Starting Pitcher: Omar waiting for Lowe
Yesterday, during the team’s press conference introducing Francisco Rodriguez, Mets GM Omar Minaya told reporters that he will only puruse Derek Lowe if the pitcher’s price drops from its current level – otherwise he will continue to focus on re-signing Oliver Perez, while keeping tabs on pitchers such as Randy Wolf, Tim Redding, Daniel Cabrera, and others.
…as i wrote yesterday, from what i understand, the Mets want lowe, and like their position, so long as things continue to drag out…the Mets believe they can compete with the Red Sox for him, because neither team is likely to dish out a four– or five-year deal – at that point, it comes down to money, comfort, etc.…
…so, as long as the Yankees stay on the sideline, the Mets are in good shape…in short, it will likely come down to lowe making a tough decision for lowe…
Meanwhile, yesterday, Jerry Manuel had plenty of compliments for Perez, according to the Daily News, who quote him as saying, among other things:
“From a manager’s point of view, I’d love to have Perez back. That’s not my department, (but) I’m hoping to see him back.”
That said, according to Ken Rosenthal, at FoxSports.com:
“The Red Sox and Mets remain possibilities for Lowe, and the Yankees conceivably could re-enter the picture if they fail to re-sign free-agent Andy Pettitte.”
By the way, Rosenthal provides great detail on the market for Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez, during which the Mets are never mentioned.
Speaking of starting pitchers…
Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that 35–year-old Japanese LHP Koji Mitsui will post for MLB teams to bid on.
Lastly, John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus believes the Pirates top the list of teams pursuing Cabrera, who has also drawn interest from the Brewers, Padres, Rangers and Nationals.
