7/30 14:56: Jayson Stark of ESPN says that it’s increasingly looking like the Blue Jays will not be really active. They are telling teams they have to “blown away” to deal Jose Bautista.

7/29 00:21: Philadelphia Phillies scout Dave Hollins was at Toronto’s Rogers Centre on Wednesday night – his sixth consecutive game he has seen the Blue Jays play. The same is true for Blue Jays scout Jim Beattie. He was the Phillies take on the Cardinals and the Rockies last week. The teams are possibly preparing themselves for a trade. But for who?

Bob Elliott of the Toronto Sun wonders if the Phillies acquire Major League home run leader Jose Bautista, would they move Placido Polanco from third base to second base to allow Bautista to play third in Philadelphia. Elliott also says the Blue Jays are looking for starter since Jamie Moyer was injured with no expected date of return.

“Toronto has told us they’re looking for kids who are controllable with zero to three years of service time or less, either pitchers or position players,” said an American League scout. “They want blue-chip prospects, even a kid from class A.”

If the Phillies are going after Bautista, then they need to keep in mind that there will be competition. The San Francisco Giants and Chicago White Sox have inquired about Bautista. Both teams are in desperate need of additional offense for their lineup.

“Would I tell my general manager to trade for him?” said a National League scout of Bautista. “I would, but I’d also tell my boss he could top out with nine home runs next year. It’s not like he has a proven track record. Toronto is selling at the right time.”

Bautista is relatively affordable at $2.4 million this season. He would be in the $6-7 million range next season through salary arbitration.