SATURDAY, 1:58pm: Buster Olney tweets that the Marlins are unsure as to why they've been linked to Lowell. According to Olney, the Marlins weren't even interested in Lowell prior to his recent injury.
FRIDAY, 1:20pm: The Red Sox aren't close to dealing Lowell, who left today's Spring Training game after fouling a pitch off of his left knee, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Via Twitter, ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes notes that the Rangers and Marlins weren't scouting Lowell today.
9:25am: The Red Sox are still interested in dealing Mike Lowell and the infielder would consider a trade, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe. Major league sources tell Abraham that the club remains interested in moving Lowell, who has one year and $12MM remaining on his contract with Boston. Lowell has no-trade protection, but he says he'd listen if the Red Sox come to him with a deal.
"If I was traded to another team, I would definitely evaluate it," Lowell said. "Obviously it's human nature to think about things."
Joe Frisaro of MLB.com reported yesterday that the Marlins' interest in the Miami product was "barely above zero." Scouts doubt his mobility and Lowell is aware that he's a better fit in the American League.
I’m trying to understand how this is a story.Everyone knows that the Red Sox are trying to trade Lowell,don’t they?
I don’t think any team will jump. Maybe the Orioles.
I think the orioles might take him. But i’m not sure who they will send for Lowell in the trade.
Maybe Pedro Florimon Jr. Maybe Lou Montanez. Maybe Blake Davis. Maybe Choyre Spoone.
The Red Sox will just be happy to get rid of his salary so the Red Sox will probably be generous in terms of who they get back in the trade.
I think its going to come down just to how bad the Sox want to get rid of Lowell and try to release him if they cant get a suitor. If he is still on the team in April and the Sox are still looking for a power hitter for the corner, he has to go one way or the other. He is not having a good spring and his mobility is worse then thought, not much value here at the moment unless he hits like a maniac this week
Boston should be able to stash him on the DL to start the season and then, even extended ST after the season starts. he got an awful late jump on ST to be knocking his poor start to ST. Lets keep this guy around as long as possible. nobody wants to be stuck with an Ortiz, hitting .150 with 1HR and 15 RBI in late May again and no RH option to stick in the lineup, only because Boston unwisely gave up on Lowell far too soon and ate 12M of his contract to boot.
Kind of like the A-Rod schedule…
At this point you gotta believe that the Sox are just going to have to release him and eat the whole salary.
There is no reason for any team to jump and make this trade. Lowell is DH who can play the field in a desperate situation at this point. All accounts are he looks very stiff in the field.
Everyone knows the Red Sox see him as eating up a valuable roster spot and sooner or later will release him. Why you’d give up anything of value for him would be a mystery unless you can dump a salary on the Red Sox in the process.
I hope for Lowell’s sake he gets released and then can choose where he wants to go next. His no trade protection is pretty non existent since he’ll be roasted by Boston mediots if he invokes his no trade clause on any deal the Red Sox make with him in it.
I don’t really see why the boston media would affect his decision… so what if he gets roasted by the media? It’s not like it would affect him having a job.
I do agree his no trade protection is pretty much meaningless, but that’s because he wants to be somewhere he can play, and there are few enough teams interested in him that if someone did spring for it, he’d take what he could get.
wolf – I think there’s a lot of external pressure on him to take any deal they make for him. The media will paint him in a bad light and some of the fans will blindly follow that lead and turn on the guy.
I actually think his best move as a player is to refuse any trade per his contract and force a release so he can sign with whichever team he wants and let his family decide where they want to go.
I think if he’s released there will be legitimate interest, but no GM worth his salt will pay a portion of that salary and give up even marginal talent at this point.
I was stunned when the Rangers were willing to give up Max Ramirez and pay a small portion of Lowell’s salary in the off season.
that’s a good point, that pretty much certainly the best move for him, as I can’t think that they’ll keep him around the whole year even if they fail to trade him.
i think the only reason no team wants to trade is they’re waiting for him to be released so they can sign him to league minimum and they don’t have to trade anyone.
Giants are making more and more sense for Lowell.
yes they are. i see them signing him after the sox release him. he’ll be a good fit. he won’t be everyday and can good be a good mentor for our precious panda.
Is this really Sabes posting to this forum?
Please, please, please we need to stop the daisy chain of washed up former All-Stars the Giants sign to put out to pasture. He is not a good fit. He takes up a roster spot for one of the many YOUNG players they have fighting for a spot and he blocks Ishi by proxy. If they sign him to play a reserve third, that bumps Ishikowa because it forces Sandoval to play more first.
If Lowell paid them, it would be a bad move. Remember the last time the Giants signed an injured infielder to help them offensively? That was Freddy Sanchez, NOT the opening day second baseman.
Is this really Sabes posting to this forum?
Please, please, please we need to stop the daisy chain of washed up former All-Stars the Giants sign to put out to pasture. He is not a good fit. He takes up a roster spot for one of the many YOUNG players they have fighting for a spot and he blocks Ishi by proxy. If they sign him to play a reserve third, that bumps Ishikowa because it forces Sandoval to play more first.
If Lowell paid them, it would be a bad move. Remember the last time the Giants signed an injured infielder to help them offensively? That was Freddy Sanchez, NOT the opening day second baseman.
How does one trade that which is . . . untradeable?
The Marlins have been linked to Lowell because the Boston media aka the Red Sox PR firm, is trying to help them make a trade that doesn’t exist.
Just release the guy already and eat all the money. They don’t want him on the team and no GM in their right mind will pay a portion of his salary or give up a player for him at this point when they know the Red Sox don’t want him on the 25 man roster opening day.
The Marlins have been linked to Lowell because the Boston media aka the Red Sox PR firm, is trying to help them make a trade that doesn’t exist.
Just release the guy already and eat all the money. They don’t want him on the team and no GM in their right mind will pay a portion of his salary or give up a player for him at this point when they know the Red Sox don’t want him on the 25 man roster opening day.
You know its bad when an organization will basically give away a player for nothing or close to nothing, take a low level prospect just to have a deal and STILL no team in interested. I think it would be a disaster if the red sox had to absorb all of lowells salary this season and watch him ride the pine all year. Too many players, not enough at bats. Oy.
You know its bad when an organization will basically give away a player for nothing or close to nothing, take a low level prospect just to have a deal and STILL no team in interested. I think it would be a disaster if the red sox had to absorb all of lowells salary this season and watch him ride the pine all year. Too many players, not enough at bats. Oy.
Anyway, nothing anyone is going to give them for Lowell right now would make eating almost all of his salary worth it. Just stash him on the DL to start the season, give him some at-bats in the minors and time to get healthy if he can, and then he’ll be around to spot Ortiz as the DH if he falters again; plus Lowell’s trade value can only go up from this point. I hope the Red Sox don’t make some stupid deal that basically involves them eating $10 million of his salary and getting nothing in return just so they can get him out of the way.
Anyway, nothing anyone is going to give them for Lowell right now would make eating almost all of his salary worth it. Just stash him on the DL to start the season, give him some at-bats in the minors and time to get healthy if he can, and then he’ll be around to spot Ortiz as the DH if he falters again; plus Lowell’s trade value can only go up from this point. I hope the Red Sox don’t make some stupid deal that basically involves them eating $10 million of his salary and getting nothing in return just so they can get him out of the way.
This whole Lowell situation is really sad to see as both a Sox fan and a Lowell supporter. Mike Lowell deserves better than the way the Sox are treating him right now. That said, he certainly didn’t help things out with those comments he made to the Boston and Miami reporters. IMO, the Sox should just prepare for him to be on the opening day roster as a backup 1B/DH. Then they can see what happens during the first month or two i.e. see how Ortiz is doing @ DH, see how the other infielders are doing, give Lowell a chance to prove his trade value, etc.
This whole Lowell situation is really sad to see as both a Sox fan and a Lowell supporter. Mike Lowell deserves better than the way the Sox are treating him right now. That said, he certainly didn’t help things out with those comments he made to the Boston and Miami reporters. IMO, the Sox should just prepare for him to be on the opening day roster as a backup 1B/DH. Then they can see what happens during the first month or two i.e. see how Ortiz is doing @ DH, see how the other infielders are doing, give Lowell a chance to prove his trade value, etc.
exactly my thoughts too. they are virtually the same player now and with Lowell I can only expect his physical abilities to somewhat improve over the season (if just by a little). I think youd actually get more all-around offensive production from Lowell.
wouldnt the Sox get more interest dangling Ortiz? he’s gone at the end of the year anyway so the fan backlash (especially after last season’s performance) would be minimal.
This is the million dollar question — who is better at the DH role for the team this year. Ortiz or Lowell.
I’m sure there are people in the Boston front office who would rather Lowell be the guy and move on from Ortiz, but Ortiz is such an icon it’s hard to see them having the stones to do that. Also, Ortiz is healthier than Lowell at the moment.
If Lowell gets a full season of at bats for another team, I would not be shocked if he out performs Ortiz this year, although Lowell’s best numbers are always going to come in Fenway due to the Monster.
Sorry, I might have agreed with you a couple of months ago, but right now I think Ortiz is the clear leader for the DH position. I’m not saying he’s good; I agree that his bat is much slower. But he’s been hitting the ball pretty well this ST. And Lowell has been looking very uncomfortable on the field, and hasn’t been hitting well either. Lowell looks like he might have a lot of trouble even hitting well in the DH spot. Besides, I read elsewhere that Lowell’s splits against lefties added to Ortiz’s splits against righties aren’t much better than Ortiz’s numbers last year, bringing into question the idea of platooning that position in the lineup. I see Lowell getting released sometime early in the year, unless Boston can find a trade partner.
it would make my day if the Boston FO would go ahead and dump Ortiz right now in lieu of Lowell, only THAT would bring out the fringe Sox fans who rarely watch Sox games and have not seen just how far Ortiz’s game has deteriorated over the last season and a half.
Yaz, I believe had that same wrist injury Ortiz did during the summer of ’71 and never did regain the power he once had, but was an entirely different player, with other abilities, could play great defense and even came back with many years of usefulness left with his career that ortiz IMO opinion, just ain’t gonna be able to ever do. Lowell is a far more useful piece in the lineup, but some of the rabid Sox fans would dice the Sox FO to no end if they made that wise choice.
it would make my day if the Boston FO would go ahead and dump Ortiz right now in lieu of Lowell, only THAT would bring out the fringe Sox fans who rarely watch Sox games and have not seen just how far Ortiz’s game has deteriorated over the last season and a half.
Yaz, I believe had that same wrist injury Ortiz did during the summer of ’71 and never did regain the power he once had, but was an entirely different player, with other abilities, could play great defense and even came back with many years of usefulness left with his career that ortiz IMO opinion, just ain’t gonna be able to ever do. Lowell is a far more useful piece in the lineup, but some of the rabid Sox fans would dice the Sox FO to no end if they made that wise choice.