Roy Halladay, a 17-game winner in 2009, had three shutouts, four complete games and a miniscule 1.47 earned-run average in his final six starts. (Darren Calabrese/Canadian Press)

The opening of the baseball free-agent season this week has also sparked talk of a possible Roy Halladay trade.

Potential suitors for the Toronto Blue Jays ace pitcher have started lining up, with the Chicago Cubs making their intentions known on Friday.

The National League club is one team Blue Jays brass has contacted, MLB.com reported on Friday.

SI.com has reported the World Series champion New York Yankees are interested in trading for Halladay, who is friends with Yankees starter and former Blue Jay A.J. Burnett.

On Thursday, USA Today linked the Los Angeles Dodgers to Halladay, who has one year remaining on his contract, worth $15.75 million US.

As recently as Nov. 10, the NL champion Philadelphia Phillies, who were said to be in hot pursuit of Halladay prior to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, would still like to acquire the right-hander, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Phillies balked at then-Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi's demands, believed to be a handful of top prospects, before settling on former Cleveland Indians ace Cliff Lee.

Halladay finished the season with a 17-10 record, 2.79 earned-run average and 208 strikeouts in 239 innings pitched. In his final six starts, he had three shutouts, four complete games and a miniscule 1.47 ERA.

In October, former Blue Jays assistant GM Alex Anthopoulos took over from Ricciardi and, like his predecessor, probably will set a steep price for Halladay.

"I think I have to be open-minded to anything that can make this ball club better going forward and better for the long-term," Anthopoulos told the Toronto Star recently. "I think he [Halladay] stressed that his timeline for winning and ours may not mesh and may not match."

Anthopoulos's wish list in a trade for Halladay likely would include a young mid-rotation starting pitcher, a top pitching prospect, a possible major league shortstop and an outfield prospect.

Baseball's winter meetings, where many big deals in the past have been consummated, are slated for Dec. 9. at Indianapolis.