Josh Beckett doesn’t know Roy Halladay all that well, but he knows of Halladay, and in the Red Sox’ pitcher’s mind, that’s plenty.

Beckett has long been an admirer of Halladay, identifying the Toronto starter as a standard bearer when it comes to the fraternity of aces. So, obviously, the thought of potentially playing with the Jays’ hurler piques the Sox’ ace’s interest.

“I think that would be great,” said Beckett prior to the Red Sox’ 5-4 win over the A’s, Wednesday night. “Obviously if you can add something like that it’s a big deal. I can imagine it. I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not. We’ll see.”

If any deal was struck in regards to bringing Halladay to Boston, it could very well affect Beckett. Both pitchers’ deals are up after the 2010 season (assuming the Red Sox pick up their stopper’s $12 million team option), and it would appear to be difficult for any team — high-end payroll or not — to allocate so much money and yearly commitment to two starting pitchers.

No matter, Beckett only knows what he sees when it comes to Halladay. He has heard about the Toronto pitcher’s in-between-start work ethic, while also witnessing Halladay’s handiwork when it comes time to step on the mound. And both have served as influences on how Beckett goes about doing his own business.

“I like to watch him pitch, although I don’t like to watch him pitch against us because he does so well against everybody. I just like the way he approaches his craft,” Beckett said. “Every one of his pitches are meant for him to swing at, get out and get to the next guy. As far as the mental aspect of the game goes, he’s so far ahead of everybody. That’s what I like to watch, his competitiveness, how he goes pitch to pitch. He does all the things we’re all striving to do. It’s just his craft, that’s what I like to watch.”

Yet Beckett also wants to make it perfectly clear that while joining forces with Halladay would be an honor, he also feels the same sense of privilege pitching with his current rotation-mates. 

“I’m doing that with some of the guys I have right now,” said Beckett of getting the chance to live the dream of playing with certain players. “John Smoltz is certainly one of those guys. Brad Penny. Wake (Tim Wakefield). And Jon Lester is to me starting to mold into stuff-wise the best lefty in the game. I know that there are guys who say he doesn’t have the numbers to stack up against these guys, but as far as going about his business and the stuff I get to see on a day to day basis, he’s turning into that guy. I actually cherish the time I get to spend with Jon Lester because I know down the road that’s what people will be saying about this guy.

“I would take any of the guys we have right now. These are all guys I’m in the fox hole with right now.”