The All Star game has come and gone. The National League has taken its annual whooping from the American League, and Carl Crawford is your newest All Star MVP (For defense! Bravo voters. You guys got that right!). This brings us to my favorite two weeks of the regular season: it’s non-waiver trade time.

I’m a geek. I love the trade deadline. I love to watch the chess match between general managers this time of year. I love to see how creative GM’s can improve their team, and I love to see who wins the Dumbass At The Deadline Award by trading Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano. I love July 31st. You may call it the MLB Trade Deadline. I call it Christmas in July.

There have been reports that, due to perceived parity in the big leagues and economic concerns, this year’s deadline may be less active than usual. To me, this translates as “Bah, humbug”. Yes, the economy is down, and that will leave the presents under the tree a little spare this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t dream like a six year old kid about what Santa might bring on Trade Deadline Eve.

Seriously. This is what I think should happen:

THE PHILLIES ACQUIRE ROY HALLADAY – This is a no-brainer, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out what the Phillies are waiting for. They have stated that they’re looking for pitching help. They’re so desperate that yesterday they signed Pedro Martinez and immediately put him on the DL. Halladay is the best right-hander in baseball. Pair him with Cole Hamels and you have the best one-two punch in the National League, and probably in baseball. If the Phillies could sign him to a long term deal, they could lock up ownership of the NL East for three more years, no matter how competitive the Mets, Braves or Marlins want to be.

This is also why the Mets should be doing whatever they can to acquire Halladay, as well. Pairing him with Johan Santana would give THEM the best pitching pair in all of baseball, much less the National League. The Mets are going to get healthy, and putting Halladay in the rotation might provide the extra little bit of adrenaline Carlos Beltran ad Jose Reyes need to get off the DL.

THE ANGELS ACQUIRE JAKE PEAVY – I’m starting to feel like a lone voice in the wilderness on this one, but hear me out. Peavy is hurt, and might not be available to pitch until early September. The Angels don’t need immediate help, because their closest rivals are the Texas Rangers who will fall further behind as summer gets more and more oppressive in Dallas. But, the Angels pitching has been suspect at times this season, and by the playoff time they’re going to need more.

Peavy would have time to get his ankle healthy and make a couple of September “tune up” starts before the important games come in October. Peavy has a no-trade clause, and has already turned down one trade this year to the Chicago White Sox, citing his desire to stay in the NL and family concerns. Yes, I am aware the the Angels play in the American League, but I’m pretty sure the Padres don’t want him in the NL. This might be a nice compromise. PETCO Park and whatever they call the Big A these days are less than 100 miles apart. It would keep him in Southern California, and probably wouldn’t be too much of an upheaval for him or his family.

There are rumors that the Angels are now the front runners in the Roy Halladay race . Peavy would cost them less in prospects because of the injury situation, and would provide them with the same type of pitcher – an innings-eating right-handed horse. Plus they would have him through 2013, if they picked up his option. Tony Reagins and Mike Scoiscia, you guys need to call me. I’ll straighten you out.

MATT HOLLIDAY GOES TO THE MIDWEST – It sounds like the A’s are going to call the Matt Holiday trade a failed experiment. He’s put up solid numbers, but not enough to carry a mediocre team like Oakland. The team that acquires Holliday will be looking for two things – leadership and clutch performance . No team needs that more than the Chicago Cubs. I’m not saying that he’s the magic bullet to turn the North Sider’s season around but he would give Lou Piniella the help he needs in that prima donna filled locker room. He’s a quiet, hard-working guy who plays the game the right way, and he wants to win. In other words, he’s the anti-Milton Bradley.

Or maybe he goes to the South Side. This would be one of those glove box moves for which Kenny Williams is famous. He would add some consistency to a team that has seen some wild ups and downs this year. He might even help Ozzie calm down.

With that said, there have been reports that neither Chicago team will be in a buying mood this season due to some serious money issues. So, then, what about St. Louis? He’d be a definite upgrade from left fielder Chris Duncan. Clean-up hitters have been a problem in St. Louis all year . So move Mr. MVP himself, Albert Pujols, to the four hole and let Holliday bat third. Problem solved. Cardinals win the division.

DONTRELLE WILLIS GOES BACK TO FLORIDA – In Detroit, Dontrelle Willis has been an abject failure. In Florida, he was a stud. Right now, Willis is on his second DL stint this season with what the Tigers call an “anxiety disorder”. Let’s face it, Jim Leyland is a great manager, but there are some guys who just can’t play for an old school hard-nosed guy like him. Willis may well be one of them.

The Marlins have made it known that they are looking for pitching help right now. The blockbuster trade that sent Willis and Miguel Cabrera to Detroit for a number of prospects hasn’t exactly gone the way the Tigers had hoped it would. This would be a good opportunity for the Tiger to salvage something from that deal, and it would be an opportunity for Willis to calm his frazzled nerves in a setting where he has had plenty of success. For the Marlins, Willis couldn’t be that expensive (In prospects, at least. His contract is a different story.), and he would provide a low-risk, high-reward reclamation project who could help them recapture a little past glory.

THE TWINS ACQUIRE FREDDY SANCHEZ – This trade would give Minnesota five .300 hitters at the top of their lineup and would fill the black hole at second base. But who are we kidding? The Twins don’t make in-season deals. It’s too aggressive for the uberly cautious Bill Smith.

So, there it is. Not what I would call bold predictions. They’re just some common sense moves that would help some teams not in Boston or New York. If any of you other GM’s out there want some advice, feel free to call me. I’ll be happy to show you the way.