Results tagged ‘ Mike Lowell ’
The Good, The Bad, And The Beltre
Dan:
I just don’t know how to feel about this.
The Sox have signed a new third baseman, Adrian Beltre. This is a player who I stated I hoped the Sox stayed far away from in a blog entry a few weeks ago. Beltre is a player who has been a colossal underachiever his entire career. (If you think his fluke 2004 season wasn’t PED-fueled, I have a bridge I want to sell you.) On top of that – and most disturbing – signing him signals that the Red Sox truly are out of the running for Adrian Gonzalez.
This is the latest blow in an offseason that has left me feeling sick about the Red Sox 2010 chances — following the signing of Fluko Scutaro, losing Bay and replacing him with Mike “The K” Cameron.
However, maybe not all is lost . . .
The saving grace in the Beltre signing is the contract. I am shocked at how reasonable it is. A mere $9 million, followed by a player option of $5 million in 2011 and a $1 million buyout.
Wow.
I thought signing Beltre would take much more money and a commitment of several years. I’m not a fan of Beltre, but for $9 million for what essentially is a one-year deal, I can live with it. In fact, I almost like it.
Beltre must have had almost no suitors for him to accept this deal, which is nowhere near what Scott Boras was seeking for him. He must be hoping to play well this year, in a high-profile market, and cash in next off-season. Make no mistake: There is NO WAY Beltre accepts just $5 million to come back next year. Only way he does is if he has a terrible year, and, with that money, the Sox will likely be looking to eat his contract and replace him anyway should that happen.
Buried deep in the order, and playing in Fenway Park, Beltre may even end up being a huge steal, as he has all the motivation in the world to produce for a contract, has little offensive expectations, and moves from large Safeco Field to Fenway, where he can use the wall to pad his stats.
The more I think about it, the more I kind of like this deal. This offseason certainly hasn’t gone how I wanted it to go. In fact, it has pretty much gone the opposite direction. But who knows? This team might still be pretty decent next year.
Of course, if they aren’t, I’ll say I told you so.
Goodbye Lowell
Dan:
It looks like Mike Lowell is headed to the Texas Rangers. Multiple reports have him headed to the Rangers for minor league catcher Max Ramirez, while it appears the Sox might be getting close to signing free-agent third-baseman Adrian Beltre.
While I’ve advocated getting rid of Lowell this offseason, that doesn’t mean I’m not a fan. Lowell has been a great contributor to this team since 2006. Considering this guy was a throw-in in the Beckett deal, and looked so bad his first spring training some Boston baseball media geniuses thought he’d be cut, what he has done for the Sox must be applauded. He might be slower than geology, but he’s given us a solid bat, excellent defense before his injury, and a top-notch clubhouse presence. He will be remembered fondly by Sox Nation.
Meanwhile, I am cringing at the thought of signing Adrian Beltre. Outside of his highly-suspicious 2004 season — a contract year, mind you — this one-time uber-prospect’s career has been a colossal disappointment. He might not command the sizeable contract he got in 2005, but the Sox will still be overpaying for what he brings to Boston. And considering the Sox just signed a shortstop (Scutaro) who has also had a questionable career, I have real concerns with this team going forward.
But perhaps my biggest concern with signing Beltre is it leaves no room to make a deal for that power-hitting bat the Sox so desperately need. Understand, adding Beltre’s .260 average and 23 homers is no answer to this team’s offensive problems. Should the Sox resign Bay, or bring in Matt Holliday, in left, then have Beltre at third and Scutaro at short, they will only have a marginally better offense then they had last year — not good enough to bring home a championship.
Now, the catcher situation might be interesting. The minor leaguer the Sox are getting from the Rangers, Max Ramirez, might be ready for primetime (although his defense reportedly needs work). Are the Sox bringing him in as insurance in case Tek gets injured this year? Or insurance that they don’t resign Victor Martinez? Or insurance in case Tek just can’t perform anymore? The Sox might be thinking they’ll give Tek a chance through May, and if he can’t perform, expect a press conference where they regret to announce they have to cut him, and thank him for his service.
Shopping Lowell
Dan:
A report in yesterday’s Boston Globe said the Red Sox are currently shopping Mike Lowell, and may even be willing to pick up half of his remaining salary. Obviously, this looks like they are laying the groundwork to deal Lowell immediately once they are able to work out a deal with San Diego for Adrian Gonzalez.
But I wonder if the Sox feel so uncomfortable by Lowell’s health issues these last two seasons and by his rapidly vanishing range at third base that they feel they need to replace him at third next year regardless of whether they land Gonzalez or not. I’m certainly leaning that way. It looks like Lowell’s days in Boston are over.
Also, I know I’ve said this before, but with the free-agent frenzy ready to kick into high gear next week I’ll say it again: I have a really bad feeling about this off-season. The most cause for concern is the vision of Jason Bay in pinstripes.
Face it, it makes all the sense in the world for the Yankees to go after Bay. They are at the end of both Damon’s and Matsui’s contracts. Getting Bay would be a huge upgrade for them. Even more, by signing Bay the Yankees would be dealing a CRUSHING blow to their rivals, the Red Sox. I really don’t see how this doesn’t happen.
If this does happen, you can all but kiss next season goodbye. Even with Bay, the Sox needed to upgrade their offense. Should they sign Gonzalez, but lose Bay, they are essentially only breaking even. Not to say that Gonzalez and Bay are equal; they aren’t. Gonzalez is a premier offensive force. But the Sox offense needs both those bats to compete with the Yankees. Signing Matt Holliday to replace him isn’t the answer. The way Boras is talking, he would cost too much. Plus, his Colorado years and his early season slump in Oakland leave a lot of questions as to what kind of hitter he really is.
Should the Sox lose Bay, 2010 is a rebuilding year.
Preliminary Off-Season Thoughts
Dan:
In the words of Mark McGwuire: “I’m not here to talk about the past.”
Let’s, for a moment, forget that ALDS with the Angels ever happened. Instead, let’s bring hope back to Red Sox Nation and talk about the future . . . unless the Sox fail to bring back Jason Bay. Then forget about hope and save yourselves, cuz this ship is sinking. So, let’s take a look at issues the Sox face this winter.
JASON BAY - The Red Sox absolutely, positively NEED to bring back Jason Bay. Rarely will I say the Sox “need” anybody. But the fact is the team’s weakest link this year was its offense. If the Sox lose their best offensive player (Bay), they likely won’t be able to make the offensive upgrades they need next season. The free agent market for bats this season is especially thin (forget Matt Holliday, the most overrated bat out there). And if the Sox land a good bat in a trade – like Adrian Gonzalez – but lose Bay, they’ll be swapping bats rather than making a significant offensive improvement next year (which would be keeping Bay and getting a Gonzalez). What scares me to death is there is no reason the Yankees won’t let Johnny Damon walk and instead throw a ton of money at Bay – which improves the Yankees offense AND hurts the Red Sox. This scares me.
JONATHON PAPELBON - I’ve been shocked at the number of people clammering to trade Paps since his blown save the other day. Sox Nation needs to get a grip. As I’ve said before, every great closer has blown big games (Rivera, Eck, Hoffman, Gossage). What makes them great is their ability to brush it off and come back. Papelbon has shown he can do it. Why would you mess with that? Did we learn nothing from the Closer By Committee fiasco that started the Theo administration in early 2003? It takes a certain type of mentality (or craziness) to be a closer, and Paps has that. Bard has great stuff, but we don’t know if he has the mental toughness to be a closer. He could instead be the next Billy Koch. That being said, the promise of Bard does give the Sox flexibility should it take dealing a Papelbon to bring a bigtime bat like Adrian Gonzalez in return.
ADRIAN GONZALEZ - In case you haven’t yet noticed, I want the Sox to back the truck up to land San Diego firstbaseman Adrian Gonzalez. He is a young, dynamic bat that could help this offense. And San Diego will be hiring a new GM (Jed Hoyer?) soon who will likely be looking to stock up on young talent. Slot A-Gonz into first, move Youk to third and . . .
MIKE LOWELL - He’s been a great player for the Sox for these past few seasons, but his best years are well-behind him. Injuries make him unreliable and limit his mobility in the field. If the Sox can find a better bat, they need to move on. The only way I see Lowell staying in that situation is if he was a platoon DH with . . .
DAVID ORTIZ - Undoubtedly my favorite baseball player of all-time. So it pains me to say this. I know he came back big in the second-half, and had impressive numbers as a result. Still, how many meaningful times did Papi come through this year against good pitching. Not many. He wasn’t a factor in the playoffs, and didn’t look like there was any hope he could be. Papi will never again be the great hitter he once was, and I’d say it was time for the Sox to move on, EXCEPT . . . tell me where the Sox are going to get another DH to replace him given how weak the free-agent market is. Assuming they keep Bay, the Sox are going to need to find a home for a new bat, and that will be in either Lowell’s or Ortiz’s slot. Given Lowell’s health issues, I wouldn’t be surprised if they dump Lowell, keep Ortiz at DH this year, and then try to replace him after next season.
JASON VARITEK - It’s hard to watch cornerstones of the 2004 championship team like Papi and Tek age and have their skills diminish. At this point, everyone has to accept that Tek is done. Even, probably, Tek. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him retire this offseason (but in some way that keeps that $3 mill option). At this point, I’m not sure the Sox offense can afford to have him as the backup catcher.
What Happened Here?
Dan:
Anyone looking for proof that you can do something to curse your team look no further than this blog last night.
At 10:27 p.m., I posted an entry on how the Red Sox had a done deal with Mark Teixeira, and talked about how to move forward. Not 20 minutes later, John Henry sent out an e-mail stating the Sox were out of the Teixeira sweepstakes.
Karma?
We still don’t know what happened yet. Maybe the Angels’ desperation got the better of them and they went to 10 years. They certainly were looking at a dark place if they missed out on Tex, and needed him more than the Sox. Maybe the foolish Nationals made a desperate insane offer. It wouldn’t be the first time a franchise that couldn’t afford a superstar bid out of their league (Texas/ARod). If that’s the case, expect them to look to deal him within three years . . . and expect Tex’s complaining about the franchise not winning to begin in two.
Still, all hope is not lost . . . yet. This is Scott Boras and the Red Sox . . . two entities who have said deals were dead in the past, only to have them be revived later on. So, until a deal is announced and a physical has taken place, this thing isn’t over. But it doesn’t look good.
If the Sox don’t get Tex, you have to start to wonder about next year. They have a good team in place, and, if everyone is healthy, they should be fine. But, given the age of Lowell and Tek, and given the fragility of JD Drew, and the uncertainty of Papi’s wrist, there will still be a lot to worry about heading into the season.
Got ‘Em
Dan:
Reports are the Sox brass are currently in Texas with Scott Boras hammering out the final details of the contract for Mark Teixeira. The announcement that Tex is a member of the Sox could come any moment.
Now what? The Sox have seen this coming for awhile, and likely already have a trading partner for Mike Lowell. Expect him to be dealt almost immediately, as much in fairness to Lowell as anything else. The sooner Lowell knows where he is going, the better for him.
Then it is on to signing another starter. Of course, the Sox could slide Masterson, Bucholz or Bowden into that open rotation spot. But expect them to bring in a veteran to fill that spot to begin the year, with the three young arms being worked in gradually throughout the season, and maybe even locking down a rotation spot or two (Wake’s?) come September.
With so many young arms on the horizon, they likely won’t look for a long term deal, so no Lowe or deal for Peavy. We’re probably looking at a Paul Byrd type for a one-year deal, maybe they can score a Brad Penny for two-years. I still maintain Ben Sheets might be best served grabbing a one-year deal and cashing in next offseason, but he might just be satisfied with a sub-par annual salary but three- to four-year deal now.
Why My Brother Is An Idiot
Dan:
It might be a mystery to some readers why the Fans On The Field bio lists two brothers who blog, but only one (the handsome one) who actually ever does any blogging on the site (the only intelligent blogging anyway). My brother Jason actually does blog about the Red Sox, but he does it . . . (wait for it . . . wait for it) . . . on his typewriter.
Thanks. I’ll be here all week. Try the meatloaf.
But seriously, folks, I know he’s my brother, but he’s a complete and utter and absolutely indisputable dope. Case in point: He recently actually had an opinion about baseball that he cared deeply enough to write about, and instead of utilizing the power of the blog (A Top 50 blog at that . . . as I pat myself on the back), he decides to drop it in a comment. And not about a big issue or anything . . . just about a little thing that will probably amount to the richest contract in franchise history, not to mention lead to an uber-popular player being shipped out of town. Certainly not worth a blog.
And to make matters worse, he argued his point in such a horrible, foolish, ridiculously inept manner, that it’s sheer lack of intelligence could be considered a direct soiling of our family’s good name. In fact, this Christmas I will officially ask my relatives to formally vote Jason out of the family.
Basically, Jason said this: The Sox should keep Lowell instead of signing Teixeira, and they should go out and sign Prince Fielder for 5 years and $90 million.
Genius.
Look, we’ve gone over this and I can completely understand The Nation’s emotional attachment to Mike Lowell. However, I would have expected my brother to check his emotions at the door and analyze the situation intelligently and break it down and present it logically, even if it was his case for keeping Lowell. Instead, he just says he wants to keep Lowell. No discussion about the benefits of this deal in not just the short-term, but long-term for the franchise. No analysis about age, stats, nothing. All of which, of course, is fine. Until he had to cement his legendary foolishness for us all to see, saying the Sox should instead bank on signing Prince Fielder . . . a player who is not a free agent, who the Sox may never get a crack at, and who – despite being just 60 percent of the player Teixeira is — Jason wants to give five years and roughly 80 percent of what Tex’s annual salary would be. And who knows if he’d even sign for that; chances are he’d want more.
I’m not going to point out that Jason still thinks the Hanley Ramirez and Anibel Sanchez for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell deal was bad for the Sox. I’m not even going to point out he has seriously disturbing man-crush issues over the Phillies’ Chase Utley. And I am not going to say he is not only an embarrassment to the family, but an embarrassment to all red-blooded, intelligent baseball fans and bloggers the world over, even if it is true. All I am going to say is: Jason, get me something good for Christmas.
Bay Side
Dan:
As we look toward 2009 with visions of Mark Teixeira at first base, fans might be forgetting about another star who’ll be playing his first full season swinging at the Green Monster next year: Jason Bay.
Ever since he arrived in Boston at the trade deadline, Bay has kind of slid under the radar. Maybe it’s because he wasn’t hitting clean-up; maybe it’s because he wasn’t a nationally-known figure, having played for the Pirates and all. But for the last few years Bay has been one of the very best position players in the game. He consistently put up great numbers in Pittsburgh, even though most of the time he was the lone bat in the lineup. When he first came to Boston, I predicted that he’ll put up better numbers overall than Manny will during the next two seasons (the would-be option years in Manny’s contract). We got a glimpse of how good he is during the second half last year and the playoffs. And we saw how good he is defensively. Now, with half a season in Fenway under his belt, there’s every reason to expect he’ll be even better in 2009. Especially if he’s slides under the radar in this line-up.
If we do sign Teixeira (which looks like a real possibility right now), consider our Opening Day lineup for 2009 compared with last year. Considering Manny’s decline and Bay being in the prime of his career, I expected a net offensive gain having Bay in our lineup rather than Manny. (Not to mention the huge defensive upgrade.) Now consider having Teixeira versus Lowell. While Lowell’s been good, given his age and injury risk — not to mention previous levels of production — the net gain with Teixeira is huge. While everyone has been comparing Teixeira’s production with Manny, it’s important not to forget how good Bay is.
Now let’s imagine Youkilus and Pedroia have years similar to last year . . . and that J.D. Drew plays 150 games . . . and that Papi’s wrist feels better . . . . . Ooh, this is fun.
Why The Sox Need To Sign Texeira (And Deal Lowell)
Dan:
As baseball fans, we all have our heroes. Sure, we have our favorite team at the center of our fandom, but you can’t help but develop a strong attachment for certain players, especially when those players aren’t just great talents who help your team win, but are also really great individuals. Of course, that creates some mixed emotions when those players could potentially leave your team.
Us Red Sox fans have dealt with that spector twice this offseason, with the possibility our captain Jason Varitek could sign elsewhere (which, thankfully, it looks like he won’t). And we’ve also dealt with the idea that fan-favorite Mike Lowell could be shipped out of town should we sign stud free agent Mark Texeira. And among a lot of fans, that has caused a lot of problems.
Anywhere you turn, Sox fans are debating Texeira versus Lowell. Some (like me) hope and pray the Sox land Tex. But on sports radio, baseball forums and blogs, many fans are screaming to keep vice-captain Mike Lowell. Some have said the Sox don’t need Texeira, that their offense should be fine and they’ll contend for a title. Others have argued we could sign Texeira and use Lowell as a reserve. Still others have said we should keep Lowell and deal Youk.
For years, the Sox had an ownership that put too much stock in keeping certain players that they liked rather than building a well-rounded team. The result was 86 years of misery. Today, Sox fans know what it takes to win a championship — a bloodless, cold, emotionless, calculated approach to building the best team. And while that often grates against our well-deserved right as fans to have heroes, we have to keep in mind that our ultimate goal is to win championships . . . lots and lots of championships. With that in mind, the Sox need to sign Texeira . . . and they need to deal Mike Lowell.
As of today, the Sox lineup would look like this:
Ellsbury (?)
Pedroia
Ortiz(?)
Youk
Bay
Drew(?)
Lowell(?)
Lowrie(?)
Varitek(?)
Six of those players have question marks next to their names because they enter next season with lots of questions. We think Ellsbury will improve, but we don’t know. We hope Papi will be back to form, but we don’t know. Drew and Lowell are injury risks, Lowrie is still young, and at this point of his career we don’t know what to expect from Tek. If all goes well, the offense could be great. But there are a lot of questions.
By removing Lowell and replacing him with Texeira — a young, fit, prime-of-his life monster — you are removing one big question mark and giving yourself a powerful core to build around with Tex, Bay, Youk and Pedroia. No one can argue the offensive upgrade Texeira brings with him (I recently saw some stat saying something like he is one of only three players to start the first five years of his career with 30+ homers and 100+ RBIs every year — with Jimmy Foxx and Albert Pujols as the others). Now, with those other question marks, some problems will come up, but not all the question marks will go down (unless you are this year’s Patriots). Bringing in Texeira gives the Sox a much better chance to succeed . . . not to mention give them the long-term advantage of a young talented player (Lowell is nearing the MLB exit).
I’ve made the arguement the Sox could conceivably keep Lowell around through April if the right deal doesn’t present itself. But, eventually, they will need to deal him. With two years left on his contract, he has great value. If they played with him this season and he struggled or was injured again, his value would plummet. And while it might be nice to have him come off bench and fill in, that is not a long term solution as you don’t want a guy like that taking up your reserve infielder roster spot, That spot is better for more versatile players like an Alex Cora or Jed Lowrie. Trading Lowell should bring back something good in return, thereby making the team we love even that much better.
We’ll always appreciate Lowell’s contributions to our team and how he helped bring us a championship in 2007. And by being traded, he will still be making us better. We’ll always be fans on Mike Lowell.
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