Red Sox, Rangers Considering Mike Lowell Trade

SATURDAY, 11:59am: Lowell is flying to Texas today to meet with the Rangers' front office and medical staff, and to take a physical according to ESPN's Jayson Stark. Lowell saw a hand specialist in Arizona earlier this week.

FRIDAY, 3:30pm: The Rangers will have their medical staff look at Lowell this weekend, according to MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. We should know by the end of the weekend if the trade is going to go through.

TUESDAY, 1:22pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the deal has a better than 50-50 chance of going through, though it's still not a lock.

8:40am: Peter Gammons tweets that Lowell may require thumb surgery.

MONDAY, 12:03am: According to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com, the Rangers will take a look at Lowell's thumb in-person at some point this week.  Meanwhile, Boston is looking into the condition of Max Ramirez's wrists, which gave him problems in 2009.

SUNDAY, 9:40am: Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe indicates that, although the Rangers are satisfied with the health of Lowell's hip, they're taking a long look at the veteran's right thumb injury. Could their concerns be significant enough that the deal never becomes official?

"There are still things to go over,’" Red Sox assistant general manager Ben Cherington said yesterday. "It would not be a complete surprise if it didn’t happen."

THURSDAY, 9:49pm: The Red Sox will pay $9MM of Lowell's salary, with the Rangers paying the remaining $3MM, according to Bradford. That's the same split that other outlets reported over the course of the last day  or so.

8:30pm: MLB.com's Ian Browne reports that the deal should go through, though it might take two or three days. WEEI.com's Rob Bradford says the Red Sox want to make sure Ramirez's wrists check out before making the deal official.

8:11pm: The Boston Globe reports that the Rangers and Red Sox have agreed in principle to a deal. The two teams have resolved a money issue and the Red Sox will pay some of Lowell's salary, as expected. Now, the players must get medical clearance.

7:14pm: The deal is becoming "more of a lock," a source tells McDonald and Barbarisi. The trade seems increasingly likely to go through, but it could take three or four days.

5:34pm: Both teams are exploring other options and the trigger "hasn't been pulled," according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.

1:11pm: The deal is said to be roughly 75% done, according to Daniel Barbarisi and Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal.

10:05am: The Red Sox and Rangers will take some time to think about this potential Lowell-Ramirez deal, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

8:51am: Heyman believes this deal is better than 50-50 to get done, with the Red Sox paying $9MM.  MLB.com's Ian Browne has quotes from Rangers GM Jon Daniels, who says both teams are looking at alternatives and the progress of this deal "might be a little bit overstated."

2:41am: SI.com's Jon Heyman says Boston would send about $8-9MM to Texas in the deal.

12:34am: MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan reminds us that because of the large amount of money changing hands, Bud Selig would have to sign off on the deal as well.

THURSDAY, 12:13am: Rosenthal spoke to a source who indicated that the deal "could still blow up" because of Lowell's hip and thumb issues.

WEDNESDAY, 11:50pm: The Boston Herald reports that "it appears the deal is done."

11:42pm: Dan Barbarisi of the Providence Journal hears that the Red Sox will have to eat "at least half" of Lowell's salary.

11:16pm: Rosenthal reports that the teams have a preliminary deal in place that would send Lowell to Texas for Ramirez, with the Red Sox taking on nearly all of Lowell's salary. Red Sox ownership still has to approve the deal, which is pending medicals.

We know the Red Sox are interested in Adrian Beltre. It's hard not to wonder if this proposed trade is a precursor to a Beltre signing.

9:24pm: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears from a source who says the trade talks aren't currently very far along. The source doesn't see the deal happening now, but at the very least the teams are talking.

9:04pm: Price hears that there's definite movement on this trade front.

8:18pm: Ed Price of AOL FanHouse hears "some word" that the possible deal is heating up. ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes says the Red Sox would have to eat "a ton" of Lowell's salary.

8:03pm: Alex Speier of WEEI.com hears that the Red Sox will have to pick up most of Lowell's salary for a deal to go down. Texas would use Lowell at first, third and DH.

5:36pm: The Rangers and Red Sox are discussing a deal that would send Mike Lowell to Texas, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. The trade is "possible, but not close," according to Bradford's source. It's possible that catcher Max Ramirez would come to Boston in exchange for Lowell. Joe McDonald of the Providence Journal echoes Bradford's report.

Lowell is set to earn $12MM next year, his last season before free agency. Theo Epstein says he doesn't expect to make a blockbuster deal before the meetings end, but a Lowell trade probably wouldn't qualify.