Some Insight into the Lowe Signing

by gondeee on Jan 13, 2009 7:35 PM EST in Free Agents Comment 42 comments

Over at FoxSports, K-Ros has some interesting insights into the Derek Lowe signing:

The Braves offered Lowe a fourth guaranteed year on the condition that he accept the deal quickly. Their proposal trumped the Mets' three-year, $36 million offer by a wide margin, but the Braves did not want to lose Lowe after failing in attempts to land pitchers Jake Peavy and A.J. Burnett and shortstop Rafael Furcal earlier this offseason.

In addition to the financial package, the Braves sold Lowe on the idea of working with pitching coach Roger McDowell, a former major-league reliever who — like Lowe — relied on a sinkerball as his primary pitch.

It looks like Lowe got what he wanted, but the Braves tactic is really interesting. I wonder if it was as much to try and secure a big-time starter as it was to prevent the Mets or Phillies from submitting a counter offer. The fact that those were the other two teams competing for Lowe's services makes this signing even sweeter.

I had the same thought about McDowell, but I wasn't 100% that he was a sinkerballer. McDowell helped out on both the big pitching signings by the Braves this week. He was also a good friend of Kawakami's agent, Dan Evans.

K-Ros also had this to say about the Braves possible next move:

The team's next step will be to add a bat, and the club has spoken with the Yankees about their available hitters, Xavier Nady and Nick Swisher, sources said.

I'm not ecstatic about either of those two, but they're definitely an upgrade over anything we have now.

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The comment that McDowell being a sinker ball pitcher had so little to do with this signing that I’m surprised it entered anyone’s mind let alone into print. You mean to tell me Derek Lowe is excited about going to the Braves for that reason?

by Whodunnit?4040 on Jan 13, 2009 8:30 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I hope these 2 signings don’t stop the Braves from re-signing Hudson or picking up his option for 2010. I think Kawakami was an uneccessary signing for 3 years at 23 mil. Japanese pitchers tend to be more miss than hit, but hopefully he’s decent.

by BravesFan on Jan 13, 2009 8:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well it probably depends on how much Hudson wants.

"The only time the Mets win is in the offseason"

by Falconzfan284 on Jan 13, 2009 8:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

He wants yo momma.

Oh, Bobby.

by sdp on Jan 13, 2009 10:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Met fans are especially pissed they didn’t get Lowe, they need a SP as much as we do. Let’s hope they end up signing Perez to a long and expensive deal.

I’d take Swisher for a year in CF, but we still need a LF. Nady is nothing close to the “big bat” we want in LF. I don’t even want to talk about Francoeur. Still hoping for Maggs. Or, dare I say, Pujols?That’s right. We’re trading for Pujols.

by Land-Man on Jan 13, 2009 8:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Swisher can play CF, that doesn’t mean that you want him playing CF.

by Lennox on Jan 13, 2009 8:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

yeah.
im pretty sure Greg Norton can play center too.

by SayHeyWerd on Jan 13, 2009 9:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’d start Schafer if we didn’t have two other gaping voids in the OF. I like Crawford, but there’s no point in signing him with two solid CF prospects.

Just thinking out loud here. We could trade Jo-Jo, Morton, Parr, Hernandez or Schafer, and not really hurt our depth. Add some filler and that package could net a serious bat.

by Land-Man on Jan 13, 2009 9:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I could be mistaken and you’re suggesting only one of these guys but
How could you trade Jo Jo, Parr, and Morton and say that you haven’t taken away depth? That is the “depth” . I’d look at one of these guys as going but not all of them.

by Whodunnit?4040 on Jan 13, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

We aren’t made of many, how serious are you talking? Like Matt Holliday serious, or like Xavier Nady serious?

"The only time the Mets win is in the offseason"

by Falconzfan284 on Jan 13, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sign Crawford?

by mattdiaz4life on Jan 13, 2009 9:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Jesus, you are an overly-inferring bunch

Just saying we suddenly have a lot more to trade with.

I’m obviously not saying we should trade those four to get Nady or Swisher. I was speculating that they would comprise a very attractive trade package.

Crawford was an example of someone who has been rumored to be available, but isn’t worth the price.

What is with this unwarranted snarkiness lately. Contribute something or fuck off. At least read and comprehend the item you’re critiquing.

by Land-Man on Jan 13, 2009 9:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I just wasn’t aware he was rumored to be available.

by mattdiaz4life on Jan 13, 2009 10:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

crawford isnt the sort of player we need, he is another 2 hitter, with limited power

"We win today, that's two in a row... if we win tomorrow, that's called a winning streak. It has happened before..."

by Swo12bv on Jan 13, 2009 11:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You are hyper sensitive

by Whodunnit?4040 on Jan 13, 2009 9:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’m sensitive to stupidity, yes. It has exploded on this board of late.

by Land-Man on Jan 13, 2009 10:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

by Whodunnit?4040 on Jan 13, 2009 10:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

it makes sense, if you read it

“I’m sensative to stupidity”

I am guessing this ^ means that Land-man is sensative when people are stupid…

“It has exploded on this board of late”

I am guessing, and I am going out on a limb here, that he is saying that Stupidity has been exploding (ie, we have seen a lot more of it lately) on this board (probably referring to TC.com) of late (lately)….

I could be wrong though…it could mean something totally different than what is completely obvious…

"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill -

by justincredubil02 on Jan 13, 2009 11:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I wish I had a picture of a confused dog tilting his head slightly off center. Obviously I can read. I can read what looked to be someone saying we should trade our three major league ready young pitchers, then stating that “depth” wouldn’t be effected. Sorry, but I don’t see how questioning that statement calls for what he said after he read the statements. If it isn’t what he meant, there was plenty of room for saying so. The fact is that he didn’t and instead started with the F bomb..Sorry

by Whodunnit?4040 on Jan 13, 2009 11:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, I am sorry

I guess I missed the part where you meant to reply to the post that you are now referring to instead of the one that you actually replied to…

"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill -

by justincredubil02 on Jan 13, 2009 11:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

But, I do agree

that we shouldn’t trade all of those guys…I think we should trade one of them, but not all.

"Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts." - Sir Winston Churchill -

by justincredubil02 on Jan 13, 2009 11:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I have it all figured out...YOUR A DAMN YANKEES FAN

by dabraves on Jan 14, 2009 12:00 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ask and you shall receive…

I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.

by Smoltz's Beard on Jan 14, 2009 9:48 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you’ve been here a month.

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Jan 13, 2009 10:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I’m also TradeAndruw on this site, Land-Man on SB. And I’ve been here for years. And what was the point of this post, bigjoe, besides your usual post-whoring?

by Land-Man on Jan 13, 2009 10:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

kinda odd to complain about idiocy at a place you’ve been posting on under a new username for a month

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Jan 13, 2009 10:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Damn, I thought I had been here awhile..

How long has this site been up?

by dabraves on Jan 13, 2009 11:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

you’ve been here nearly a year, so you’re good.

i’ve been here since…july of 07 i believe, and it was nowhere near the behemoth it is today

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Jan 14, 2009 11:57 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What happened to the dude that used to run this site? It’s been only gondeee since I’ve been here.
I’m not even gonna try to remember what his name was. I was looking through the archives the other day and noticed him.

by Bobby Cocks on Jan 14, 2009 12:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

there has been lots of people joining lately!

best defensive shortstop in baseball hahahahahahahahahah (omar visquel)

by mvandonsel on Jan 14, 2009 12:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hard to believe this will by my 3rd season on this site with you degenerates. Hopefully Gondee can get his shit together and run NAHWAL again…pretty sure I was in the lead when he shut it down, and I never got my prize for winning one of the weeks!

I guess I should be one to talk.
There's nights that I can't even walk.
There's days I couldn't give a fuck.
And in between is where I'm stuck.

by Smoltz's Beard on Jan 14, 2009 1:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i won NAHWAL CHIEF voting and wasn’t allowed to take over, boooooooooooo

BIG JOE SUCK ONE

by bigjoe on Jan 14, 2009 1:11 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

NAHWAL is like the WNBA. I don’t even need to finish that statement.

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Jan 14, 2009 1:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I can’t remember when i first joined under a different name, but lost my password and first some reason or another, couldn’t get it back. I then joined under this name back in April. I do remember back when Velcro used to make up stories, whatever happened to her?

by 10-4 on Jan 14, 2009 1:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I remember, those were awesome!

best defensive shortstop in baseball hahahahahahahahahah (omar visquel)

by mvandonsel on Jan 14, 2009 5:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Cant we all just get along...

I know there are several of Franky Wren’s right hand men on here that know exactly how to make the braves the greatest franchise ever but Jesus…..all the HATE! :(

by dabraves on Jan 13, 2009 11:05 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’m pretty sure we played right into Boras’s hands on this one. His Master Plan has been to send Lowe to Atlanta and Perez back to NY ever since Burnett signed with the Yankees. He didn’t want the Braves and Mets in a bidding war over Lowe (for once, Boras didn’t want a bidding war) because he knew that while the Mets were interested in both pitchers, the Braves weren’t going to come after Perez, and if the Mets didn’t sign Perez, who out there would possibly give him as much money?

Boras maximized his payout on this one.

by FineHamAbounds on Jan 14, 2009 1:31 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I should add...

I’m totally in favor of the Lowe signing, and thought it should have been our plan from the beginning. I just keep my tinfoil hat on regarding Boras’s manipulations. :)

by FineHamAbounds on Jan 14, 2009 1:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I like

the signing as well. I was hesitant since it is a four year deal, but then I saw he didn’t get a no trade clause. I hope he is solid in those 3rd and 4th years. But if all goes well he won’t have to be our number 1 anymore in the last half of the contract.

by Jerret Anderson on Jan 14, 2009 3:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

New Guy Here

Just found the blog. Good stuff but the comments look like they can spin out of control quickly. Anyways, I am so-so on this deal. Four years is a long time for a 36 year old (albeit a quite consistent and seemingly durable 36 yr old). Does anyone really see this contract being fulfilled? Maybe we get two good seasons out of him and get max value through a trade just before he starts to slide.

by Mash1 on Jan 14, 2009 7:24 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Welcome aboard

the comments look like they can spin out of control quickly.

I can comment to that in two ways:
“That’s an understatement.”
“You have no idea.”

No wonder nobody likes you, Tuttle... everything's a (Pujols) damn debate.

by royhobbs on Jan 14, 2009 9:15 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Boras

Just throwing this out there, but Boras must have loved the fact that the Braves verbally trashed his biggest sports agent business rival – Art Tellem’s company. Maybe, deep down, he loved what the Braves did and thus didn’t go back to the Phillies or Mets with a counter offer after we offered 4 / $60MM.

Probably not, but you know Boras had to love that.

by Dandrews on Jan 14, 2009 10:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs