TORONTO (AP) — Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi says he’s willing to listen to offers for ace Roy Halladay.

“I don’t think anything has changed, I just think, ‘You know what, why not listen? The worst we can say is no,'” Ricciardi told The Canadian Press on Tuesday.

“If someone wants Roy and they’re willing to blow us away, we’d be willing to listen, that’s all I’m saying. That doesn’t mean we’d trade him, that doesn’t mean we’re looking to trade him. All it means is we’d be willing to listen.”

Halladay is 10-2 with a 2.79 ERA in 16 starts. He’ll be paid $14.25 million this year and his contract expires after the 2010 season, when he’s set to earn $15.75 million.

“In the past we weren’t willing to listen and we figured let’s just see what someone’s got out there and what someone is willing to offer,” Ricciardi said.

The Blue Jays began Tuesday at 43-41, seven games back of Boston in the AL East and six out of the wild card — behind six other teams.

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Ricciardi was vague when asked if salary would be a factor. The Blue Jays’ payroll is just short of $81 million, 16th out of 30 big league teams.

“I’m not so sure payroll-wise where we’re going to be able to be after 2010. I’m not so sure that the player wants to stay here beyond 2010. I’m not sure of those things,” he said. “So those are all things we have to weigh out. He’s under contract through next year and worst-case scenario, he does not sign back with us and we get two draft picks.”

Interim CEO Paul Beeston declined to comment on dealing Halladay but did say the team’s payroll for next season is still a work in progress. The Blue Jays have $82.45 million committed to Halladay and seven others next year.

“We will be getting into it over the next month,” Beeston said. “We’ll be looking at next year, we’ll do a three-year plan and a five-year plan as best we can project it.”

The only salary commitments the Blue Jays have between 2011-14 are to Vernon Wells, Alex Rios and Aaron Hill worth about $40 million per season.

The 17th overall pick in 1995, Halladay has spent his entire career with the Blue Jays, amassing a career mark of 141-68 with a 3.47 ERA in 297 games, 271 of them starts. He won the Cy Young Award in 2003 and finished second to Cleveland’s Cliff Lee last season.


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