Yankees closing in on Lowe

[Weak_hitting]

Jon Heyman of SI.com reports that the Yankees are close to signing Derek Lowe to a four-year deal worth between $68 and $72 million. via Rotoworld.com/Jon Heyman.

[TheKilo]

Gee I wonder who this is.

[riverside sluggers]

go f*** yourself epstein??

 

The Yankees are over paying for 35 year old Lowe . Id rather see that money go to Texieira and other extensions

[ORS]

I dunno, sounds like a Tim Wakefield fanboy.

[Weak_hitting]

go f*** yourself epstein??

 

The Yankees are over paying for 35 year old Lowe . Id rather see that money go to Texieira and other extensions

 

lol @ Texieira. Redsox not getting him. No balls last 2 offseasons and counting. FACT: Epstein inherited a good team in 04. FACT: 2007 was won by Beckett and Lowell (Beckett beat down fat slob CC) Lowell fluke season World Series MVP. "Almost choked Division by trading for Gagne" Epstein is a terrible GM. But due to recent success a bad year in 4th place may be worth it if he's fired.

[BoSox21]

FACT: Epstein inherited a good team in 04.

 

FACT: David Ortiz, Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke were probably the three biggest reasons we won in '04, all Epstein acquisitions.

 

FACT: 2007 was won by Beckett and Lowell (Beckett beat down fat slob CC) Lowell fluke season World Series MVP. "

 

You just said Theo was outclassed by Cashman for not signing CC, you hypocritical bloody tampon

[Weak_hitting]

FACT: David Ortiz, Curt Schilling and Keith Foulke were probably the three biggest reasons we won in '04, all Epstein acquisitions.

 

 

 

You just said Theo was outclassed by Cashman for not signing CC, you hypocritical bloody tampon

 

CC better regular season pitcher then Beckett. But since our team can't even beat the Rays no need for CC to worry about Beckett. Redsox make playoffs like Pats go 19-0 not happening.

[diony]

Actually the Red Sox need a starter more than what everyone thinks.

 

Tex would help. But they should get a starter too.

[BoSox21]

CC better regular season pitcher then Beckett. But since our team can't even beat the Rays no need for CC to worry about Beckett. Redsox make playoffs like Pats go 19-0 not happening.

 

Sabathia is ripe to break down imminently. Beckett is also $13 million a year cheaper.

 

And do you really think the Yankees with Sabathia, and his phenomenal post-season record, are better than the Rays?

[diony]

Sabathia is ripe to break down imminently. Beckett is also $13 million a year cheaper.

 

And do you really think the Yankees with Sabathia, and his phenomenal post-season record, are better than the Rays?

 

Beckett kinda broked down already and just because he's cheaper doesn't means he's better.

 

The Rays are overrated.

[BoSox21]

Beckett kinda broked down already and just because he's cheaper doesn't means he's better.

 

The Rays are overrated.

 

im talking about significant elbow/shoulder injuries, not torn obliques

[riverside sluggers]

Beckett kinda broked down already and just because he's cheaper doesn't means he's better.

 

The Rays are overrated.

 

The Rays will be back in it next year. I wouldnt say that they are overrated

[26 to 6]

lol @ Texieira. Redsox not getting him. No balls last 2 offseasons and counting. FACT: Epstein inherited a good team in 04. FACT: 2007 was won by Beckett and Lowell (Beckett beat down fat slob CC) Lowell fluke season World Series MVP. "Almost choked Division by trading for Gagne" Epstein is a terrible GM. But due to recent success a bad year in 4th place may be worth it if he's fired.

Epstein took over prior to 2003 not 2004, Boy. And if you want Lowe so bad, please take him.

[jacksonianmarch]

This is hilarious. Those who are trying to compare Beckett to CC in terms of price will get their say this upcoming offseason. Beckett is gonna get a massive payday and he will parlay his offseason successes into tons of cash.

 

That being said, I stand by what I said earlier in the offseason. I wanted Lowe, but not as the sole offseason pitching acquisition. But add CC and you have a 1,2 and 3 as well as a potential ace in Joba as the 5. Throw Pettitte into the #4 slot and you have a top 4 in the rotation that will exceed 200IP per, which is EXACTLY what this team needed. Last yr, we were one of the worst teams in terms of IP by our original starting 5. Instead, we will have 3 or 4 guys who have reached the 200 mark on a regular basis. That is huge

[26 to 6]

I wanted Lowe too, but not at that price. No thank you.

[riverside sluggers]

This is hilarious. Those who are trying to compare Beckett to CC in terms of price will get their say this upcoming offseason. Beckett is gonna get a massive payday and he will parlay his offseason successes into tons of cash.

 

That being said, I stand by what I said earlier in the offseason. I wanted Lowe, but not as the sole offseason pitching acquisition. But add CC and you have a 1,2 and 3 as well as a potential ace in Joba as the 5. Throw Pettitte into the #4 slot and you have a top 4 in the rotation that will exceed 200IP per, which is EXACTLY what this team needed. Last yr, we were one of the worst teams in terms of IP by our original starting 5. Instead, we will have 3 or 4 guys who have reached the 200 mark on a regular basis. That is huge

 

Jacko, again, Beckett has a 2010 option. I doubt the Red Sox will decline the option that would pay him just $10 million

[jacksonianmarch]

I dont care about money when it comes to pitching. I care about yrs. And while I would have liked 2-3 yrs on Lowe, 4 isnt too bad. I'll tell you this much. Lowe is a much better bet to pitch all 4 yrs and throw a lot of innings. I think that's why we are going overboard to get him. Lowe as the #5 in Boston would be devastating

[jacksonianmarch]

Jacko' date=' again, Beckett has a 2010 option. I doubt the Red Sox will decline the option that would pay him just $10 million[/quote']

 

good point. Then after 2010, Beckett will get his say so

[jacksonianmarch]

Adding Derek Lowe to this team is a sound move. I may not agree with the dollar amount, but Lowe is the PERFECT fit for this team. Lets start with team factors then break down Lowe. First of all, this team is loaded with minor league pitching talent, but we cannot lean on them out of the gate. If we nab Pettitte and throw him in with Lowe, CC, Wang and Joba, that rotation would be solid. It also means that Joba would need to be spelled at times this yr and Pettitte would need to be replaced internally after next yr. This gives us a chance to break in a new #5 starter each yr for the next 2 seasons (3 if you consider Wang a goner after 2010). Now on to why Lowe is a perfect fit.

 

The Yankees were 25th in the MLB in terms of starting pitcher's IP. 25th! And second to last in the AL to boot. This means that our relievers had an enormous burden. Derek Lowe fixes that. Lets go through Lowe systematically like I did with CC

 

1. Age- Lowe is 35 and by the end of the contract, will have turned 39. That's old even by today's standards

 

2. Size- Lowe is a monster of a man, not CC size, but BIG. He's 6'6" 230lbs. This is likely why Lowe still throws so darn hard at 35.

 

3. Endurance- Derek Lowe was converted back to a starter in 2002. Since then, he has made 32 or more starts in EVERY YR. That's 7 yrs of starting with 32-35 starts a yr. The man is a machine. He has also thrown 199 or more innings in 6 of those 7 yrs. That is insane.

 

4. His performance- This is where the naysayers get to have their fun. DEREK LOWE SUCKED IN HIS LAST YR IN BOSTON!! That much is true. But I think that is as much of an outlier as his first yr in Boston when he was right up there for the CY. In his last 2 yrs in Boston, Lowe walked 72 ans 71 guys respectively. In his other 5 seasons, he walked a maximum of 59. His BB totals are down, his K totals have stayed the same, the innings have stayed the same and the GO/AO ratio has been in the 2.8-3.5 range every yr except this past one. He is worse than his 2008 stats looked, but he is better than his 2004 stats look. He is a guy who, if he came to NY, would have a 1.3 WHIP with a GO/AO of 3, he'll throw 200IP and probably win 15-18 games with our offense and bullpen. He isnt like CC in that he isnt rising. He has been remarkably consistent, and right now, as a #3 starter, that is what we need more than anything.

[BoSox21]

yea, and Jeter's AMAZINGLY INSANE defensive ability and range is perfect for all those groundballs Lowe will induce

[BSN07]

Ya, the Yanks infield D isn't more then average.

[TheKilo]

The Yankees infield D is probably the worst in the ALE, maybe the AL.

[BSN07]

I admit, I was trying to sugar coat it by saying "average". I was trying to save the thread from becoming a Gom and Jacko crazfest trying to defend the infield gloves.

[TheKilo]

Arod is an average 3B at best, Jeter is the worst defensive player in the game at the most important position on the diamond, Cano hasn't had a good defensive year other than 2007, and Swisher is a below average 1B.

 

Corners should be "OK", up the middle will be awful.

[Cocos Disciples]

Wait, so is this thread legit?

[TheKilo]

Yessir

[Gom]

Sabathia is ripe to break down imminently. Beckett is also $13 million a year cheaper.

 

And do you really think the Yankees with Sabathia, and his phenomenal post-season record, are better than the Rays?

Beckett has a much worse injury track record. If I had to bet, I'd bet on Beckett breaking down before CC.

 

I don't see where anyone is writing about Lowe going to the Yankees imminently. Any links?

[Gom]

Adding Derek Lowe to this team is a sound move. I may not agree with the dollar amount' date=' but Lowe is the PERFECT fit for this team. Lets start with team factors then break down Lowe. First of all, this team is loaded with minor league pitching talent, but we cannot lean on them out of the gate. If we nab Pettitte and throw him in with Lowe, CC, Wang and Joba, that rotation would be solid. It also means that Joba would need to be spelled at times this yr and Pettitte would need to be replaced internally after next yr. This gives us a chance to break in a new #5 starter each yr for the next 2 seasons (3 if you consider Wang a goner after 2010). Now on to why Lowe is a perfect fit. [/quote']

I'd rather have Burnett. Lowe will give you 4.50 ERA in the AL East if you're lucky. He was never that good in the AL East, he was the guy we felt like we could beat up. We worried about Pedro and Schilling, we liked our chances against Lowe. Lowe would be a great #5. Personally, I'd rather go after Sheets or Burnett.

The Yankees were 25th in the MLB in terms of starting pitcher's IP. 25th! And second to last in the AL to boot. This means that our relievers had an enormous burden. Derek Lowe fixes that. Lets go through Lowe systematically like I did with CC

 

1. Age- Lowe is 35 and by the end of the contract, will have turned 39. That's old even by today's standards

 

2. Size- Lowe is a monster of a man, not CC size, but BIG. He's 6'6" 230lbs. This is likely why Lowe still throws so darn hard at 35.

 

3. Endurance- Derek Lowe was converted back to a starter in 2002. Since then, he has made 32 or more starts in EVERY YR. That's 7 yrs of starting with 32-35 starts a yr. The man is a machine. He has also thrown 199 or more innings in 6 of those 7 yrs. That is insane.

Ok...nothing wrong with what you wrote here...but all you're saying is he's durable. Fine.

4. His performance- This is where the naysayers get to have their fun. DEREK LOWE SUCKED IN HIS LAST YR IN BOSTON!! That much is true. But I think that is as much of an outlier as his first yr in Boston when he was right up there for the CY. In his last 2 yrs in Boston, Lowe walked 72 ans 71 guys respectively. In his other 5 seasons, he walked a maximum of 59. His BB totals are down, his K totals have stayed the same, the innings have stayed the same and the GO/AO ratio has been in the 2.8-3.5 range every yr except this past one. He is worse than his 2008 stats looked, but he is better than his 2004 stats look. He is a guy who, if he came to NY, would have a 1.3 WHIP with a GO/AO of 3, he'll throw 200IP and probably win 15-18 games with our offense and bullpen. He isnt like CC in that he isnt rising. He has been remarkably consistent, and right now, as a #3 starter, that is what we need more than anything.

It's not that he sucked in his last year.

 

Lets take a look at Lowe in his last four years in Boston and four years in LA.

 

Boston

2001: 3.53 ERA 1.44 WHIP 28 YO

2002: 2.58 ERA 0.97 WHIP 29 YO

2003: 4.47 ERA 1.42 WHIP 30 YO

2004: 5.42 ERA 1.62 WHIP 31 YO

 

LA

2005: 4.10 ERA 1.25 WHIP 32 YO

2006: 3.61 ERA 1.27 WHIP 33 YO

2007: 3.63 ERA 1.27 WHIP 34 YO

2008: 3.88 ERA 1.13 WHIP 35 YO

 

So..with this in mind...you're predicting he comes back to the AL East, which is vastly improved over when he left it with the emergence of the Rays, and do better than he's ever done, with the exception of 2002? When he's four years older? After pitching in a weaker hitting league, in the weakest hitting division in all of baseball?

 

I'm not saying it's not possible. However..it is highly unlikely. I'd much rather take Sheets, injury risk and all for FOUR million a year less than an inferior pitcher with a better health record. Keep in mind...he's also OLDER. Older pitchers tend to break down more frequently. I think the big red flag is Lowe. You know you're risking things with Burnett and Sheets, and the value comes down a bit. Those guys can dominate any team they face. The best Lowe will give you is that he will keep you in the game.

[Dipre]

The real problem with Lowe signing with the yankees is not his age or track record.

 

It's being an extreme groundball pitcher with a team with god-awful infield defense, which is exactly what the 2004 Boston Red Sox were, coinciding with Lowe's worst year.

[26 to 6]

The real problem with Lowe signing with the yankees is not his age or track record.

 

It's being an extreme groundball pitcher with a team with god-awful infield defense, which is exactly what the 2004 Boston Red Sox were, coinciding with Lowe's worst year.

They're all professionals and they all know how to field a ground ball. Sure, a few nmight get through but that's not my main concern. My issue is giving those dollars to someone his age. At this point though rumor has it the Yankees have a 5 year, $80 Mil offer on the table for Burnett, I wonder if they sign just one or both, and if they sign both that all but ensures Pettitte goes elsewhere for 2009.

 

..I still say we let both Burnett and Lowe go get grossly overpaid elsewhere and we just sign Sheets and Andy. We already overpaid for one pitcher this offseason.