, the Dodgers would be getting Lee, who I’ll stop shy of saying is a guarantee in terms of production. Martinez (who’s hitting .287 with 14 home runs and 64 RBI this season) would also be an excellent addition to the Dodgers’ already solid lineup. This is a deal that could essentially put L.A. over the top and considering Lee and Martinez’s salaries can be controlled next season, a move that could make the Dodgers World Series contenders not just for this year, but next year as well.

Even though this is just a rumor I’m a big believer in, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. And there’s a ton of smoke coming out of L.A. and Cleveland at the moment.

- ESPN’s Buster Olney is reporting that the Angels have interest in Rays’ starter Scott Kazmir, although its unclear at this point if this could be a precursor to a trade for Tampa, who apparently has their eyes on Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee.

- Sticking with the Angels theme, owner Arte Moreno tells the L.A. Times that he remains interested in landing one of the top arms on the market, which includes Halladay and Lee. Apparently he’s also willing to pay a hefty price to acquire one of the big names.

- Speaking of Lee, ESPN’s Jayson Stark says he is available, but it appears that the Indians would have to be overwhelmed by a deal. Stark is also reporting that the Reds will listen to offers for starter Bronson Arroyo.

- According to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Twins are interested in Oakland shortstop Orlando Cabrera and reliever Michael Wuertz.

- The Padres are making Heath Bell available.

- SI.com’s Jon Heyman is reporting that the Rays are kicking the tires on possibly acquiring Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez.

- Brian Anderson has asked the White Sox to trade him according to MLB.com.

The second half of the 2009 MLB season has kicked off and with that, I’m going to make some predictions that are sure to be proved wrong in a couple months.

Feel free to whip out your crystal ball in the comments section but before you do, please do everyone a favor and take off your favorite team prescribed glasses and be objective for once in your life, will ya?

1. The Blue Jays will trade Halladay…to the Phillies.
Toronto GM J.P. Ricciardi is reminding everyone who will listen that he doesn’t absolutely need to trade Roy Halladay – which he doesn’t. But the bottom line is that he’ll probably get more in return for the “Doc” this season than he would next when Halladay is set to become a free agent after the 2010 season. And despite Ricciardi stating that he’s open to trading Halladay within the division, he’s not stupid. He’s not going to trade Halladay to the Red Sox or Yankees and risk becoming public enemy No. 1 in the eyes of Jays fans for not only getting rid of their best and most popular player, but also trading him to a division rival in the process. In the end, I think Ricciardi will trade Halladay to an NL team and my guess is that it will be Philadelphia that will eventually puts a package together to acquire him. Although they might balk at the $7 million that’s remaining on Halladay’s contract, the Phillies are built to win now and need more starting pitching to make another run at a World Series. They also have enough appealing prospects to entice Ricciardi to make a deal.

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While it would have to take quite the package(s) to pry them away from Cleveland, the Indians are open to the idea of trading pitcher Cliff Lee and catcher Victor Martinez according to a report by the Plain Dealer.

The Indians could put together a decent rotation next year with Lee, Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, Aaron Laffey, David Huff, Jeremy Sowers, Hector Rondon and others. Without Lee, it could be worse than it is this year.

Replacing Martinez, despite his big bat and strong voice in the clubhouse, wouldn’t be as difficult. The Indians played well in the second half last season while Martinez was recovering from surgery on his right elbow.

They would probably have to sign a veteran catcher to bridge the gap until Carlos Santana is ready in 2011.

The chances of keeping Lee and Martinez beyond 2010 are not good. They’ll both be eligible for free agency after next season.

The Indians gave a hint of where the Lee negotiations are headed when they wouldn’t discuss a contract extension in spring training. Lee’s won-loss record doesn’t show it, but he has pitched like a Cy Young winner this year, which means it’s unlikely he’ll consider a multiyear deal this winter when he’s just a year away from the open market.

The Indians would probably have a better chance of signing Martinez to a multiyear deal, but with the loss in revenues that the Indians and other teams are expected to take this year because of the economy and drop in attendance, that’s probably not going to happen.

Still, 2010 might not be bad if Lee and Martinez return, Westbrook, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner stay healthy and the bullpen can be repaired. If not, Lee and Martinez can be turned into Sabathia clones and dealt to the highest bidder. The return might be as good as anything Shapiro could get this year.

It’s amazing how far the Tribe have fallen from their run in 2007. The Indians’ core that year was expected to be successful for a long time, but injuries and a drop off in production from players like Carmona sunk them in 2008 and now this season has been an utter disaster.

It might not appease fans, but trading guys like Lee and Martinez now might ensure a winner in 2011 and beyond. No fan wants their team to punt a season in hopes that the future will be brighter, but sometimes that’s the best option. If Lee and Martinez aren’t going to help Cleveland win next year and the club isn’t going to sign them long term, then what’s the point in hanging onto them?

The Tribe front office certainly has a dilemma on its hands.

- After trading Mark DeRosa to the Cardinals over the weekend, many speculate that the Indians could be setting up for a fire sale soon and would look to deal ace Cliff Lee. But according to MLB.con’s Anthony Castrovince, the Tribe aren’t keen on dealing Lee, who the club has an $8 million option with a $1 million buyout option on in 2010. Cleveland might be inclined to part with Lee if the right deal comes along, but they’re not going to just give the ace of their staff away because they’re out of contention this season.

- Garrett Atkins started at third base for the Rockies on Monday and while manager Jim Tracy said it’s because of his hot bat, ESPN’s Buster Onley believes the club is trying to drum up more trade interest for the 29-year old by getting him on the field. Colorado is in need of some bullpen help and already have Ian Stewart to man the hot corner if they’re successful in trading Atkins.

- The Giants seem to be heating up their pursuit for White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye, who would have to waive his no-trade clause if Chicago were to work out any deal involving him. San Fran, who leads the NL Wild Card race by a game and a half over the Rockies, are desperate for a middle-of-the-order bat and would love to put a package together to acquire a hitter with some pop.

- Speaking of the Giants, the club would seemingly love to trade former starter Jonathan Sanchez now that they have found a replacement for him in the rotation in 26-year old Ryan Sadowski, who pitched masterfully in his big league debut against the Brewers on Sunday. The problem is that Sanchez’s trade value has never been lower as he’s struggled with his command all season and has been demoted to the bullpen. Still, he was once viewed as a potential No. 3 behind Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain in the Giants’ rotation, so some team may still be intrigued by his potential.

- The Mets are apparently reluctant to part with reliever Bobby Parnell according to the New York Daily News.