WhyBostonWhy: OK so we saw that Cassell can carve up poor defenses and struggle against good ones.... can the Cassell better that Brady talk from the Yahoos stop now? With Brady this team would be a 1 maybe a 2 loss team right now.

Tony Massarotti: excellent points. further magnifies why brady trade talk is absurd...

TonyisaTurkey: How much money do the sox have to spend this winter? Can they afford Teixeira and another pitcher? Lowe?

Tony Massarotti: yes, they are CAPABLE of doing both, but i wouldn't expect them to... offense seems to be priority, unless they can get a good deal on a pitcher...

redsox: if the patriots lose two of the next three or are down big in any of them do you see Kevin O'connell getting in for garbage time?

Tony Massarotti: hard to say. belichick believes in winning every game, but it would certainly make sense from the long-term view...

LSCII: How surprising has the Bruins recent resurgence within the media been?

Tony Massarotti: not a media issue. good teams get coverage - it's that simple. bruins are a great story right now and we should all be thrilled for them. good, young, exciting team...

TyPrice: Hey Tony! First timer here, I heard that the sox and orioles could be the fourth team for Furcal, any merit to that

Tony Massarotti: with furcal, i think it comes down to the deal. sox certainly are not going to overpay for an injury-prone shortstop given lugo issue. but yes, they could be the fourth team...

boo_goo: MAZZZ! So, it looks like the Pats are either going to be on the outside looking in, or, if they run the table, maybe sneaking in. With that being the case, it looks like they will have a pick in the 20s on draft day, along with a high second from SD. So, best guess at this stage seems to be a top corner, another ILB, and a tackle and RB. Would you agree?

Tony Massarotti: throw out the RB. they need to draft on defense...

123456: It seem that people are now taking the Celtics winning for granted and taking the "wait and see' in the playoffs approach with the Bruins.. is that a fair assessment?

Tony Massarotti: i think we're all convinced that the bruins are for real, but they need to win a playoff series. game 6 last spring was huge in getting interested again. now they have to take the next step...

Stephen_M: HEY TONY. Ask your boy Danny if he is interested in trading for me for say... Ray Allen. I get a new chance, Ray can wind down in NYC, and Boston will be jumping. I can play shooting, and your boy Rondo can continue growing. To all my boys, keep your guns at home!!!

Tony Massarotti: isn't your name actually STEPHON?

pbpatsfan: Any chance it makes sense to franchise Cassel to get something for him?

Tony Massarotti: doubtful. salary would be too high and might make him hard to trade. i think you just accept this situation for what it is - it os what it is - and hope they can find another backup QB...

FlaRedSox: You've been on the sports scene for awhile, what three players, home or away have you found to be difficult to deal with?

Tony Massarotti: hmmm .... good one

Tony Massarotti: gotta go with...

Tony Massarotti: Mark Whiten

Tony Massarotti: Ugueth Urbina

Tony Massarotti: Barry Bonds

123456: Did you read Schilling article yesterday about the 2003 off season and the contract negations with Boston? He said a team called him while he was talking with the Red Sox and said to stall the Red Sox so the 72 windows expires because their team would give him a better offer... he didn't name the team but said it came from a guy he greatly respects... read between the lines, that team sounds like the Yankees (more money) and the guy calling sounds like Torre....

Tony Massarotti: didn't read it. sorry...

Sportsbozo: Tony with the winter meetings coming up next week which domino falls first? Will it be Sabathia or Teixeira?

Tony Massarotti: gotta go with sabathia there

Sportsbozo: Tony is there a sucker out there who will bite on the Lugo? I'd much rather see the Sox without him next season.

Tony Massarotti: only if the sox eat most of the money. i mean, would you trade for him?

whatz-his-name: Hey Mazz, love the job you're doing. In your opinion, if the Yanks miss out on CC, will they make Teixeira their top priority?

Tony Massarotti: they'll probably go to a.j. burnett next, then lowe. but teixeira figures in somewhere, to be sure...

xhawk04: Hey Mazz, could someone like Ben Sheets fall into the Sox sites if things don't work out with Teixeira and/or Burnett??

Tony Massarotti: another injury guy, so it depends on the deal...

Earl: What do you think are the Pats' chances of winning the division?

Tony Massarotti: slim

Rick: One thing you forgot to mention in your recent article about how terrible the Pats have been is that a ton of young players are playing better than expected, and though they can't get off the field on 3rd down this year, guys like Merriweather, Sanders, Mayo, Guyton and the young CB's will no doubt benefit from all the PT they're getting and be better next year...

Tony Massarotti: column wasn't a commentary on how terrible the pats have been, though many have interpreted it as such. column was merely an attempt to point out that the best may be behind us and that the impact of the super bowl loss might be even greater than we thought...

Tony Massarotti: pats have overachieved this year if you ask me...

HenryHill: have to disagree with your column yesterday about NE likely being done, No A. Thomas, No Brady, No Marhoney, No Rodney and they played 25% of their games with a RB (Green-Ellis) who wasn't even drafted..... I'll take my chances with Brady and A. Thomas back next season along with Mayo who will have a full season under his belt....

Tony Massarotti: understood. you're certainly entitled to your opinion. but how much longer will moss be the same player he is now? who takes over for vrabel and bruschi? and who plays corner? safety?

jkstraw: Why has the Sox front office not adequately identified a catching solution this many years into the Veritek era?

Tony Massarotti: not exactly an easy problem to fix. they tried with josh bard, to an extent. looks like kelly shoppach was the most important player in that coco deal, eh?

red: with Tex being offered arbitration, does this hinder the Sox going after him in any way? seems the Sox do well with draft picks.

Tony Massarotti: not at all. sox fully expected that he would require compensation...

mick: Great work Tony. It doesn't seem like the offense in the problem for that Pats (although they definitely didn't help vs Pittsburgh). What do the Pats have to do to fix the real problem - the defense?

Tony Massarotti: linebacker and DBs... and sign vince wilfork ...

rasaca: HI, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO CORA ? HE'S A GREAT 10TH PLAYER

Tony Massarotti: agreed, though i thought he slipped some last season. if the sox get a shortstop, lowrie becomes the utility guy and cora is out. but we'll see...

C-Money: What's a reasonable guess on the Yankees payroll next year (like there ever is a cap)? How much will the stadium affect their spending? And, what do you think the Sox payroll number will be around heading into the season?

Tony Massarotti: best guesses: sox $140 mil, yankees $200 mil

TyPrice: Who's been the most pleasant surprise this year on the pats.

Tony Massarotti: cassel

Tony Massarotti: and mayo

22: Celtics and B's in 1st place and BC is a win away from the orange Bowl.... things are still doing OK in terms of sports around here....

Tony Massarotti: amen. still the best place to watch, cover and discuss sports, i say...

Tim: Celtics Are they better than last year?

Tony Massarotti: more confident, to be sure. but posey's absence needs to be addressed by the time the playoffs start...

Carpy09: Could Boras strategy backfire when it comes to his clients?

Tony Massarotti: how?

LSCII: what's your take on the Plaxico gun situation?

Tony Massarotti: foolish man, that plax. can't imagine that tom coughlin is too happy about this. and to think: the giants couldn't have won the super bowl without him...

pbrad21: tony, love your work! i recently read an article about the character maturation of d lowe. i remember when he departed after 04 that the sox brass were glad to see him go due to his off-field issues. nothing much was printed however. do you think there were real issues and do you believe the sox would like to have him back?

Tony Massarotti: i think there were some issues. i think he has matured. if the price is right, both sides would be happy...

jkstraw: Can you pay compensation picks with compensation picks that come your way?

Tony Massarotti: not specifically. but you do get picks back, so in a sense they replace themselves...

danny_w: Lowe or Burnett who whould you rather have?

Tony Massarotti: tough one. burnett has better upside, but lowe's been healthier. given the rest of the sox staff, i'd probably take lowe...

FlaRedSox: Don't you think Tony Allen could replace Posey?

Tony Massarotti: in some ways, yes. in others, no. posey is a truly elite 1 on 1 defender. allen is a different kind of defensive player, takes more risks for steals, etc.

ScottNH: Tony, I'm glad you off the Big Show at WEEI, the host is no-talent, blow-hard. Keep up the good work!

Tony Massarotti: he may be a blowhard, but he has tremendous talent. actually spoke with the muskrat this morning...

denver_soxfan: Be honest, Tony--doesn't it make you cringe when people can't even spell VARITEK???? He's only been on the team since 1997, after all.

Tony Massarotti: yes, it does

JP617: When Ray Allens contract comes up in 2010, would the Celtics maybe go after one of the top tier free agents other than Lebron? Who would fit with KG and Pierce?

Tony Massarotti: it's one of the truly nice things about the way ainge has structured the roster. allen, garnett and pierce come up in different years, which means the celtics will have lots of max contracts to offer...

buster40: Maz, Could you quickly explain the criteria used to determine Type A free agents ? How could Veritek be a Type A ?

Tony Massarotti: it's based on a three-year performance period and weighs both service time and statistics. during that three years, he was still a first-rate catcher, despite performance in `08...

ChattinWithMaz: IF/When Rice gets into the HOF the Red Sox will almost certainly retire his number? But what about Boggs's #26, will we ever see that up there?

Tony Massarotti: it should be, so i hope so. for that matter, no. 21 should be up there, too...

MA_dan_in_LA: Hi Mass... any chance the sox are able to deal a BIG package to the twins for Mauer? Perhaps Lowell, either Buch or Masterson plus a few lesser prospects?

Tony Massarotti: NO

LSCII: Will Byrd take the arbitration or leave?

Tony Massarotti: he will decline arbitration. i'm willing to bet the sox negotiatied that...

TyPrice: Give me one realistic player the pats could pick up in the draft next year and immediately help the team the most

Tony Massarotti: better to ask mike reiss that one!

ChattinWithMaz: We had this debate over Thanksgiving, to a casual or non sports fan what is the most recognizable trophy in all of sports... I say the Stanley Cup, my brother says the Vince Lombardi trophy? Tell me I am right?

Tony Massarotti: The Claret Jug?

mike: not so hot for Mauer?

Tony Massarotti: love mauer, but the twins won't deal him

Vince_PA: After the Steelers beat the pats...do you have them as the team to beat in the AFC?

Tony Massarotti: always did

Tony Massarotti: let's go `til about 12:40 as i was a little late...

foxman: How many compensation picks does a team have to begin with before signing free agents. If a team is out of compensation picks to give up, does that mean they can't sign a type A free agent?

Tony Massarotti: let's put it this way...

Tony Massarotti: if the red sox sign teixeira, they must give up their first round pick...

Tony Massarotti: additionally, the angels would receive a second, compensation pick BETWEEN the first and second rounds FROM THE LEAGUE...

Tony Massarotti: if the sox then sign another compensation free agent, they would have to give up their next pick in the draft, in the second round...

Tony Massarotti: not entirely certain about that last part, but i'm pretty sure it's right...

Tony Massarotti: you are NOT allowed to trade draft picks in baseball...

tch: hi t., i heard: done deal: Big Tex to Sox for $180M - 8 years -- is this reality or will it take more?

Tony Massarotti: scott boras, is that you?

JP617: Does Dice K really throw a gyroball, or is it actually his change up?

Tony Massarotti: change

ben: Tony, all perplexed about this tazawa guy, seems to be a possible cop-out if we don't land burnett, lowe....

Tony Massarotti: not related. look at him as being a high draft pick and you won't get confused...

LSCII: What does Pedroia do to follow up last year?

Tony Massarotti: win the triple crown?

Tony Massarotti: actually, i'd settle for a batting title...

FRED: Do you think Byrd will be back with the sox?

Tony Massarotti: doubtful

KC: Better movie, The Natural or Major League ?

Tony Massarotti: not even worth debating: The Natural...

ScottNH: Really, could the Bruins be for real?

Tony Massarotti: YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES

btown: Tony, what are the chances Bard, Bowden and Buchholz make the team?

Tony Massarotti: still think buchholz will be traded. i think we'll see the other two at some point...

C-Money: When should we expect to see Lars Anderson playing in the bigs? 2-3 years? How is his power developing in the minors?

Tony Massarotti: maybe by the end of next year?

Tony Massarotti: but more likely in 2010

Tony Massarotti: as a regular contributor, anyway

pbpatsfan: What are the Pats looking at in compensation picks? Samuel, Gay.

Tony Massarotti: rules prohibit it from being higher than a third rounder, so i'd guess third or fourth round...

ben: who wins on saturday in ACC championship?

Tony Massarotti: BC?

jrod: ellsbury's stat line next year?

Tony Massarotti: .275, 10 homers, 60 RBI, 43 steals, 90 runs

Tony Massarotti: roughly

C-Money: What would you project as a position for Lars if we bring in Tex at 1B? Thanks

Tony Massarotti: DH replacement for David Ortiz...

stevo: any chance shoppach makes it back to the sox?

Tony Massarotti: unlikely. cleveland would probably keep him and move victor martinez to DH or 1B...

Tony Massarotti: a few more...

mike: need a higher average to bat leadoff

Tony Massarotti: it's all about the OBP!

Sportsbozo_2: How would you like to see furcal at SS?

Tony Massarotti: as long as the sox have a backup plan (lowrie?), i love it...

ChattinWithMaz: You going to Vegas Tony next week?

Tony Massarotti: yes

Tony Massarotti: leaving the credit cards at home

Tony Massarotti: who's Vegas Tony?

ChattinWithMaz: if you hit vegas for the Winter Meeting pick up the book "Brining Down the House" by Ben Mezrich .. a great book and a great book to ride on the way to vegas....

Tony Massarotti: just saw the movie ... wife loved the book

ben: why u think kessel is having a better year?

Tony Massarotti: because the coach made an example of him last spring. i love julien...

Skippy: Ramirez, Traber, Littleton: Does this mean Manny D gets moved?

Tony Massarotti: not sure the last two have an impact, but the first one could. trade definitely a possibility...

Tony Massarotti: one more...

Sportsbozo_2: Are you going to blog from Vegas?

Tony Massarotti: That is being discussed, but I'm sure you will get the best, up-to-the-minute coverage right here at boston.com from our talented stable of baseball writers including ...

Tony Massarotti: Nick Cafardo

Tony Massarotti: Amalie Benjamin

Tony Massarotti: and Adam Kilgore

Tony Massarotti: Did that sound too much like an infomercial?

Tony Massarotti: Thanks for joining us again this week all ... Looking forward to speaking with you next week from the blackjack table at the Bellagio...

Tony Massarotti: Do they allow Blackberrys in Vegas?