WEEI.com's Alex Speier Talks About the Current State of the Red Sox

-- come back Dennis and Callahan broadcasting live -- Red Sox spring training as he did yesterday Alex beard WB dot com joins us here raucous welcome back again. Have a quiet nature communal better than anybody baseball is unpredictable so many X factors wouldn't be fair to say the one of the biggest inspectors on this team. Is how some of their stars or semi stars respond from injury obviously David Ortiz -- top list Jacoby Ellsbury is a big question mark. The circus that John Lackey his contribution. Unquestionably and you know we're still talking about you know we're still talking about apple is well with Ortiz and rightly that we don't even know how much they're going to play level what kind of production they're going to be offer offer. When Atlanta so. To my mind the equation -- the Red Sox not nearly who their starters average position they have a greater need. For talented depth options and just about any of the inner league I think it. Actually a large part their offseason strategy. Was focused around this idea that they've been just devastated wiped out recent years by -- by -- injuries to key player. In that part of the reason -- -- so much work to preserve. That core of topped your minor league prospects -- Jacoby Ellsbury goes down. Instead of being treated late Jackie Bradley junior to address the pitching right he might be ready to step in and give them a serviceable viable. Viable replacement much -- It in 2007 which was so important to that championship you were there yes that Larry Lucchino called in the scrappy underdogs you have. That really scrappy underdogs I don't know if you can be scrappy when you get your payroll up over a 170 million dollars that that is that the dividends at great point by you which is gonna bring -- my next question in this magazine. And I I'm about to throw the trash. As it's made me look like a fool. This was -- and so did you we public. Tell us that this is on steroids for this rag. I don't think so but I may have -- excited I'm I'm I'm everybody's stats for last year as Boston's Jacoby -- moments Euro looked at -- from a panel member in the -- hit it four. That referred to a couple times and have been -- none of us they were trying to suppresses arbitration case ultimately -- try to get on the same rag has the payroll at one navy. Boston won sixty Detroit's possible as Boston's payroll is bunch and tiger's gonna cost more than that Detroit all star team. So I I don't know the answer that question I haven't broken down Detroit's payroll I would be surprised if the Red Sox if the Red Sox payroll exceeded that. Of the tigers I view it through through these the payroll as determined for luxury tax purposes because. That's how the Red Sox that's that's what the reds excuse they care about the luxury tax they don't care about what they're paying -- -- giving your right. So are spending more in terms of in terms of of salary for this coming year then the Red Sox although. Quite frankly I don't I would be surprised by Brinkley by virtue of the fact that they added a guy like Sanchez. It helps to be they don't have any. Twenty million dollar guys that don't really have any other than holdovers from the fifteen million dollars as you get -- he obviously right. Even your stars Pedroia or Lester. There you know 101112. Million. And they -- for far less than that for luxury tax purposes go you know in terms of what the Red Sox payroll and what threats that might actually paying for the coming here. My guess is that it might be. It might look something like you know 17880. Million dollars but from a luxury tax standpoint it's gonna come in closer to a 170 interesting thing about the tigers. Is that -- contracts were signed with guys a couple of years ago a few years ago that was a different economic landscape in Major League Baseball. You know that was before she victory you know started making thirteen million dollars. And before Stephen Drew coming off of a bad era in which is recovering from injury even with his talent ceiling ends up making nine point five million dollars those types of numbers. Wouldn't have been conceivable look if Justin Verlander were signing Justin Verlander hadn't thought about it since he did a couple of years ago. He would have been getting the Felix extension and that means -- another ten million dollars so -- -- -- Cabrera beginning. Cabrera -- -- in the game. You're free agent GB I mean and he will be upper -- free agency and another in another year to it will be interesting to see where it lands given. In other concerns about how well he can -- given his commitment to fitness. No that's Alex it's seems to me that this team has too many catchers and too many closers how does that result itself. Well the capture part is pretty easy by virtue of the fact that you can just and right partly backed down to the -- down to replace much like ourselves. He didn't like the world on fire last year at the end of the year and so if you have depth again back at the right depth part of the equation are talking about. There's value that will they listen if other teams want a catcher whether Saltalamacchia or the -- and I think it was -- both of those guys at this point. In terms of the closer question. Again -- to the depth question you have to be able to withstand entry as we just as we discovered last year when Andrew Bailey was lost on the cusp of -- -- case -- breaks his thumb in the first world -- the first drills -- -- -- -- -- over opening date now you've got. Although again they'll listen if they can upgrade for for both this year and for the future by trading -- their -- and it certainly listen but I just can't imagine the value of him is going to be tremendously high a realistic but in -- -- shortage is over on the -- -- -- -- three point seven a jury to. And you would make everything good. I always say bye -- to -- as -- book. -- Is having no idea -- -- -- a good -- is in good drugs now he's now. He's said it. Unequivocally that he's he doesn't think his closer days are done and it doesn't think it's close today's with the Red Sox are so. He's taking the right approach to it does he prefer what he'd prefer to be a closer out what he also preferred to be on a team that was really good as opposed to one that got its teeth kicked in like the when he was last year. Into I do you think that he cares about about the team's fortunes. We have mentioned that pitching stepped over and over again we always say Lester buckles Lackey do. We forget about Ryan Dempster -- just because he's got such a long trackers track it track record he's been around for so long. There's really no chance of him in anything other than that -- pretty good three or four starter I mean is no chance that elects the world on fire or. If you pitch enough innings no chance that he. It hasn't really dreadful years is going to be in the middle somewhere. He -- his right his consistency you're absolutely right says year after year this is a guy whose performances relatively predictable now. Let's not forget that with the cubs last year is the guy who threw the first half of the season basically had a sub two ERA some things had to break right forum you know there's luck involved -- that. But he he has the potential to be. To be very good and very effective but the likelihood based on what we've seen from him in his five years it's harder now since he moved from closing -- -- the guy who's just a solid. Innings eating workhorse is able to give you you know league average to slightly above average performance. What's your opinion that come into the -- the AL east it didn't work for Lackey and it seems like and not afraid of it in because that bring him to -- -- and bad numbers in the AL. We expecting him to get knocked around the NL east and we look at him as a creature of the NL. I don't yet you know I give the guy the benefit of the doubt and I know that his numbers looked -- Texas but if you break it down on -- start by start basis. The majority of his starts were actually very good he started out portly -- teeth kicked in but then after that recovered and had you know something like. Six out of seven quality starts down the stretch with Texas so. I think it you know from what I've been told. Yes there are going to be some challenges and adapting to the AL east. But at the same time against you know against kind of in our lineup -- the ones that don't grind out exhausting at bats and I think that we exaggerate. The degree to some of the teams yeah at least do that he's gonna be really good help find a way to be okay. Against the really good life. Alex before we let you go any notes physical city any info on how much on field activity based on what conditions out there today. But not yet I think they're hopeful they peeled off the TARP off the bullpen outside so it be nice to see people moving around they have an upcoming girls get the ball players -- there's nothing better than cone drills now spirit WEEI dot com thanks for the information on what's special tuchman thanks -- Romeo.