Halladay a Red Sox?

What's the best way to respond after watching your most hated enemy win the World Series?

Come back stronger the next year. Well, at least that's how it is supposed to work. Reumor has it that Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is heavily in pursuit of acquiring Toronto ace Roy Halladay.

The 32-year-old is a six-time All-Star and 2003 Cy Young winner. He's spend his entire career as a Blue Jay after Toronto drafted him 17th overall in the 1995 MLB draft. In his career he is 148-76 with a 3.43 ERA, 1495 strikeouts, 49 complete games, and 15 shutouts. These are numbers he's put up with mediocre teams behind him while in Toronto.

Having Halladay alongside with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester would be a huge boost in Boston's rotation. However, in taking away the face of a franchise, obviously there's a big price to pay.

According to the NY Daily News:

The Red Sox are "putting on a full-court press" to acquire Roy Halladay, according to a source, and are hoping to add the former Cy Young winner to the top of their rotation to go with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester.

"They would love to get it wrapped up before the winter meetings (beginning Dec. 7)," the source said of the Red Sox, who made a big push to deal for Halladay last summer.

... To land Halladay, Boston would likely have to give up Clay Buchholz, the organization's top young pitcher, as well as Casey Kelly, the pitcher/shortstop who signed with the Red Sox in 2008 after being recruited by Tennessee to play quarterback. Red Sox GM Theo Epstein is said to be smitten with Kelly, which could be a sticking point in talks with Toronto if Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos insists on the 20-year-old being included in a deal.

However, according to Foxsport's Ken Rosenthal, it doesn't look as though the Sox are quite ready to give up on their future in order to win now:

But one rival executive says there is "no way" the Sox will give up both right-hander Clay Buchholz and pitcher/shortstop Casey Kelly in such a deal.

They might not give up either.

Kelly was the stumbling block in the Halladay discussions between the teams last summer, when the Jays' price was higher due to the potential for Halladay to influence two pennant races — and the reluctance of then-Jays G.M. J.P Ricciardi to trade within the division.

Although the Sox have yet to decide upon Kelly's position, they consider him a vital part of their future. Buchholz, meanwhile, projects as part of the Sox's 2010 rotation — and their rotation for the following four years as well.

So I guess the Theo is in a little bit of a rut. Do you gamble on the future in order to win now? Or do you try to invest faith in your players now and assume they can get the job done? It took New York $430 millions in the off-season for three players but they won a World Series. Should the Sox follow a similar path or take the road less traveled?

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