Mark Teixeira’s agreement with the New York Yankees on Tuesday clears the way for the New York Mets ...

Mark Teixeira’s agreement with the New York Yankees on Tuesday clears the way for the New York Mets to sign Derek Lowe, the free-agent pitcher who had been on the periphery of the Yankees’ shopping list. The Mets and Lowe are deep in negotiations, according to a source, and while an offer has not yet been made, the 35-year-old sinkerballer is the Mets’ prime target.

The Mets have rebuilt their bullpen with the signing of free-agent closers Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz, but general manager Omar Minaya is still in the market for starting pitching to supplement incumbents Johan Santana, Mike Pelfrey and John Maine.

The Boston Red Sox had mild interest in Lowe, and losing out on Teixeira might prompt them to strongly consider bringing back Lowe for a second tour of duty in Boston. But indications from Red Sox sources point to less costly options than Lowe, who originally sought a five-year, $90 million deal but has scaled back his demands in recent weeks.

The Mets’ bargaining position also is enhanced by the fact that rehab coordinator Chris Correnti, who was brought on board to work with the Pedro Martinez, has trained Lowe for the last 11 years.

Mets close to deal with Lowe

Repeats are difficult anyways...

11 months ago FuquaManuel 10 comments 0 recs |

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ehh...

Not a done deal yet, I don’t think. But Lowe is going from pitching in a pretty extreme pitcher’s park to (assuming he signs with the Mets) an unknown quantity. And he’s 35.

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WHY CAN'T US?

by WholeCamels on Dec 23, 2008 6:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, good points.

Not done deal, but it is getting close. And the move would certainly make them better. Compare that with what we have done thus far.

by FuquaManuel on Dec 23, 2008 7:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I just got home from work – the yankees got tex? Weird

by jemagee on Dec 23, 2008 8:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

They might get Manny too. That would really be a shame. Teams shouldn’t be allowed to do this, should they?

Really makes a team winning it all with primarily home-grown talent (Phillies) seem that much more commendable.

by FuquaManuel on Dec 23, 2008 8:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yes – it’s commendable that the phillies are cheap and more worried about profit than building the best team possible – commendable.

You know what very few people (including the yankees) remember? Those great teams of the early 2000s were quite home grown.

I feel the yankees would be downright stupid to overpay manny and tex (and yes they are over paying tex) and I think the red sox once again played the yankees beautifully as they had no real long term need for tex.

by jemagee on Dec 23, 2008 10:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The best Yankees teams are built with the lowest level of Steinbrenner involvement. That late 1990s team was largely drafted and developed in the early to mid 1990s, when Papa George was suspended by the Commissioner.

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by WholeCamels on Dec 24, 2008 12:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Phillies aren’t cheap. Their payroll ranks exactly where you would expect it to for a team with their revenues.

by taco pal on Dec 24, 2008 4:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Spending money isn’t all about payroll – the phillies don’t put enough money into development especially in places that matter…

by jemagee on Dec 24, 2008 7:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

PS – if spending the most money guaranteed anything wouldn’t the yankees have won a world series recently? Would a team like the rays have ever made it if it was all about the money.

PPS – Salary Caps are stupid and anti american

by jemagee on Dec 24, 2008 7:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

fair point, but...

One can look at 2008, and to a lesser extent the two previous seasons, as the Yankees’ experiment in restraint. They didn’t trade for Johan Santana in large part because they didn’t want to pay him nine figures (and trade away one or more of their vaunted trio of young pitchers—Joba, Hughes and Kennedy—for the privilege). For that matter, they didn’t go after Carlos Beltran four winters ago for the same reason.

My guess is that the Sabathia deal—more money for, probably, a higher risk—represents some regret over not trading for Santana. But Teixiera was more just opportunism: they had a ton of money coming off the books, even after signing the two pitchers, and he really does fill a need.

Still, between the quality of their competition in-division and the crapshoot that is the playoffs, I don’t think it’s certain by any means that they’ll be back on top in late October ’09.

by dajafi on Dec 26, 2008 3:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs