Starting Pitcher: Things to heat up with Lowe
In a report for Newsday, Kat O’Brien explains, “Things could get busy again in the baseball world this week. For the Mets, negotiations are expected to heat up for Derek Lowe.”
In an on-air report for the MLB Network, SI.com’s Jon Heyman recently said Lowe rejected Omar Minaya’s three-year, $36 million offer, because he is seeking $16 million per season.
John Perrotto of Baseball Prospectus believes Lowe is still seeking a five-year, $80 million deal, like he was at the start of the off-season.
According to Heyman, the Braves, Phillies and Red Sox, and maybe the Brewers and Angels, are also showing interest in Lowe.
However, Atlanta reporter Mark Bowman of MLB.com believes, while the Braves are interested in Lowe, they are not interested in such a heavy price tag, coloring their interest as ‘moderate,’ adding, ‘Lowe’s cost is going to have to drop.’
The thing is, as David O’Brien pointed out in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently, if the Braves were willing to give A.J. Burnett a five-year, $80 million deal, why are they unwilling to give Lowe a guaranteed four-year deal?
In the end, I still believe Lowe’s options are limited. So, to get a deal done in a ‘reasonable time frame,’ the Mets may have to either goose up his annual pay or provide an easily-attained fourth year to the deal.
Or, Minaya can wait it out, but risk some other team getting involved – all while holding on to cash that could be used for other players, who may walk by him for new teams.
Speaking of starting pitchers…
According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, the Braves could have acquired Jake Peavy from the Padres in November, but they did not want to add a full no-trade clause to his current contract.
In Olney’s opinion, the Braves should give in and move Yunel Escobar to San Diego, acquire Peavy, add in his no-trade, and sign free-agent infielder Orlando Cabrera to be their shortstop.
