Tony Massarotti runs through nine questions the Sox will have to answer before returning to Fenway Park April 6:

1. Have the Red Sox improved?

Yes and no. With regard to the pitching staff - at least on paper - the Sox look extremely deep, particularly in the bullpen. Just having Justin Masterson for an entire season will make a considerable difference, and assuming that Jed Lowrie is the starter, the defense at shortstop will be better. The downside? The lineup looks softer than what we're accustomed to. The last time the Sox played an entire season without Manny Ramirez - 2000 - they finished 12th in the league in runs.

2. Will the real Josh Beckett please stand up?

For a moment, let's hear out those voices in New York: Over the last three seasons, there really hasn't been much difference between Beckett (48-28, 4.11 ERA, 524 strikeouts in 579 2/3 innings) and A.J. Burnett (38-26, 3.94 ERA, 525 strikeouts in 522 2/3 innings). Beckett had the much better 2007. Burnett had the much better 2008. Beckett is entering the final year of a three-year, $30 million contract extension, though the Sox hold a $12 million option for 2010. Translation: This is a big year for him - in lots of ways.

3. Should we be concerned about David Ortiz and Mike Lowell?

Look at it this way: Two years ago, Lowell and Ortiz finished 1-2 on the club in RBIs, combining to knock in 237 runs while slugging .559. In 2008, they produced just 162 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .484. Obviously, both Ortiz (wrist) and Lowell (hip) had significant injuries along the way, though that only heightens the concern about the ability to regain prior form. Both are a year older, too. Minus Ramirez, the Sox might be able to get by with an average performance from one of these two. But if both slip? Look out.

4. Is Jacoby Ellsbury the most important man in the lineup?

In many ways, yes. Last season, the Red Sox went 51-17 when Ellsbury scored a run, 44-50 when he did not. Many leadoff men can have that type of impact of their team, but the 2009 Sox need Ellsbury to be much more consistent. If the offense lacks the potency and depth of years past, one of the best ways to help make up for some of that is with speed, which Ellsbury possesses in ample supply. Nobody on the Sox is more equipped to make something out of nothing.

5. What can Jason Bay accomplish in a full season in Boston?

Now 30, Bay already has had three seasons (including 2008) during which he has both knocked in and scored at least 100 runs. (J.D. Drew has zero.) For all the speculation about how Bay might be exposed in the postseason, he batted .341 and slugged .634 with a whopping 1.105 OPS in the Sox' 11 playoff games last year. Since the start of the 2005 season, he is 46 of 50 in stolen base attempts. That is a very wide range of offensive skills.

6. Is the bottom of the lineup Death Valley?

It could be. What it boils down to is what the Sox can expect from the shortstop and catcher positions. Last September and October, Lowrie and Jason Varitek batted a combined .182, only putting more pressure on Ellsbury at the top of the lineup. If that doesn't improve, an inordinate number of Fenway rallies could end in the Boston basement.

7. Is the rotation as good as everyone thinks it is?

Generally speaking, yes, but there are still things to worry about. Last season, Sox starters finished a mediocre sixth in the AL in innings, a number that becomes more worrisome when you consider this: Minus Jon Lester (213 1/3 innings), Sox starters averaged slightly more than 5 2/3 innings per start. Ideally, that workload would be distributed far more evenly. Given Beckett's history of nagging injuries and Daisuke Matsuzaka's inefficiency, the Nos. 4-5 spots need to be reasonably stable. Keep an eye on them.

8. How deep is the bullpen?

Extremely deep, at least on paper. The versatility of Masterson remains the key, though the Sox might have the flexibility to employ him as a starter if they get desperate. Still, with Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, Ramon Ramirez, Javier Lopez, Jonathan Papelbon, and potentially Takashi Saito, it doesn't look as if the Sox will be giving away many outs, even when behind. Two years ago, the bullpen was the strength of the club. In 2009, it has the chance to be again.

9. How much financial flexibility do the Sox have?

At the moment, quite a bit. By the end of 2007, the Sox had a payroll in the vicinity of $165 million. Last year, the number ended at roughly $150 million. Barring a major acquisition before Opening Day, the Sox will open 2009 with a payroll of approximately $140 million, giving general manager Theo Epstein anywhere from $10 million-$25 million to spend, depending on where the line is drawn. Remember, too, that salaries shrink as the year goes on. In 2008, the Sox had to pay Bay about $1.9 million - the prorated amount equaling roughly one-third of his contract.

Tony Massarotti can be reached at tmassarotti@globe.com and can be read at www.boston.com/massarotti