Alex Speier, Red Sox Pregame

" Alex all kinds of moves around Fenway Park right now the grounds crews giddiness we're ready to play and the good news is it looks like the weather will hold off of -- and get started on time. Now to the pitching and specifically the scratching of Tim Wakefield who's at his back act up on him again. Has to be incredibly disappointing for Wakefield because he pitched so well in his last start he couldn't have been much better and that really looked like it was going to have a significant impact in stabilizing -- Red Sox back after the rotation it has been a weak point for much of the second half. In now it looks like just -- it looked like the Red Sox are getting. You know a guy who is a first half All-Star back it appears they don't know when he's going in the pitch next John Farrell said. You know we're just trying to weakens the what what happens and how it responds. Terry Francona brought up the possibility that on the -- epidural but. Once again its sides the lower back issue. That has that has occurred for Wakefield so he is now you know presumably going to miss his next start already they've juggled around the rotation. To where they buckled starts tonight. To be announced his starting tomorrow in Paul Byrd was scratched from his start to play protected so there's a pretty good likelihood is that him for tomorrow in Jon Lester. They moved from tomorrow Sunday to Tuesday. In Tampa in part because with the weather being up a bit of a factor they didn't want him to to not know. This evening where he was going to be flooding in the rotation but. The absence of Wakefield could be significant and you know that that means that there will be more on. Paul Byrd it means that Daisuke Matsuzaka is comeback is much more relevant and it also means boy Brad Penny lifted the time when now when he could have potentially been right back in the rotation."

" And lends credence to everyone who reminded all of loss all season long there's no not there is no such thing as too much depth -- starting pitching. At one point in time this team seemingly did have too many starting pitchers that it had roles in spots for the in the and now we -- as soon as tomorrow be seen Paul Byrd on the mound with a guy who they -- just recently for insurance in."

" So that was obviously a very good signing him anyways if he's the guy who ends up being there and available for them tomorrow. Someone with Major League experience someone who does a great job of -- of kind of controlling the pace of the game and you know not being overwhelmed so. Rather than having a guy trying to prove himself you know perhaps a talented or you know or had -- the talent to triple A pitcher. Who would be trying to say I belong in the major leagues they have a guy like Paul Byrd. With you know quite a few seasons under his belt coming up to make a start -- actually."

" The Rangers by two and a half of the wildcard Texas plays later tonight the rays are four and a half games back. They lead by the way -- that the new bottom of the -- to nothing at Detroit and yesterday they traded away Scott Kazmir which I think for a lot of Red Sox fans. -- is a big surprise certainly because they had this image of Kazmir is the guy who. Always gives the Red Sox trouble in for so many years when the rays were a bad team he was the one guy who looked like a top of the rotation starter. Apparently especially with a contract that he now has the race don't you him is that anymore."

" Yeah I mean it's probably to the relief of the Red Sox because he had one of the best Fenway Park CRA's of any pitcher in the last I think thirty or forty years. So the fact that he is not going to be a divisional opponent. Probably does them some favors but to be sure the rays are in in a situation where they have a lot of very good young talent that is going to start getting paid pretty soon a lot of guys becoming arbitration eligible. The likes of BJ Upton you know Carl Crawford there's a question whether or not they'll be able to afford him through his option year of his contract. Or whether or not they'll have to trade him because of there financial you know restrictions in so. Being able to trade this guy has -- even though was a relatively affordable contract extension to which they signed him last year. You know the guy hadn't performed much of this year he had been quite a bit better of late but. You know the -- been saddled with the contract. For. You know for a guy who wasn't going to be delivering. -- in a fashion that was much better than some of the young prospects in their system. Most notably wade Davis who's regarded as maybe the number two or number three. Starter in the rotation. Going forward I mean that they're they're able to free up their resource for the future. In their hope is that they're able to bring up prospect from the minors whether Davis source on and Stein. Who would be a stabilizing force and helped give them roughly the production that they would expect from Kazmir who wasn't as good in 2009. As he had been in so many of those previous years when you've been really one of the most promising young started the American League."

" Balancing short term versus long term can be a dilemma and challenge for any organization. For a team like the Red Sox one of their main advantages with a payroll they have is extending their quote -- window of opportunity. For the rays this is a movement that helped them extend that window of opportunity but the downside of that is. Their window of opportunity is probably much smaller than someone like Boston or new York and you just took a picture who may be could've helped you in this brief window of opportunity."

" It remains to be seen whether or not they are upgrading their downgrading for the short term there argument is that they're not waving the flag on the 2009 season but. If you talk to their executives their very open about the fact that it's just different running a team. In their revving it it gets the kind of revenues that they do versus their run they -- the kind of revenues that the Red Sox and Yankees do. Instead they do need to engage in kind of roster turnover on a more regular basis they don't just have the luxury of keeping all their guys were signed a favorable contracts. Through the end of those contracts they need to trade them and get. Other assets for the long term and Alex thanks as always we'll talk you soon stay dry thanks very much John."