BTW, I just heard something on MLBN about the Mets having a new-found interest in Lowe, they are thinking a ground ball pitcher would be a good fit in their new, smaller stadium, hhmmm….

But once they won the World Series theres no panic factor anymore, so you just sit back and play the contract game now. Jimmy is signed under market value for like 2-3 more years now so he isnt going anywhere.

I wonder how badly the next crop of draft picks are going to be hit by the belt-tightning, think a lot more guys are going to be unsignable this year and play the Nancy Drew game. One area the Phillies really need to start addressing is the controllability of the bullpen, it’s not getting any cheaper.

Is it just me or does Tommy Hanson seem like the kind of pitcher who’ll shut you down and then steal your lunch money and make you cry?

Biggest need right now would be for the kids on the farm to have a impressive year, I’m looking to Carrasco to dominate in AAA, Savery to show the reason he was drafted and Drabek to improve fast. I’ve got to say that Tommy Hanson in Atlanta scares me to high heaven.

BTW Geoff where have your outlandish suggestions gone?

Lowe was in Atlanta yesterday meeting with Bobby Cox… he goes there and he’s the ACE of the staff, so I think its a done-deal.. They’ve got the money, and the need.. he’ll become a Brave or a RedSawk

Whichever guy signs first leaves the other looking for a paddle and both guys make any team better (Lowe as a frontline pitcher and Perez a little further back in the rotation going into pretty much every game with the advantage in match-up)

My logic on Perez is he’s very signable for the 1 year at a massively reduced cost in which your adding a very good arm to the rotation, he’s inconsistent as George Bush’s telepromter but at a reduced rate playing for a payday that’s a deal you can’t pass up because it doesn’t dent the payroll much and your instantly a better team sticking him behind Myers or even towards the back of the rotation. If he’s available on a multi-year deal then he’ll be signing a very team friendly contract because he has no options and he gives you the ability to not have to pay Myers to stay because you’ve already replaced him at a lower cost and freed a spot towards the front of the rotation for Carrasco. It also makes Joe Blanton a very tradable chip if the intention isn’t to keep him around into his FA years. I do want to see Happ given a shot but if the above could be a reality Perez on the cheap is too good to pass up on. You stack up the reasons against and look at the reasons for and the for’s come out on top because like him or not, once Lowe signs he’s cheap and all but out of options.

the mets seem very far apart on derek lowe so id have to think that if they bring back perez, then theyll sign tim redding. and if atlanta doesnt sign derek lowe then youre looking at the phillies and maybe the angels as the only real suitors with money and intentions…

Phillies website lists or SP depth chart in the following order:
1. Hamels, 2. Myers, 3. Moyer, 4. Blanton, 5. Kendrick, 6. Eaton, 7. Park, 8. Carrasco* *=Prospect

Missing from that list is HAPP who is listed with the bullpen guys, probably just never switched his name from the postseason list. We’ve tried to move Eaton, offering to eat all but $1 Million of his salary, asking nothing in return… you have to think that SOME team will need an innings-eater at the low cost of $1 Million.. Eaton should be gone before the season starts

I don’t think Perez is a bonifide front-line pitcher because of the kinks in his game but i the Mets do sign Lowe then he’s a better buy by virtue of a near top pitcher at a massively reduced rate. I think Amaro’s approach is lets see if a top guy falls or we’ll go into ST with whats already an exciting batch.