Derek Lowe Update: Braves Make Offer
Posted by Tim Malcolm, Tue, January 13, 2009 09:33 AM | Comments: 98
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The ongoing saga that is the Derek Lowe affair (the baseball one) continues with the Braves. Most recently, Atlanta has reportedly offered Lowe a contract. It’s rumored to either be worth $15M per season, or a four year deal — both stipulations Lowe was hoping to receive.
The Mets, meanwhile, have cooled with Lowe (on the surface) while instead making an offer to once castaway Oliver Perez. The offer, according to Jon Heyman, is in the 3-year, $30 million range.
If the Mets sign Perez, they’d have a rotation of Santana-Maine-Pelfrey-Perez-Redding/Niese; I’d think they’d be finished searching for rotation arms at that point, but you never know. Back to the Braves, meanwhile, who finalized a deal for Japanese starter Kenshin Kawakami. He is said to be the best arm out of Japan this season, something close to — or better than — Hiroki Kuroda, who of course gave the Phillies a world of fits in 2008. The Braves rotation looks like this: Jurrjens-Kawakami-Vazquez-Reyes-Campillo. They could use Lowe.
For the Phillies?
No word on any headway with Lowe. It’s still possible the Phils could make a big play, but the way the rotation is set currently, it doesn’t look like they necessarily have to play.
Posts: 0 Mike B.
Oh they actually have prospects in MLB 08? I had MLB 05 and they didn’t have ANY prospects. Just generic guys with generic names. It kind of sucked. I never could develop my prospects – I had some “can’t miss guys” run out there and pitch like Kyle Kendrick with no gas at all on my pitches.
Posted: 01:46 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Opening night, Braves vs. Phillies, Lowe vs. Hamels
Posted: 01:48 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
Yes Mike, we didn’t rock Lowe in the playoffs. 5 innings pitched, 2 earned runs in both NLCS games, I believe, the first being against Hamels. He will get plenty of wins for the Braves throughout the season.
Final comment on this Lowe thing… let look at things relative to what we did. We signed Moyer (definitely not a No.2, 10 years OLDER than Lowe) to 2 years. Signing Lowe for 4 years doesn’t sound as bad now… Expensive, yes. But an extremely good move for the Braves. Couple that with the Kawakami guy which gives them depth in the rotation, and they will a really good team.
Posted: 01:49 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
yeah they have prospects, but they have to be close to mlb…like drabek isnt in it, niether is bastardo or savery…but carrasco marson golson mayberry are all in it..david price was in it..
Posted: 01:51 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
the rest of the farm systems are full of fake guys at the lower levels…however, 2k is making a baseball general manager game with ALL farm teams in it, including the main independent leagues, as most of the real prospects…however its liek nfl coach where you cant play the game, i think, you just manage the team and watch teh games and i think it lets you be the manager too…it could either suck really bad or be MAD addicting…
Posted: 01:53 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Lowe might be great… but 2 years, and $47 M more than Moyer is not a good move..
I forget what the numbers were but Moyer held opponents to 3 runs or less in more of his starts than Lowe last year.. both were somewhere around 20-25 of 30-35 starts, but whatever the numbers were, Moyer did it more times, and with some more consistent run support, Moyer would have easily been a 20 game winner last year.. because we see him everyday, I don’t think people realize how good a pitcher Moyer still is
Posted: 01:56 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Anyone that bought and played the NFL HEAD COACH game… should kill themself
Posted: 01:57 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
i played it once..it was horrible…
Posted: 01:59 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike B.
The Braves will be good for a couple of years, anyway, Manny. But Chipper is 36 and he has to break down sooner or latter, Derek Lowe will run out of gas 3 years into the deal at the latest, Glavine and Hudson will inevitably become question marks, and unless they have some great prospects that we don’t know about (anyone have a clue?), they’ll be cooked in the long run. They traded for Teixiera in 2007 and probably had to give up some good prospects for that, too. Signing Lowe probably squeezes their spending, too. The Braves will be cooked by 2011, but 2010 isn’t unlikely.
I don’t think that Lowe was going to pitch with us anyway, Manny. Anyone else notice Lowe is trying to stay out of the high-pressure markets? He was very up-and-down in high-pressure Boston, but he consistently excelled in L.A. because no one was watching as intensely. Atlanta isn’t as laid-back as L.A., but they can’t even sell out playoff games (although maybe everyone down there stopped taking them for granted because of the last two years). No way he would’ve pitched here – there’s a lot of pressure to pitch here because we actually give a crap about our teams. And I don’t think Lowe can handle pitching for a team whose fans actually give a crap.
Posted: 02:02 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
That isn’t even correct. .to say that you “played” it… I understand that when playing games, the OFF-SEASON stuff, recruiting in College Football.. or deciding who to keep, trade, release, add, etc.. .can be cool… but imagine a game where that all you do… that sucks on it
Posted: 02:03 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Don M
Maybe I can’t blame the Braves fans for all the times they weren’t selling out 1st-round playoff games… I’m not even that excited about the Eagles being in yet another NFC Championship game… WIN this weekend, and I’m pumped to be in the Super Bowl.. but just being in the NFC title game again??? Been there, done that.
Now I can’t imagine playoff games in Philly not getting sold-out, but the Braves made it like 14 years in a row or something, so to their fans it just had to seem like the regular season lasted into October every year
Posted: 02:08 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike B.
You’re probably right, Don. But until the Braves turn it around, fans won’t really follow the team because it’ll be like the NL East version of the Eagles, so that means there will be no pressure on Lowe.
God, Pennsylvania will tear itself apart IF the Eagles and Steelers both win. Pitt’s campus, PSU’s campus – absolute civil war.
Posted: 02:17 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
The Braves have Tommy Hanson who is, at worst, a number2 starter…
Posted: 02:18 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike T.
the nfl is a joke.
Posted: 02:20 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Tommy Hanson scares the hell out of me, he seems like the kind of guy that will put a comedian on your bench just to make your guys that bit more embaressed at how bad he’s making them look. No wonder the Braves didn’t deal him to SD, the only way Peavey will beat him is if he beans him at the plate.
Posted: 02:24 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
the Braves also have Jason Heyward, one of the top OF prospects in baseball. Those are two great prospects they have.
Posted: 02:27 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike B.
Geoff, NJ, and Griffin, now you have me worried because the Braves seem to always develop good players from the farm. I feel like I’m missing out on a lot of pieces of the franchise because I don’t know the first thing about our prospects, or any, for that matter. Part of the reason is that I like to judge a player for myself after seeing them play. Part of it is that I fear paying close attention to prospects because Padilla and Wolf were all touted prospects, but I’m wondering, where do you guys find all this prospect information, anyway?
Posted: 02:45 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff M
It’s official: Braves nab Lowe at 4 yrs / $60 mil.
Posted: 02:45 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Braves made a good deal…a bit of desperation too because most of their pitching is suspect at best.Braves led by Lowe should be competitive,but at the end of the day,the NL East will either go to the Mets or the Phillies because both teams are more accomplished and if/when the Amazins add more starters they will look good esp with a pen in August with Wags 7th/Jason Joseph 8th/K-Rod 9th,and hopefully the chief from DC in the mix as well.Redding also said he’d be willing to go into the bullpen as well on SNY Sportsnite last night.Phillies basically stayed the same and they are not exactly a bad and flawed team.Sorry Braves fans….Lowe just isn’t enough.However,something tells me that Cox will put Lowe up against the Amazins in EVERY showdown this season and go carefree vs the Phillies.
Posted: 02:58 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Mike B., go to phuturephillies.com for Phillies prospect info.
Baseballprospectus and Baseballamerica are great sites, but they are paysites.
Check on chats on ESPN.com by Keith Law and Jim Callis.
Posted: 02:59 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Grrrumpy Miner, Lowe will start the first game of the season against the Phillies.
Posted: 03:03 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Mike B- don’t worry the Phils are in a good place without maximising our resources and when it comes to the draft few do it better than the Braves at getting and developing potential stars. Hanson was just one of those draftees that has turned out to be a home-run and the Braves have a system that does allow them to get their prospects up especially since their not the healthiest of ballclubs.
Our farm is a mix-mash of under the radar guys and reaches especially since so many Phils fans always look at the glass half empty, we don’t do a good job of putting and executing a plan with prospects but we do have several guys who can contribute down the line and a few that can be stars.
Posted: 03:04 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
Phillies’ system is high risk/high reward. A lot of guy can be stars, or not even make the Majors.
Posted: 03:06 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Matt Kwasiborski
I am not a facist but I was sick of listening to WIP last week and having all of those New Yorkers calling in a saying how they never think about Philly, that Philly is a 2nd rate city and we don’t even make it on their radar.
So, now, we should ignore their city since clearly we have risen above them in all 4 major sports now. If they want to ignore people they deem inferior, we should now do the same. Think about it, only The Giants and Rangers will be the NY teams that make the playoffs in their respective sports in 2009.
Posted: 03:13 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
yeah like i dont even think that anthony hewitt guy will be any good at all in the majors unless he grows…michael taylor is their best slugger, and he should be made untouchable. donald could be good but hes blocked…marson could be good, probably will be, but hell need a year at AAA along with donald and taylor…
Posted: 03:17 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Hewitt was a headscratcher since the Phillies are prepared to pay over slot in later rounds on projects. The thing that frustrates me is the Phils are frogal up top and aren’t producing bluechip prospects on the level of some other teams in our class and because we reach in later rounds we don’t get many of those lower ceiling guys who we can get up to support the core guys especially when it comes to relief pitching.
Posted: 03:25 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Grrrumpy Miner
Griff….I’m sure Lowe will start vs the Phillies,but more times than naught Bobby Cox WILL put Lowe in there EVERY chance he has because of his dislike for the Mets.
Posted: 02:25 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 joshua
this was a good signing by the braves…it moved them from a potential 4th place to 3rd, lol…in the end it’s still a two team race!
Posted: 04:47 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Tyler
still dampens the spirits of phils fans… damn
Posted: 04:57 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Tyler
do the phils now go for the bargain on sheets or give up for the offseason????
Posted: 05:01 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Manny
I think that the 2009 Braves will be like the 2008 Cardinals… hanging out till the very end with real playoff possibilities.
Posted: 05:38 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Stuart
phillies need to do something. we have done nothing really this off season except lose our left fielder for a worse one.
Posted: 06:58 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Tyler
agreed stuart
Posted: 07:17 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 NJ
Come on I think it’s being made clear Ibanez was by no means a downgrade over the beloved but declining Burrell. The Phils don’t ‘need’ to make a move as there’s no move out there to make that makes the team significantly better on their terms, the Phils are going into ST with a very good team capable of again making the post-season.
You don’t make moves solely because your rivals have, Amaro rolled the dice and didn’t come up with the best hand so he played the hand he it’s not a bad one.
Posted: 07:32 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 Brooks
Listen to all you folks! Lowe’s signing means feast for the Phils offense!
We chewed Atlanta up as it was, we made mince pie out of Lowe in the playoffs – Nothing to worry about my friends!
We just need the offense to gel. The pitching will never match up to last years great display especially in the BP, but our starting pitching (Hamels, Blanton being the staples) should perform better and in order to repeat, Rollins & Howard need to show up in force, Victorino, Werth & Utley need to keep improving, if Ibanez can have a ‘regular’ season production (for him quite an improvement from Pat) – we will be better than fine.
For those sentimentalist among us, it would be quite a boost to see Marson have a chance once Carlos resumes his bat of silence.
Posted: 09:38 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 KM
The Phils may be able to get Lowe for a bit less than the Braves – maybe 4 years 56 million. Or even better for us – 3 years 42 million with a 4th year option.
Posted: 11:10 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 KM
Brooks, we scored 3 runs off of Lowe in 6 innings in this small ass ballpark, and we scored 2 earned runs off of Lowe in 5 innings at Dodgers’ stadium in game 5 – I would hardly call that making “mince pie out of Lowe in the playoffs.”
For all the people out there that think the Phillies would be better off without Lowe, you people are crazy. World Championship teams never repeat if they stay the same without making moves. We cannot allow the teams around us to get better while we stay the same. We made a good signing with Ibanez, but it is only a start. I am not saying that we have to sign Lowe, but I think we will have to keep an eye out for the Mets or Braves if they sign someone of Lowe’s caliber.
On a side note, Nomar Garciaparra would be a nice bench guy for this team, and might even be able to fill in at 2nd if Utley misses some time. Signing Nomar would mean we’d probably have to trade Jenkins or Stairs. Jenkins would be the guy I’d like to move, but because of his contract, it would probably be Stairs that would have to go.
Posted: 11:23 PM on January 13, 2009
Posts: 0 psujoe
Mets may sign Cora for 2 Million. Who would you rather have Cora or Garciapara?
Posted: 09:37 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
KM..the braves signed lowe at liek 10 am yesterday, in case you missed that. they overpaid badly, giving him 4 years 60mm. thats a HORRIBLE contract. our left-handed lineup, now even more so with ibanez may not be as suited for johan santana, but it will knock around the braves ALL right-handed rotation a very hard time (lowe – jurrgens – vazquez – kawakami – campillo/hudson – the only potential lefties are chuck james and glavine who arent in the rotation as of yet, glavine will if he comes back though). jurrgens is good though, weve seen how porrly vazquez performs in big games, hudson is good but hes gonna be 33/34 and coming off an injury, kawakami isi the wild card. theyre letting tommy hanson get more time to prepare in AAA and theyre not rushing him.
the braves will be good, probably better than the mets in terms of overall pitching depth, but their lineup still has holes in it…even with a dunn or an abreu, the phillies still have a better lineup.
Posted: 09:54 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
The Braves non-tendered Chuck James so he is a free agent. Glavine is also a free agent.
Signing Dunn or Abreu to a one year deal is a steal. Corner OFs are not getting big contracts (except Ibanez!).
Posted: 10:41 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
Glavine has stated its braves or retirement…chuck james kind of isnt good. the phillies have no use for dunn or abreu but the braves need a power hitting corner OF. I still hope the Phillies make some quiet additions to bolster the pitching staff, as sitting still and assuming the same group of guys will be as good as they were last year isnt really a good idea. you gotta at least bring in some guys on minor league deals with major league incentives for the bullpen and rotation to compete in the spring.
nothing really is going to happen until next week though, as this week is all about getting deals done before arbitration hits.
Posted: 10:51 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Griffin
oh, I meant that Dunn or Abreu on a one year deal for the Braves would be a steal. The Philies already have too many guys who can’t even field as corner OFs (Ibanez, Jenkins, Stairs).
I hope the Phillies stay far away from Nomar. He can’t field and he’s not much of a hitter anymore. As far as bringing in more pitching, I agree with you Geoff, but I don’t see the Phillies doing anything.
Posted: 11:04 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
yeah i kind of think itll be nice when they dont have jenkins after next season because thats about 7mm down the drain this year..
Posted: 11:10 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Chuck P
How desperate are those Braves? That’s a lot of money for Lowe. The Braves had a backlog of MLB ready position prospects… not many pitchers. Lowe/Hudson/Jurrgens/Vazquez/Kawakami is a very good rotation… take Hudson out of the equation (by all accounts, he will miss much of the 2009 season) and it’s not as good. Reyes, Morton, Hanson, Glavine… really? Vazquez is good but he’s inconsistent. Kawakami is a 33 year old unknown. Jurrgens has star qualities but he’s inconsistent… they’re putting a lot of faith in Lowe (I guess that’s why they paid him the big bucks). They still need help. I’m glad that the Mets didn’t end up with him. Now they’re almost forced to sign Perez. Do we dare make a run at Perez to force the Mets to overpay?
Posted: 11:42 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Mike B.
Actually, a lot of money goes next year to raises for Ibanez ($6.5 M to $11.5 M) and Utley (11 M to 15 M). That 8 million is about what we save on Jenkins. We’re not going to have a lot of money to play with, especially if Ryan Howard makes those monster salaries.
http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2005/01/philadelphia-phillies_18.html
Posted: 11:45 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
Hanson is nasty, hed be their 3 right away if he came up…
Posted: 11:48 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 Geoff
their payroll is basically going to be 130 with new additions raises and arbitration alone…thats a lot, they still need a major league reliever and a major league reight handed hitting bench player/utility man. all starting pitching they land from here on out will be minor league/incentive contracts probably.
ryan howard will be making 14-17mm through arb probably, myers 12mm, thats a big chunk of change there…
Posted: 11:53 AM on January 14, 2009
Posts: 0 KM
Geoff, I am not saying that the Braves didn’t overpay for Lowe, but that is the going rate for pitchers. Bad pitchers get paid as good pitchers, and good pitchers get paid as great pitchers, it is just the way of the sporting world. A pitcher of Lowe’s caliber for 15 million a year is a steal in the marketplace, when you have pitchers like Barry Zito making close to 20 million a season.
Speaking of Myers, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him go during the season.
Posted: 06:34 PM on January 14, 2009