[Drake]

According to major league sources, at least one club — the Toronto Blue Jays — already has engaged in dialogue with the Phils about their top potential free agents, left-hander Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino.

Now hold your tweeting fingers and continue reading. No trade is close. No trade is even likely. And context is important:

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos routinely inquires on star players, just as he did last offseason when he talked to the Seattle Mariners about right-handers Felix Hernandez and Michael Pineda.

The Phillies are not going to quit on the season easily, not when they already have sold more than 3 million tickets and assembled a $175 million payroll, second only to the New York Yankees.

The Phillies can’t give up on the season easily, not until they get a better sense of how second baseman Chase Utley (knee) and first baseman Ryan Howard (Achilles) will contribute when healthy.

“I don’t expect us to be in a seller’s mode. But I also have to be realistic. If the team decides it doesn’t want to play the way we expect to play or play the caliber of baseball necessary to win, you can’t squeeze blood from a stone.”

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/p...ctorino-051012