Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

I think I heard a report on the radio that re-signing Mike Lowell in the offseason will be a priority of the team...

Good to hear in my opinion, as opposed to locking $300 million into A-Rod for the next 10 years, especially after he gets implicated in Canseco's next steroids book...

I can accept that A-Rod's overall season #s are better than Lowell

But I can also accept the fact that we can get to the post season without A-Rod's $30 mil a season - especially if we use that $30 mil elsewhere

Now this should cause one to examine what A-Rod's post season production is... at first appearance it seems he might get a bad rap

Post season A-Rod has a .279 batting average, a .361 OBP and a .483 slugging average over 10 post-season series going back to his time with Seattle.

Lowell however only has a .261 batting average, a .340 OBP and a .443 slugging average, over 6 post season series (including the not yet completed World Series)

Of course one needs to look a little deeper and determine how A-Rod and Lowell both do when it counts the most.

With 4 fewer post seasons series, A-Rod has the same number of RBIs - 17... as Lowell

Over his last 3 post-season series, Lowell has 12 of his 17 RBIs...

Over his last 3 post-season series, A-Rod has just 1 - only 1 - RBI.

So that is a big red flag, with Lowell playing at his best when the heat is on and men are in scoring position - and A-Rod doing just the opposite.

So since we're all confident that we can get to the playoffs without A-Rod's $30 million salary, who would you rather have come the post-season when it really counts?

Is A-Rod really worth 10x the money you'd pay for Lowell? And even if you overpay Lowell by extending him a year more than you might like to - isn't he still a bargain compared to A-Rod?

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

As I asked before when the same topic was brought up, would you be unhappy if Boston traded for Jake Peavy or Vlad Guerrero and signed them to a long extention? Because both of them have horrible postseason numbers.

Keep what Lowell did this year is perspective. He has never hit above .293 before this year, he had never had an OBP above .365 before this year, and he had never had more than 105RBI before this year. While Lowell will still ba a solid offensive player, and it is unreasonable to expect him to do something like this again. Also keep what ARod did this postseason in perspective: Its difficult to drive in runs when no one gets on base, which was the case with the NYY lineup come October. ARod left a total of 6 men on base the entire postseason, which is not that much considering that Lowell has had entire game where he's left on about the same number. He had a legitimately awful postseason in 2006, but his postseason this year really wasn't as bad as people want to make it out to be.

And ARod wont get $30M a season nor will he get a 10 year contract. Boras said he'd get Damon a 7 year deal and he'd get Vatirek a 5 year deal with a no trade clause. Hes posturing and coming out with a big outlandish first offer that will never come to fruition. Its what he always does.

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

i would say yes it is a priority, but i doubt he comes back. He want a 3 years deal and we are not going down that road for an older guy like Lowell. Don't get me wrong, i love the guy, but i doubt he keeps this level of play up and i think we will move Youk to 3rd and look for a 1B.

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

So, let me get this straight... we're concerned about Mike Lowell's production going down because of age at the end of a three year contract that would probably be less than half of what A-Rod will demand per year.

But many are eager to give A-Rod a 10 year contract (well that's probably what he'd demand) at @ $30 million per year.

Is everyone aware that Lowell is just one year older than A-Rod?

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

If we had a 1st or 2nd base prospect in the system then I would hesitate to sign him for 3 years. All we have is Chris Carter (25) and Aaron Bates (23) in the sytem. Most, if not all the 1b and 3b prospects of any worth are a few years away from being FA's. I would overpay for Lowell, the return you get in the clubhouse for him more than offsets the overpaying.

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

I love Lowell, so they must keep him.

If, God forbid, Theo signs Rodriguez, I'll quit the Sox until he's gone.

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

I guess I come down to the point that the market dynamics dictate we're going to overpay for a thirdbaseman.

It's a question of whether we're going to overpay Lowell or overpay A-Rod.

Lowell's 33 years old -causing many to question what he'll contribute in year 3 (or even year 4) of a multi-year contract that someone will likely offer him if not us... he'd be 36 or 37 at the end of a contract that would probably pay him about $12 million a season I'm guessing.

A-Rod's 32 years old - and no one seems the least bit concerned about paying him $30 million a season when, in years 7, 8, 9 & 10 - i.e. ages 38-42 - he's unable to field and questionable at DH.

Why do we want to lock ourselves in with a 38 - 42 year old DH at $30 million a year right now?

We don't even know who's going to be available in free agency 5 years down the line - maybe there's another Big Papi!?

And seeing what A-Rod's RBI record in the post season is in his prime, why do we think he's going to get dramatically better as he slows and ages?

I'm just not understanding this - I'd much prefer to have Mike Lowell and another starting pitcher, and take my chances on who might be available in free agency 3 or 4 years down the line than commit $300 million to A-Rod.

A-Rod's good - but not that good - not by a longshot - and only in the regular season.

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

the sox need to resign lowell.fenway was made for him.and with papi and manny hitting in front of him there is every reason to expect him to produce like he has this year .

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

No question about it ... like Schilling, Lowell reinvented himself. Before, being a dead pull hitter and now he's learn to spray the ball wherever. Absolutely made for Fenway as he's lost some of his power, but doesn't need it to jack one off the wall ... I love it.

Re: Bringing back Mike Lowell a priority?
 

plus the guy loves playing here .when you love where you work you perform better .