Q. With the emergence of Jed Lowrie at shortstop, will the Red Sox be inclined to eat a portion of Julio Lugo’s contract in the offseason and deal him? Mike, LynnA. Mike, I think the scenario you mention is a good possibility. Lowrie has shown that he can handle the position and the pressure of a pennant race well. At 24, Lowrie is younger and cheaper than Lugo. He is also more versatile. Since the All-Star break Lowrie has played 27 games at shortstop, 13 games at third base, and 11 games splitting time at both positions. He has two errors, both at third base, but handled his first 154 chances without a miscue. Overall, he his hitting .270 with two home runs and 44 RBI. He has, however, struggled at the plate lately with just two multi-hit games this month, after reaching a season high of .318 Aug. 17, hitting just.202 since then. If the Sox can find someone to take Lugo, they will likely have to cover a good chunk of the remaining $18 million he is owed over the next two years. He also has an option for 2011 at $9 million, which vests if he has a combined 2,400 plate appearances between 2007 and 2010 and 600 plate appearances in 2010. However, since he has only acquired 304 PAs this season, meaning he’d have to average about 700 for each of the next three seasons, that clause should not be a holdup to a trade.Q. I believe some managers like to call everything that their pitchers throw, such as Tony LaRussa. Is this the case with the Red Sox, when they have Jason Varitek behind the plate, who is very capable of calling a game for his pitchers? Tim, LynnA. Hi Tim. Before every series, Sox pitching coach John Farrell has a meeting with all the pitchers and catchers, going over detailed game plans. Varitek, as you alluded, is arguably the best defensive catcher in the game and extremely prepared. In fact, some would say his defensive preparations have been to the detriment of his offensive production. He maintains detailed notes in binders on each team. I think, going into each game, he and the pitchers have a plan of how they want to attack the opposing lineup, with relatively little input from the bench during the game. That’s not to say Farrell and manager Terry Francona have no input to pitch selection as the game progresses. But it’s not to the extent of some other managers.Q. What are your thoughts on the starting rotation for the first round of the playoffs? Who would the fourth starter be? SherylA. Sheryl, many of the factors that go into that answer remain ‘TBD,’ starting with whether the Sox get into the playoffs as the wild-card winner or the division winner. If they are the wild-card winner, they would play the Angels in Anaheim. If they are the division winner, they would open in Fenway against the White Sox or Twins. If they play the Angels, the Angels would get the choice of which series they want to play. The ‘long’ series would start on Oct. 1 and end, if five games are needed, on Oct. 8 with three scheduled off-days, meaning the Sox would need just three starters; the fourth game, starting on Oct. 6, would give the Game 1 starter regular rest. The ‘short’ series would start Oct. 2 and end Oct. 8, with two off-days. Game 4, if necessary, would be on Oct. 6, four days’ rest for the Game 1 starter. Tim Wakefield and Paul Byrd would likely be the candidates for that fourth spot. Another factor could be who the Sox think could best help them out of the bullpen. If the current rotation is not disrupted, Byrd will get three more starts, including tonight in Toronto, and Wakefield will have two more starts. I think their performances in their remaining outings will also factor into the decision. So, the short answer is – stay tuned!Q. Will the Red Sox trade either Jason Bay or Coco Crisp for Jarrod Saltalamacchia this offseason? Joe, MarbleheadA. Joe, remember all the talk during spring training about when – not if – Coco would be traded? That didn’t happen, and I think we saw that having four top-of-the line outfielde