Starting Pitcher: Mets, Boras and Derek Lowe
Update, 9:15 pm:
Anthony DiComo of MLB.com says Minaya talked with Boras about Lowe, as well as Ramirez and Perez.
I was under the impression Ramirez and Perez were not discussed. I’m glad I was wrong about this.
However, unfortunately, I still sense there is little-to-no chance Ramirez ends up on the Mets.
Actually, the more people I talk with, the more I think a front-end starting pitcher could be Minaya’s last major move, i.e., no Manny, no Orlando Hudson, etc., unless something significant impacts the team’s current position.
Original Post:
From what I can gather, Scott Boras recently met with Omar Minaya in New York City – and things went well.
The two sides left feeling confident that an agreement could eventually be reached between the Mets and free-agent Derek Lowe, though Boras is likely to take more time to try and solicit additional offers.
I do not believe their talks extended to include Oliver Perez and Manny Ramirez.
Meanwhile, according to people connected to Lowe, the Mets will eventually need to grant a fourth-year option, and may need to pay more per season than they initially offered, but not $15 million – and the Mets are open to this.
In other words, like Joel Sherman of the New York Post wrote earlier today, I’m thinking Lowe could eventually cost Minaya a three-year, $42 million deal, with a performance-based fourth-year option and a team buyout.
In the end, Minaya has a strong relationship with Boras, and Lowe is interested in pitching in Queens, especially since he has so few high-priced suitors, and so I like where the Mets stand – however, with Boras in the mix, you never know what might happen.
