The Rangers confirmed Thursday that they covet Roy Halladay. (Morry Gash/Getty Images)

Nolan Ryan is still pitching for the Texas Rangers, this time for Roy Halladay.

Ryan, baseball's all-time strikeout king and now president of the Rangers, confirmed Thursday that team management is pitching to acquire the former Cy Young Award winner from the Toronto Blue Jays.

"We have had discussions with them, yes," Ryan told reporters following the Rangers' 7-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

But Ryan's admission that Texas is engaged in trade talks with Toronto is creating mixed signals, because MLB.com received a text message from a high-ranking official with the Blue Jays claiming there is "nothing to them."

"Nothing has been done," Ryan explained. "It has been going on for a while, and there have been names talked about. There hasn't been a deal struck and it is still premature to make a prediction whether it will happen."

"It is looking more and more like he [Halladay] will be here," Blue Jays manager J.P. Ricciardi told ESPN.com. "We're waiting to be blown away and we haven't been."

Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline is Friday at 4 p.m. ET and, while Ricciardi is willing to entertain serious offers right up to the deadline, speculation is he seeking a hefty package of top prospects in return for Halladay.

"Obviously, we would like to have him," Ryan said. "But there are also players [Derek Holland] who are a big part of our future that we would like to retain.

"It comes down to the price we would have to pay for our organization, if it is a doable deal. But when you're talking about Halladay, you have to give up guys you don't want to part with."

'There has to be approval'

Halladay, 32, has a no-trade clause in his contract and is signed through next season, when he is slated to earn $15.75 million US.

With Hank Blalock, Marlon Byrd and Vicente Padilla eligible for free agency at season's end, the Rangers might be able to take on Halladay's salary — if they can first convince owner Tom Hicks.

"I think there has to be approval," Ryan said. "If we get what we think is an agreement with Toronto, we will visit with Tom and see if he is comfortable on that level."

Halladay was coveted by the Philadelphia Phillies, but the defending World Series champions cemented their starting rotation with the acquisition of reigning Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee from the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday.

The Blue Jays turned down a package of Boston Red Sox prospects for Halladay, reportedly pitcher Clay Buchholz, who has thrown a no-hitter in the majors, and Toronto's choice of reliever Justin Masterson, triple-A pitcher Michael Bowden or double-A first baseman Lars Anderson among other prospects.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees reportedly have expressed varying degrees of interest in Halladay, too.

Arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Halladay is 11-4 with a 2.73 earned-run average and four complete games in 19 starts this season, his 12th in Toronto.

The crafty right-hander has struck out 129 batters and walked just 20 in 148 innings pitched, and started for the American League in the all-star game at St. Louis.

With files from The Canadian Press