PawSox reliever Abe Alvarez is interviewed during yesterday’s media day at McCoy Stadium.

The Providence Journal / Andrew Dickerman

PAWTUCKET — As manager Ron Johnson introduced the 2008 Pawtucket Red Sox players during the team’s annual media day yesterday afternoon at McCoy Stadium, it was clear this season’s roster will be different.

A quick look at the assembled group showed a solid mix of both talented prospects and seasoned veterans. Many of the current PawSox players could help out any major-league team right now, including the Red Sox.

That’s a problem for those players. Because of the log jam in Boston, there’s really no room for movement above the Triple-A level in the organization. It’s a good problem to have because that means the players in Boston are healthy and productive. That’s been the case for the last few seasons, and it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed by the players here.

“Fortunately, they play for the best team in the world,” said Johnson.

Being part of the winning Red Sox family is important to the current members of the PawSox, as the organization has built an impressive developmental pool at all minor-league levels, including Pawtucket.

“We’ve got some talented people out here,” said Johnson. “I’d like to think that they all can play in the major leagues, and I think if we have an opportunity in the big leagues where [Red Sox] need somebody, guys can go up and contribute to wins because that’s what this is all about.”

Two of the more prominent players for the PawSox this season will be outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss and shortstop Jed Lowrie. Both made the trip to Japan with the Red Sox and both made significant contributions. They also know it’ll be tough to break into the Boston lineup.

“When you look at this team, we’ve got a lot of guys who can help out at the big-league level,” said Moss.

For the first time in PawSox club history, their Opening Day roster will feature 24 players with Triple-A experience. Of those 24 players, nine return from last season’s team and 14 players have had major-league experience.

Meanwhile, all 24 players will be waiting for that call into the manager’s office to inform them they’ve been summoned to Boston.

“It is what it is,” said Lowrie. “I’m here and nowhere else, so I have to continue to do what I know what to do. I need to focus on today, but at the same time look forward and not worry about where I could be or what could have happened. It’s just a matter of what I can do right now.”

It will be a healthy competition for the PawSox players, and that makes everyone work a little harder and helps the organization as a whole.

“You look at our Triple-A team, and obviously our big-league team is very talented,” added Lowrie. “We’ve got a lot of good players here, too, and it’s a tribute to what they’ve built as an organization.”

The pitching staff is an interesting one. After Red Sox pitcher Bartolo Colon makes a rehab start for Pawtucket in the home opener tomorrow, David Pauley, Devern Hansack, Charlie Zink and Michael Tejera will make up the rest of the starting rotation.

The bullpen features Craig Hansen, Lincoln Holdzkom, Edgar Martinez, Abe Alvarez, Lee Gronkiewicz, Dan Kolb and Jon Switzer.

“We’re just trying to make it back [to the big leagues] because we all know we can be there,” said Pauley. “It’s just a matter of waiting for the spot and the time.”

Then there’s the Japan factor.

Moss and Lowrie admitted as much yesterday as the trek to Tokyo and back has had an effect on the players. While the experience was unforgettable, it was draining.

Because of that, there’s a pretty good chance that players in the Sox’ minor-league system could be called upon to help in Boston a little more this season.

“There are a lot of guys here who can go up at the drop of a hat and fill in,” said Pauley. “It’s a big thing to have guys like that here, especially with the way the Red Sox started the season in Japan. I think it’s going to take a toll on a lot of guys, so I think we’re going to get plenty of chances.”

Then there are those veteran players the organization has brought in to complement the prospects. It’s not too often — at least over the last few seasons — that anyone would find a grumpy, miserable veteran player in the PawSox clubhouse largely because he signed here for a reason, waiting for that one chance that may come to help the Red Sox and possibly be part of a World Series team.

Joe Thurston, 28, is one of those guys this season.

He decided to sign with Boston as a minor-league free agent because he feels his versatility could help the parent club at some point in 2008. He’s not alone.

“We have a lot of great guys here,” Thurston said. “We have a really good team. We’re going to have a really good clubhouse with a group of guys who play hard. Everyone on this team does play hard, and that’s very important. Obviously we all have skill, but we do play really hard.”

Sure, these guys want to win, but realistically it’s not about win column; it’s more about development. Since the PawSox reached the Governors’ Cup finals in 2003, Pawtucket has finished tied for second in the International League North Division in back-to-back seasons (2004, 2005) but finished fifth in 2006 and fourth in 2007.

This season, all that could change as development and winning seem like they’ve caught up with each other.

jmcdonal@projo.com