Archive for Derek Lowe
When Jon Heyman’s headline says one thing and his piece says another
Posted by: | CommentsToward the end of the day yesterday, Sports Illustrated’s Jon Heyman wrote a piece with the headline, “Yankees not in ballpark for Lowe, Burnett.” The article wasn’t quite as accurate as that though:
The Yankees intended to make four-year offers on A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe for about $14-15 million annually (in other words, close to $60 million each). However, Burnett’s agent, Darek Braunecker, is telling teams he’s only considering five-year proposals, and Lowe’s agent, Scott Boras, apparently also suggested the Yankees aren’t in the ballpark.
Well, maybe metaphorically, the Yanks “aren’t in the ballpark” these players’ agents want them to be. However, the Yankees are set to make opening offers to two of their free agent targets. As is custom in a negotiation, the agents will then counteroffer.
It’s fun to dump on the Yankees. They’re the big bad rich guys who want to buy up everyone. But it’s less fun to stretch the truth about a contract negotiation. Don’t let Heyman’s piece scare you. The Yanks and Burnett or Lowe are simply involved in a business deal, and that’s how these play out, bad baseball metaphors or not.
Yanks out to sign every free agent available
Posted by: | CommentsA few months after the Yankees’ unceremonious loss to the Angels in the 2002 playoffs, The Onion, the nation’s finest satirical news source, ran one of their better sports articles. “Yankees Ensure 2003 Pennant By Signing Every Player in Baseball” screamed the headline. Kat O’Brien’s latest for Newsday could almost be that article, except Kat is dead serious.
She writes:
The Yankees have expressed strong interest in righthanded pitchers Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett in the past couple of days, according to sources familiar with the talks, after offering ace lefty CC Sabathia a contract in the ballpark of six years and $140 million…
Although pitching is the Yankees’ priority, and they traded for first baseman/outfielder Nick Swisher last week, a source said the Yankees have expressed an interest in first baseman Mark Teixeira. The Gold Glover is, with Manny Ramirez, the top free-agent offensive player available. The Yankees might simply be trying to drive the price up for the Red Sox and Angels by indicating interest in Teixeira, or they could be hedging their bets in case something falls through on the pitching front and they have money to spend.
So based on O’Brien’s sources, the Yanks have contacted every top free agent except for Manny Ramirez in the last few days. I wonder when Manny gets his phone call.
Meanwhile, these unnamed sources also answered Joe’s overnight query. CC is reportedly “mulling things over” while in Houston this weekend. As the Yankees turn, so baseball turns. The dominoes, I predict, won’t fall until someone signs with the Yankees first. So we wait.
PA: Yanks, Mets may compete…
Posted by: | Comments…over Derek Lowe?! Yuck. If the Mets want him, let them have it. We don’t need a soon-to-be 36-year-old who hasn’t pitched in the AL since 2004 and sported some terrible numbers that year. Pass.
Lowe seems to prefer Boston over New York
Posted by: | CommentsSo notes Frank Della Femina. Personally, I’d much rather see Derek Lowe in a Boston uniform than in a Yankee uniform as well. There are bigger fish to catch than Lowe, and Andy Pettitte and/or Mike Mussina can do Lowe’s job for less money and fewer years. Pass.
The straight and Lowe-down
Posted by: | CommentsPicking up on some rumors that the Yanks may make an offer for Dodgers pitcher Derek Lowe, SG at Replacement Level Yankees Weblog ran the numbers on Lowe yesterday to see how the sinkerball specialist may fare in the Bronx. SG’s analysis turns out a pitcher who could fill the middle of the Yankee rotation at a good price for three years. While SG would rather see the Yanks sign Andy Pettitte for one season, Lowe seems to be a better bet for less money than A.J. Burnett would be be. I’m still not, however, sold on the idea.
