We also have our first, and probably our last, Ryan Sweeney-Fred Lynn comparison.
Here's this week's Q&A:
Does it not make way more sense to see what develops and make a trade in July (or sooner if needed) than to follow what the Yankees did with a knee-jerk reaction and sign Roy Oswalt? Last year after we signed Crawford and Gonzalez the Yankees did not jump off the bridge, they followed through on their plan, and how did they do?
Mike, Fredericton, New Brunswick
You're a wise man, Mike. Of course you don't react to everything the Yankees do, but you always have to match up. You're looking at two of your biggest rivals -- Yankees and Tampa Bay -- sitting there with potentially eight very good starting pitchers. I understand they're bringing in low-cost types like Carlos Silva, Vicente Padilla, Aaron Cook, and that Daniel Bard and/or Alfredo Aceves could be very good. I think everyone would feel better if they had one more "sure thing" in the rotation.
When a team trades a high-salary player to make payroll flexibility and "eats" part of the contract, which portion of the contract counts toward the luxury tax of which team? For example, if the Cubs trade Soriano to the Yankees and agree to pay $30 million, does that $30 million count toward the Yankees payroll, the Cubs payroll, or neither when calculating the luxury tax?
Dylan, Chalatenango, El Salvador
It's my understanding it would count against the Cubs' payroll. Whatever the Yankees would be assuming would go on theirs.
Can the Red Sox restructure contracts like John Lackey's in order to free up money this year to get another starter and not exceed the luxury tax? Or, is restructuring contracts not allowed in MLB?
Larry, Ellicott City, Md.
There would never be restructuring like there is in the NFL. The Players Association would never allow that in baseball. That was part of the reason the Alex Rodriguez deal to the Red Sox fell through about 10 years back. Lackey is gone for the year with Tommy John surgery. He will not pitch this year.
Submit your question here to be considered for the next edition of Ask Nick. You're wondering whether the Red Sox are going to counter the Yankees' big splash on Friday when they traded for Michael Pineda and signed Hiroki Kuroda. I think we all are. 
