Alex Speier, Red Sox Pregame

Alex the Red Sox go for the sweep this afternoon at the Toronto Blue Jays and we see the 2009 debut Paul Byrd. I guess -- one -- whatever happens with Byrd and Halladay it'll be over quickly -- That's a great call you have one of the things that Jason Bay talked about recently was how much in it how enjoyable was to have Tim Wakefield back. Because of the pace of the game well yeah you're absolutely right you have a couple of strike throwers and and Halladay and bird. A couple of no -- the guys who get the ball and go and you know and so yes. There's time game should be should be good pursuing the Booker on the games and that is the question with -- nobody seemed to this point to reports from the minor league have been good and the question is will that translate to the Major League level and obviously he's a guy who works in the eighties it as a blow anybody away. He needs exact pinpoint location or going to be effective. Somehow he's been able to maintain that over the course of his career and if anything is he's become. As his he's -- bass player he's become an even more impressive control pitcher overtime. I'm of course he's coming off of but for minor league rehab says well not rehab starts but just sports straight minor league start I was getting into shape here. And so. You know if he is if he is the typical birds and he's able to navigate his way into it. Into the middle innings of the game and give a team a fighting chance in order to win he's never going to blow and a blow another team away. In to despite you know the occasional run throughout his career he's he's not exactly be shut down pitcher type of guy but. But yet keeps keeps the team in in in the game and so that's what the Red Sox were hoping for when they signed him a stabilizing factor.

Roy Halladay is a shut down type of guy yet when the Red Sox last saw him. They beat him and have a day lasted only five innings which is extremely unusual for him in any followed that up with a sub par effort. In a loss against the rays. Obviously a couple of tough outings does not a season make and Holliday is still one of the best but that kind of signifies with a Blue Jays are right now a team that is floating its way to September. Well in the concern.

Is you know whether or not there's anything wrong actually wrong with Talladega you you heard a couple of rumors coming out of that last start about whether or not he was. Finishing his pitches and whether or not he was the usual -- because it's so rare to see. You know to see bad outings from him outings -- doesn't make it through six innings. That that you have to start wondering you know is something wrong because he's not permitted to be you know -- pitching mortal but overall the the Blue Jays are in. Heard of real bind I mean there and a division that's brutal the American League east is. Is unlike any other place in baseball arguably. With the depth of talent in you know looking at their roster count and composition of you know of of the Yankees of the Red Sox of the -- it's it's a real challenge to build a roster. We can compete with that if you look over the last few years the Jays can say that they've had pitching that could compete with any of those teams but they haven't been able to feel the 25 man roster. That has the depth to go toe to toe in the American League east even though. They've been on the cusp of being a team with the talent to. To contend and so they they have some real tough decisions coming up I mean -- you know they obviously they have them at the trade deadline when trying to decide. What to do with guys like -- can weigh in with -- scooter row they're going to have a lot of those same decisions again. Because of a certain point you know do you go for it where you decide that the that the best way to compete in the division. Is to kind of take a wrecking ball to the current roster into into rebuild through draft and development. We're going to hear. Room you're a general manager JP -- and excitement of our pregame show. But when you look at the roster as it's currently constituted they managed to get themselves out from underneath the contract and Alex Rios now he's Chicago's financial concern they have a lot. Better finances to deal with that but they're looking at Vernon Wells and Vernon Wells is the prime example of -- eighteen with a middle market type of salary you can't afford to have those big swings and misses -- for a long time absolutely they've gone from a team that was looking to kind of a 100 million -- so payroll the Canadian dollar was strong and all of that so they were able to -- took the extension to be the centerpiece of their lineup. And since then he hasn't developed yet and continued the career path that he was on if anything he's regressed a bit -- just doesn't hit in crucial situations with. You know runners in scoring position he's not the big bad that they need. In and to have an under performer with you know what is now roughly a quarter of their salary locked up is is potentially crippled financially which is. You know which is why you need to have. Kind of limber miss if you're if -- Toronto or Tampa Bay or Baltimore. In want to compete against the financial superpowers like the Red Sox Yankees who can't afford mistakes they can't with their big salaries and so. It's it's a pretty you know it's it's it's difficult payroll to manage in this division this may sound strange when you tuchman Oriole team that's probably looking at sixty some wins this year that you could make -- case that if things break right for the Orioles with the amount of talent they have coming through their system now. The Toronto Blue Jays could be a last place team next year. I mean again they're kind of at this at this interest in -- the thing is they also have potential for you know to add more pitching next year with a guy like Marcum. Returning to the rotation and he was obviously great last year until we had to undergo Tommy John. And if they keep dock you know. It's -- they have the potential that pitching to keep them in the division that I think we'll still be better than Baltimore's next year because it's so young. But they may well choose to take the direction that the Orioles did when they dealt guys like. Like Miguel Tejada and Eric Bedard those were tough guys to trade at the time the Dartmoor so at the time in to -- was three days away from being named in the Mitchell report. But doubt but as a result of that their organization is on a clear and correct pat and the Jays have to decide which way they're going to go right Alex thanks as always thanks very much John.