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Braves Sign Derek Lowe

10:59pm: O'Brien adds that Lowe did not receive a no-trade clause.

9:43am: According to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves agreed to terms with Derek Lowe on a four-year, $60MM deal.  For all the talk of the Braves' failed offseason, they've added three quality starting pitchers.  Even if Lowe wasn't their first choice, he probably should've been.  Ken Rosenthal says the Braves made their four-year offer to Lowe "on the condition that he accept the deal quickly."


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Interesting!

good for lowe, his patients really proved to be wise, and the braves get a chance to salvage this season now

I wish Lowe and the Braves luck... they'll need it... good addition... maybe we'll hear less bitching about losing Smoltz now

He's not an ace...can't wait till the Braves finish 3rd again, hear 'em all crying

One of the better signings out there. Did you see his sinker in the playoffs? WOW

Wow the NL East is going to be interesting with the Mets, Braves, Phillies and Marlins all with a legitimate shot!

I think if they can get Dunn for LF, and I think they still have money to do it, they are in pretty good shape for this year. Wildcard team, possibly. Thoughts?

LOWE is no better than a two and no less than a three in my opinion

Lowe isn't an ace but he'll still do just fine. Omar really dropped the ball here. I can't wait to start hearing about how a dozen teams are suddenly showing great interest in Perez now. Omar better not screw up with him too.

Im not quite sure why Mets fans are so confident. You have Reyes, Right, Beltran and ... Your rotation is Santana ... The bullpen is good but so is the Braves.

YESSS!!! Good job Wren!!

2009 Rotation:

1. Lowe
2. JJ (yes I'm puttin him at #2)
3. Vazquez
4. Kawakami
5. Glavine

*6. Morton/Campillo/Hanson


And on Thursday/Friday I hope we see the headline "Braves sign Andruw Jones"...This offseason is turning out to be pretty good :)


NOW all we need is that big bat!

How is Lowe not an ace? Have you people even looked at his stats from last year? He's not Santana or Peavy but he'd be the #1 starter on most major league staffs.

Wren is starting to redeem himself and none too soon.

I mean Wright

Damn, that was quick...

this could become very interesting. the mets have 0 chemistry and the phillies wont be as good as last year so with a few more additions the braves could possibly be a dark horse for the decision.

Can everyone PLEASE stop bashing Wren now?

He got his top of the rotation starter (Lowe) as well as depth in Vazquez and Kawakami.

The lineup should be solid, especially if they can add an outfield bat.

He didn't overpay for Burnett or Peavy, and he got screwed by Furcal.

Otherwise, admit it, the guy has done a pretty damn good job.

Whew!! I have been one of the ones saying that the Braves don't have a chance next season. Now there is HOPE!!!

Lowe is a high 2 IMO. Having two high 2s in Lowe and Jurrjens, along with a low 2/high 3 in Vazquez is a VERY solid punch.

Mac is the high average hitter behind chipper.

Metsfan22,

Why don't you let the season get under way before you start running your mouth about how the standings are going to look. If true and the Braves finish 3rd, I can't wait till your team has another september meltdown and the Phillies win the division again!!

Lowe will only be the Ace on opening day, after that, he will pitch every 5th turn, and for a guy who churns out a ton of quality starts, who cares if he's an ace if he can pitch well enough to win.

So, we can assume that an announcement of the Mets' signing of Oliver Perez will be out within the next 24 hours?

Lowe is a no thrills pitcher that generally produces very solid results. As long as the IF defense behind him is good he'll be a quality pitcher.

Last year when I heard that the braves were going to sign a starter, I knew Lowe would be the one. Seems like their type of guy. Veteran, not going to cost as much as the younger aces, and pretty good in the postseason as well. Pretty funny it ended up that way.

"So, we can assume that an announcement of the Mets' signing of Oliver Perez will be out within the next 24 hours?"

Boras will drag out negotiations for at least a week, probably closer to 2 weeks.

Never doubted you Wren. You are both patient and wise. I'm lovin the Braves new look on the pitching front. And has for Mets fans...that's sad;)

I actually like Abreu better for the Braves than Dunn. He has how many season of 100+RBIs? Imagine him hitting behind Chipper. Or behind Fancoeour, even. Although I believe that they are planning on Kelly Johnson being moved to LF. Maybe that would open up a spot for Orlando Hudson? Imagine an MI of Escobar and Hudson, playing behind Lowe and Kawakami and JJ, etc.

I doubt the Perez negotiations take too long.

There aren't really any other legitimate suitors for Perez except the Mets, and the Mets have no other quality pitching options on the free agent market.

Something ought to come together soon, probably a 3/33 deal with a fourth year option or something.

ugh please no abreu

Boras will just create other suitors with his black magic.

I love the Lowe signing.

Great for the Braves. I definitely think this puts them ahead of the Mets. Anyone disagree?

wow, im suprised it happened this quick

Of all the pitchers signed in the 2004 offseason -- Pavano, Clement, Pedro, etc.... Lowe did the best... by far

Oh. Now its time for the Wren bashers to STFU.

1. He got two very good starters for at or below market value (Lowe and Vazquez).

2. Escobar, KJ, Heyward, Hanson, Schafer, Gorkys, Rohrborough, etc. are all still where they belong.

3. He opened up the Braves to the Japanese market and picked up Kawakami who has plenty of upside.

Good signing for Atlanta, congratulations. This made sense to me.

Melonis Rex...

Is there a reason that you feel Jurrjens is a #2 and Vazquez is a #3? I'm just curious because I've noticed alot of people saying that. I for one would slot Vazquez ahead of Jurrjens this season.

"Great for the Braves. I definitely think this puts them ahead of the Mets. Anyone disagree?"


Too early to tell. Both sides can still make more moves.

You did not get furcaled this time. LOL.

bigscooter,
i completely agree with you

Whats wrong with Abreu? Better than Dunn

The Braves always play the mets well... even last season. I am not going to say we are far better than the mets but for Mets fan to say we are sure to finish third is rediculous.

our pitching staff on a whole is better than the mets now and if we can get a left fielder with any sort of pop our line up is just as good if not better than the mets

"Too early to tell. Both sides can still make more moves. "

Unless the Mets sign Manny or trade for Peavy, where are the going to go to get much better?

lol @ abreu being better than dunn

Lowe
Jair
Vasquez
Kawakami
Campillo

Not bad. Not bad at all. I think 2010 is when this team will make the next step to winning it all.

Lowe
Jair
Hudson
Vasquez
Kawakami/Hanson


All we need now is that bat and I'm not talking andruw I'm talikng a swisher type

Also,

I think they will pit vazquez ahead of jurrjens just because of the experience facot with last year being his rookie season.

Smoltz's Beard-

I think that you could say they're both #2s. You're right. Vazquez is definitely a #2; he was unlucky in 2008 and he has posted VERY solid FIPs.

To me though, I'm rating Jurrjens above Vazquez almost solely on potential. I think he has the stuff and the ammo to become a solid ace (albeit not the stereotypical strikeout pitcher), and I really am confident that he reaches that ceiling. He'll fit the hardcore groundballer mold (ala Derek Lowe).

But yeah, you're right. When you're looking at '09 alone, Vazquez is the surer bet going forward. But that top 3 is very, very strong.

Braves fans, don't let your heads blow up too big. Remember the last couple of off-seasons, when things didn't work out the way you wanted. Like hearing it or not, Lowe is 35 and is not a shut down pitcher, but you are paying him like a shut down pitcher. Burnett got one more year 'cause he's younger, and a million per year more 'cause when he's healthy, he's a shut-down pitcher. You over-payed for a dependable 2 or 3 starter, which, again, isn't necessarily bad, but don't go nuts. You still don't have an ace, and your team doesn't match the Phillies or Mets at this point.

Havin Lowe, Vazquez, Kawakami and maybe a healthy Glavine will take a lot of preasure off of JJ. The better the rotation the better i think he will pitch. I am looking for JJ to take a step forward.

"You still don't have an ace" Doesn't matter, we have the best rotation in the division.

*lol @ abreu being better than dunn* iamnobody

Seriously?? In what way is Dunn better than Abreu, please explain to me how that is so.

How do the Braves not match up with the Mets? The Mets have 2 players in their line up that could start in Atlanta.

Santana is obviously a stud but the rest of your rotation isnt that good. Your bullpen is loaded but so is the Braves.

"Seriously?? In what way is Dunn better than Abreu, please explain to me how that is so."

He is a better hitter, Abreu is in steep decline mode now. They both suck defensively, Dunn is probably a bit worse.

But then I'm one of those people who is huge on potential/ceiling, especially if they're close to that ceiling.

Metzfan, our rotation now is more solid than yours, yes we may not have a true number 1, but we have better depth than your rotation, which is what really matters. Who cares if you have one pitcher that can win every fifth day, we have pitchers now that can win every day.

So... how much did Kawakami sign for? How much do we have for a big bat outfielder?

Metzfan, our rotation now is more solid than yours, yes we may not have a true number 1, but we have better depth than your rotation, which is what really matters. Who cares if you have one pitcher that can win every fifth day, we have pitchers now that can win every day.

iamnobody is right. it is the best rotation and signing ollie isnt gonna change that. ollie is deff not worth 10-11m/y

iamnobody, you have the *third* best rotation in the division. Mets have Santana, Pelfrey, will have Perez, Maine. You have Lowe, Vazquez, Jurrjens, KK. Santana makes the difference. Same with Philly (Hamels, Myers, Moyer, Blanton). Twice the pride, double the fall. Open your mouth more now, look more like an idiot later.

iamnobody, again, you are not backing up your argument saying he is a better hitter, in what ways is he a better hitter? Please explain, or maybe you cant because you dont really know what you are talking about.

And I disagree that the Braves' bullpen is loaded. Mets have two relievers better than your best.

The Braves have probably the 2 most durable pitchers from the beginning of the century and that was a huge problem last year, so you can't argue with that. The Braves add an OF bat and the Wren has truly pulled something out of nothing

There's a reason why no team offered 4 years... this will bring him to age 39-40 at the end of his contract. How many guys do you know, older than 37, that continued to pitch well? Smoltz, Maddux, Clemens, Johnson, Moyer, etc. You think Lowe can match these guys?

15 mil per is a lot if he's just gonna give you 2 years. Maybe a vesting option would've been more appropriate because it looked like the Braves were the only serious team talking to Lowe.

However, the Braves do need him to have even the slightest chance of contention.

Right now, there are still some holes in the rotation and bullpen. However, they really need a big bat not named Andruw Jones.

If I were a Braves fan I'd be extremely pleased that we got Lowe instead of Burnett. Good signing for the Braves, probably spent a little more than necessary but I'm sure they wanted to ensure that they got the best pitcher still available at this point.

Now that I'm looking at your roster, your bullpen sucks. Not only is it not "loaded," it is a weakness. Soriano is not a closer, Moylan just missed a full season, and I'm not seeing anyone else who intimidates me.

surprised to see the braves pulled it off. Only thing is 4 years. Mets didnt want to go there and the braves did. I give them credit but hopefully we end up with perez. Will still be the same team but with 2 closers. We had 19 blown saves last year.

k-rod isn't that good; he had 62 saves and came into 61 games with nobody on. you put somebody on base and there is no guarantee they don't score. He wasn't even the Angles best reliever. Scot Shields is far better. RELIEVERS are suppose to RELIEF. K-rod pitches and inning. tons of pitchers can pitch an inning w/o any runs. A real pitcher gets ground balls and gets out of bases loaded and nobody out with out runs scoring.

this could become very interesting. the mets have 0 chemistry and the phillies wont be as good as last year so with a few more additions the braves could possibly be a dark horse for the decision.

Posted by: clemsontribe24 | January 13, 2009 at 09:51 AM


First off the Phillies are going to be just as good if not better this upcoming year. They kept the same core of players and they will all be consistent again. I can see the Phillies winning another 89-90 games in the regular season again. The question is, has the signings by The Mets and Braves made them a 90+ win team?

and to this guy:

Im not quite sure why Mets fans are so confident. You have Reyes, Right, Beltran and ... Your rotation is Santana ... The bullpen is good but so is the Braves.

Posted by: tsweet9000 | January 13, 2009 at 09:50 AM


Put a W in front of right if you are going to sound legit =)

That's the other thing, strikethree. The Braves don't look like contenders, with or without Lowe. So they are throwing $60M at Lowe, when they look more like pretenders anyway. At 4/60, you can have him. I'd rather spend 4/44 on Perez, who is yet to hit his prime, and have 4M per year left over for another bat, or reliever, etc.

I believe the Braves did this as a knee jerk reaction to the Smoltz signing. Perhaps too early, we'll have to see how he does.

i think atl has the best rotation right now and ollie wont change that. mets 2nd and phillies distant 3rd. remember cole is the only reliable one in that rotation. moyer gets knocked around alot, blanton is awful and myers is wild when streaky. but the bullpen without a doubt goes to the mets. it doesnt matter how tight the game is at the end of the 7th, if u dont have a 1-2 punch to finish the game consistently then a good rotation can go to waste. ie the indians for the first half of last year.

metzfan22, who besides Putz and K Rod do you have in your pen? Putz doesnt strike fear into anyone and theres a reason K-Rod signed so cheaply, no other team wanted him because they saw the decline in his fastball.

Note the Mets could have Lowe and Perez for the price of there 2 closers and 1 of who wont even throw a pitch this year and isn't covered by insurance.

Lowe might not be a Peavy of a Burnett but the guy has decent stuff and can eat up innings. The braves Bullpen has alot of talent in it but the past 2 years its been overworked. Lowe, Vasquez, and JJ should help fix that problem. We also get Hudson back after the All-Star break.

you cant put to much stoke into a guy like ollie who really has yet to prove himself.

Tell you the truth I like Atlanta's rotation. They might surprise a lot of people. Kawakami could be the difference, how he does over here.

I forgot about Kawakami. The Braves might be pretty legit this season after all Kawakami is no joke.

metzfan22...you've got to be one of the most biased people I've seen on this board. Congrats.

strikethree...I would be curious to hear you explain what you believe the holes in our rotation are. I eagerly await your reply.

"metzfan22, who besides Putz and K Rod do you have in your pen? Putz doesnt strike fear into anyone and theres a reason K-Rod signed so cheaply, no other team wanted him because they saw the decline in his fastball."

Wow, Putz doesn't strike fear into anyone? And K-Rod ended up being a free agent in the wrong year..

My god, this thread is ignorant.

Metfan22

What the hell are you talking about the Bullpen sucks? Have you heard of Gonzo closing? Soriano will be the set up and Moylan was just as effect prior to his injury so no worries the Pen is just fine.

This move def fills out Braves roation this year. It isnt a GREAT roatation but should still be pretty solid. What this does is potentially makes the 2010 rotation GREAT. Hudson Lowe Vasquez JJ Hanson ( if he pans out). Get us a power LF and lets roll!

If there is one thing I know about the Braves, it's that their bullpen doesn't suck. It was the lack of their starting pitching not being able to go the distance and the pen being exhausted early. This should make my Sox series more interesting when I get to visit Turner Field for 3 games this year. Should be more interesting than 2007. Far more diverse teams and Smoltz might be pitching AGAINST the Braves, something I never thought would happen. Never.

Metzfan22,

Not everybody can have a legitimate ace. They are just not that plentiful. You are lucky, you have a true ace in santana. However, the year before last when both smoltz and hudson were healthy, they were a great 1,2 punch. I learned the hard way by watching them pitch and knowing that the next 3 days would be losses unless the offense stepped up. I hate this cliched quote but "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Not completely true in baseball but still has some meaning. A good 1,2 puch means nothing if theres no depth behind it. I'm glad Wren is learning from the braves past few years.

Barring injury, the braves currently have a deep rotation. I like where theyre at right now. Suddenly it seems like they can at least compete in '09.

JonB, Duaner Sanchez is now a year further away from surgery, so he will perform better this year. Sean Green is a more experienced Joe Smith, according to Keith Law. Feliciano is death to lefties, and Stokes throws 96 MPH with movement. Forget all that, look at past winners. They've all had dominant 1-2 punches at the end of a game. Lidge-Madson, Papelbon-Okajima (in '07), Wetteland-Rivera, etc. K-rod is a 26 year old, 3 time all star (i think its 3, thats off the top of my head). Putz is a year removed from a 1.38 ERA season with SEA. Name one Braves reliever who is even in their ballpark?? The Braves bullpen looks weak, and the rotation is full of mid-tier guys. Add in Chipper as your only offensive threat, and I'm not seeing where your team is championship-caliber.

The Braves will be a competitive team. The Met's are still a better team overall. I feel like 5 games will seperate the mets, phils and braves next season. It might come down to deadline trades to see who goes on to the playoffs. Though losing Lowe may force omars hand in spending a little more money not only on starting pitching. I heard Manny Ramirez is still out there, astounding.

Gonzalez, Soriano, Moylen, Boyer, Acosta. Thats 5 power arms. Add Campillo and Jeff Bennett and i dont think any one other than you will argue thats not a very solid bullpen.

1)Santana v Lowe
Santana is the better pitcher here, Lowe will keep them in games however.
Edge-Mets

2)Maine v Jair
Jair is coming off a breakout season, Maine is coming off an injury plagued year after being overworked the previous year.
Edge-Braves

3)Perez v Vasquez
For sake of discussion I've included Perez in the rotation as I highly doubt the Mets will just stand pat now. Perez is coming off a solid yet another erratic year(105 BB's!) I personally think Vasquez coming to the NL will improve his number drastically. Count him in for 200IP, 200K's, ERA under 4.
Edge-Vasquez

4)Pelfrey v Kawakami
Pelfrey is coming off a breakout year and will look to continue his development. Kawakami is really an unknown at this point. I like the Braves slotting him in the back of the rotation where there will be no excess pressure.
Edge-Mets

5)Redding v Campillo
I think the Mets did a good job getting a solid #5 pitcher into the back end of the rotation. Had to be the Ace in Washington, now all he needs to be is manageable. As for Campillo he's a guy who's spent much of his minor league career in the bullpen. Did a decent job finished this year with a 4.91 mark in the second half. Clearly wore down.
Edge-Redding

Just to review
1)Lowe v Santana
(Santana)

2)Maine v Jair
(Jair)

3)Perez v Vasquez
(Vasquez)

4)Pelfrey v Kawakami
(Pelfrey)

5)Redding v Campillo
(Redding)

Mets edge out the Braves 3-2 IMO.

Matt, K-Rod's Strikeout ration has gone done every year since 2004, and the Batting average against has gone up, yeah, he was a free agent at the wrong time huh. Give me a break.

OMG they outbid the Mets by 24 million for no reason OMG OMG

"There's a reason why no team offered 4 years... this will bring him to age 39-40 at the end of his contract. How many guys do you know, older than 37, that continued to pitch well? Smoltz, Maddux, Clemens, Johnson, Moyer, etc. You think Lowe can match these guys?"

I think he could because he pitches old school with movement instead of just overpowering batters. Clemens was only able to overpower people into his 40s because of steroids.

I would rather have no ace and solid 2 or 3s all around than 1 ace and garbage.

BravoFan, Gonzalez had one year as a "closer", and it was with Pittsburgh, so he didn't face pressure once. Add in that he just missed a lot of time with injury, and you are not looking so comfortable at closer. Soriano is homer-prone, and has never seen a pressure situation either. Face it, your team is really just not that good. The Mets have a thin rotation at this point, but their bullpen is strong and their offense scored the 2nd most runs in the NL last year. The Braves are not in a class with NYM and PHI at this point.

Matt, K-Rod's Strikeout ration has gone done every year since 2004, and the Batting average against has gone up, yeah, he was a free agent at the wrong time huh. Give me a break.

Melonis Rex...

Interesting stuff. Like I said, I was just curious. I think alot of people are higher on JJ than I am. One of my favorite things about Jurrjens is his ability to keep the ball in the park, but I'm really hoping he is able to cut back on the amount of free passes he gives up this season. His GB/FB rate was pretty damn good last season, and hopefully Lowe can give him some pointers to make it even better. I personally don't believe JJ has #1 stuff, but would love to be proven wrong. I see him as a #2 starter in his peak.

As far as Vazquez goes, I see him as a #2 starter right now and am eager to get the chances to watch him pitch over the course of the season. The numbers are there and it looks like he should be an ace, so it will be interesting to see why he has such a hard time "putting it together".

Loving the rotation after the signing (although the signing itself may not be great, it is what it is) and as someone stated above Kawakami is going to be the wild card to our season.

Mets fail again.

Add in Chipper as your only offensive threat, and I'm not seeing where your team is championship-caliber.

Posted by: metzfan22 | January 13, 2009 at 10:25 AM

Well, at least I know that I can ignore every post I see from you in future. Chipper is our only offensive threat? Really? That's just ignorant.

JonB

Do you follow baseball?

Yes, he became a free agent in the wrong year. Throw all the stats in about a lower strikeout rate, etc etc.. but He is still one of the best closers in baseball.

Most of you braves fans should try the idea of opening your mind (not to say other mets fans aren't the same way)
But to throw that your bullpen is better or starting rotation..
you have the same questions if not more than the mets..

Lowe may or may not be an ace
Jurrgens may or may not have a sophomore jinx of a year
Has Kawakami shown he can be a MLB pitcher? Not yet, and its not a given that Japanese pitchers do great in the MLB.
Campillo had a good season, but are you counting on him?
I mean, come on, try not being so bias

Omar Minaya is a complete and utter moron.

Good signing by the Braves. I would guess that resigning Glavine will complete their rotation. That gives them a solid starting five that can be equally as good as the Phils and Mets.

I still believe they need a little work in their bullpen and need atleast one good bat in the outfield.

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