What To Watch For in Baseball's Second Half

The All-Star Break is now a thing of the past, as the American League dominance continued last night in St. Louis. The second half of the 2009 MLB season commences tomorrow night, and the playoff races are heating up. Here are the top three stories to watch in baseball's stretch run:

1. The Fate of Roy Halladay

Halladay was not at his best in last night's All-Star Game, but make no mistake about it: He is one of the very best pitchers in baseball, second only to Tim Lincecum. Halladay has been consistently outstanding during his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays, but as the Jays are experiencing yet another year of mediocrity, GM J.P. Ricciardi has placed Halladay on the trading block. Sources close to the Blue Jays seem to think that there is a 50-50 chance that Halladay gets traded, but just for the sake of argument, let's say he does get traded. Where will he end up?

In the National League, Philadelphia and St. Louis seem to be the top two contenders in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes. The Phillies just signed Pedro Martinez, but Pedro is past his prime. The Phillies need more pitching. The Cardinals, meanwhile, need Halladay to be considered a legitimate title contender. Halladay would be a welcome addition to a Cards rotation that already includes Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright.

In the American League, there have been rumors that the Red Sox and Yankees are possible destinations for the Jays' ace. For J.P. Ricciardi's sake, I hope that there is no truth to this absurd rumor. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: If Ricciardi sends Halladay to Boston or New York, he would automatically strengthen a division rival, making Boston or New York instant championship favorites. That would be beyond stupid on the part of Ricciardi. I trust that he's smart enough to see the inanity in such a trade.

Where will Halladay land? If I had to wager money, I'd bet Philadelphia. But Halladay is such a valuable commodity, if Toronto doesn't find a team willing to give up significant talent in return, they'd be better off keeping their ace.

2. Can the Giants catch the Dodgers?

Oh yes we can! Bruce Bochy's San Francisco Giants currently have a two-game lead in the NL Wild Card over the surprising Colorado Rockies. This is great news, but I think I speak for Giants fans everywhere when I say that I still have my sights set on catching the Dodgers. The Giants are seven games back of the hated blue, but that lead is not insurmountable, not with the incredible wealth of pitching that San Francisco has. Pitching, on the other hand, is where Los Angeles is most vulnerable. The Dodgers bullpen, namely Ronald Belisario, Jonathan Broxton, and Ramon Troncoso, have been overworked, and there is a chance that the 'pen will run out of gas in August and September.

Meanwhile, the 2009 Giants have the best chemistry of any Giants team since 2002, the team that went to the World Series. Thanks to the infectious energy of guys like Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Pablo Sandoval, Nate Schierholtz, and Travis Ishikawa, along with the steady leadership of veterans Edgar Renteria, Randy Johnson, Bengie Molina, and Rich Aurilia, the Giants have a terrific rapport.

I will be in San Francisco in August, attending all three Giants-Dodgers games at AT&T Park from August 10 to August 12. My hope is that those three games will play a major role in who wins the division. Go Giants!!!

3. Will Baseball Remain Exciting in Florida?

The Tampa Bay Rays and Florida Marlins, despite significant financial disadvantages, both remain in the playoff race. At the break, Joe Maddon's Rays are in third place in the highly competitive Al East, 6.5 games back of the first-place Red Sox and 3.5 back of the Yankees in the Wild card standings. Fredi Gonzalez' Marlins sit four games back of the Phillies in the NL East, and four games back of San Francisco in the NL Wild Card. Both Florida teams have a vast array of spectacular young talent. The Rays have Evan Longoria, B.J. Upton, Carlos Pena, Carl Crawford, James Shields, and David Price. The Marlins have Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Jeremy Hermida, Chris Volstad, and Josh Johnson. Both teams are fun to watch, but will either team be playing in October?

The answer is yes for the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays may be young, but they are also battle-tested. The reigning American League champions will not be afraid of playing in big games down the stretch. The Red Sox and Yankees will beat each other up for the division title, and the Rays will sneak in the back door and take the Wild Card. The Marlins, on the other hand, will fall a little short. They've got a good thing going in South Beach, but they won't be able to catch the Phillies.

But no matter what happens to the Rays and Marlins, whether they make the playoffs or not, they deserve increased fan support from Floridians. The Sunshine State has a history of being apathetic toward our national past time, and that is a shame. Because they are missing out on some tremendously exciting baseball.