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Lots of breaking news and rumors on Mike Lowell. WHDH is reporting that four teams have contacted Lowell with a four-year offer: the Braves, Angels, Cardinals, and Yankees. "A source close to the Lowell side of the negotiations [says] that each offer is a 4-year contract, worth between $55-60 million." By contrast, the Sox offer left on the table by Lowell was a 3-year deal reportedly to be between $36-45 million. |
I love these rumors from "sources close to the negotiations". We'll see if this one pans out.
The other component of the breaking Lowell rumors, and one that's been mentioned by WHDH and NJ.com, is that the Yankees' offer is for Mike to play first base-- presumably because they are going to re-sign A-Rod to play third. Dan Graziano reports:
"A person familiar with the negotiations, who requested anonymity because discussions are still ongoing, said the Yankees have been in contact with Lowell's representatives about the idea of him signing to be their first baseman. The idea would be to bring Lowell, who came up through their farm system in the mid-90s, back into the organization while simultaneously weakening the Red Sox by taking him out of their lineup and infield."According to WHDH, "Lowell is now waiting to see if the Red Sox will up their initial offer and try to keep him in Boston, in lieu of these newest offers from the four previously mentioned teams."
Normally, I intentionally avoid mentioning A-Rod or discussing the maelstrom surrounding his contract negotiations (because I'm of the opinion that feeding that media circus only helps him- and, plus, I'm frankly quite sick of the overload of attention focused on him by everyone)... BUT, I'm making an exception to note how hilarious the whole "The Yankees would only negotiate with A-Rod if Scott Boras was not involved" versus the new spin Boras is frantically trying to get out there that "Boras is deep in negotiations with the Yankees who are going to give him a deal worth $300 million" (subtext: "LOOK HOW BRILLIANT I AM EVERYONE! I WAS NOT DUMPED BY A-ROD!").
on November 14, 2007 8:52 PM
Man...if the Sox offer was 3/45 and he signs somewhere for 4/55 I will be wicked pissed. They've been wasting 12 mil for the last two seasons between Clement and Renteria, so even if Lowell were to really, really suck in '10 and they need to sit him in '11, they would still be wasting less.
And asking him to play 1st? I hope that pisses him off enough so that, at the very least, he doesn't go to NYY. I really, really want to be optimistic about this...