The Toronto Blue Jays off-season action started to heat up yesterday as rumours around Major League Baseball concerning the team were spread.

The first rumour is a good one for Blue Jays fans as Ed Price of MLB Fanhouse and Jordan Bastian of the Jays official website both reported that the Jays are close to a deal with shortstop John McDonald.

McDonald, a fan favourite in Toronto has a masterful glove and performs highlight reel plays defensively for the Jays, but has always struggled with the bat in his time in the big leagues.

Defensive wizard John McDonald may stay a Blue Jay.

The deal is believed to be a one-year deal reportedly worth $1.5 million.

The deal would bring back McDonald for his sixth season in a Jays uniform and could likely indicate a starting shortstop position role for the veteran, as last year’s starting shortstop Marco Scutaro is a Type A free agent who is currently on the free agent market.

The second rumour to hit the media wire yesterday was the Jays interest in free agent catcher Yorvit Torrealba.

Torrealba has spent time with the Rockies since the 2006 season where his best season with the squad was in 2007 where he hit .255 with 8HR & 47RBI in 113 games played.

Torrealba hit .291 with 2HR & 31RBI last season in 64 games for the Rockies.

The Jays have been interested in the veteran catcher in the past, almost acquiring the catcher before he re-signed with Colorado before the start of the 2008 season.

Torrealba’s agent Melvin Roman confirmed on Tuesday that the Jays, as well as the San Francisco Giants and the Colorado Rockies have all expressed interest in acquiring the catcher, with the Jays calling on numerous occasions about a deal.

Will Yorvit Torrealba be the Jays starting catcher next season?

A deal with Torrealba could mean the exit of Rod Barajas as the Jays starting catcher.

Barajas came to the Jays as a backup before the 2008 season eventually overtaking Gregg Zaun as the starting backstop.

Barajas had a career year last season hitting .226 with 19HR & 71RBI while wonderfully managing a young pitching staff behind the plate.

Both Barajas & Torrealba are Type B free agents which means if they decline salary arbitration and leave for another team via free agency the team they spent last season with will receive a supplemental draft pick, a sandwich pick between the first and second round of next season’s entry draft.

However, the team they leave will not lose a pick in next season’s draft.

Finally, the biggest rumour of them all came yesterday when the New York Daily News cited a source stating that the Boston Red Sox are putting on a “full court press” in acquiring Roy Halladay from the Jays.

The Red Sox were one of many interested suitors at last July’s trade deadline for Halladay and have the financial backings, as well as the necessary prospects needed to acquire the 2003 Cy Young Award winner.

The source cited also stated that the Red Sox hope to accomplish a deal for Halladay before the Winter Meetings begin December 7th 2009.

Boston made the first move in the Halladay bidding, where wiil it go from here?

The Daily News speculated that Boston’s young right-hander and owner of a no hitter Clay Buchholz would have to be part of a deal perhaps along with prized Red Sox prospect Casey Kelly.

Last season Buchholz was rejuvenated after a lacklustre 2008 season and went on to secure a 7-4 record with an ERA of 4.21 while striking out 68 in 92 innings of work while walking 36.

Kelly, still in a developmental phase of his minor league career can play both shortstop and pitch and has the necessary tools to play either at a high level.

Kelly put up impressive numbers as a pitcher for Class A Greenville and Class A Advanced Salem with a record of 7-5, 2.84 ERA with 74 strikeouts and 16 walks in 95 innings last season.

The 20-year-old Kelly also hit .224 in 134 at-bats, and .171 in the Arizona Fall League.

If the Red Sox were to agree on a deal with the Blue Jays for Halladay, they would likely ask for a 72 hour negotiating window to work out a contract extension as Halladay is entering the final season of his contract and is due to make $15.75 million in 2009.

Kelly has been slated as one of Boston general manager Theo Epstein’s most prized possessions and could be a stagnating point in a possible deal.

With a possible interest by the Red Sox being announced it will surely mean that more interest will come via many other Major League teams including division rivals such as the New York Yankees.

The Yankees also pushed at last season’s trade deadline for Halladay with the Jays asking for Joba Chamberlain or Phil Hughes plus prospects in return.

It’s highly doubtful that the Jays will ask for anyone but Chamberlain or Hughes as the focus point of a new deal, but would the Yankees being willing to deal either in addition to prized outfield prospect Austin Jackson?

The off-season transaction fire is starting to burn for the Blue Jays with the initial talks on Tuesday being of large proportion.

What will the Blue Jays off-season future hold?

Blue Jays fans will have to wait and see as the excitement in Blue Jays land continues to stir.