Buster Olney Makes My Day: Lowell Close to Re-signing
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by MegECass110
ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney is reporting that the Boston Red Sox and third basemen Mike Lowell are close to finalizing a three-year, $37.5 million deal. There had been reports of interest in Lowell by the New York Yankees last week, who were wanting him to move to first base in order to keep Alex Rodriguez at third if they re-signed him. According to Peter Gammons, the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers were willing to sign Lowell to a four-year deal. No matter.
The World Series MVP had one of the best years of his career in 2007. The 33-year-old led the Red Sox in RBIs, and had career-highs in batting average and RBIs. He batted .400 in the World Series and scored a team-high six runs.
I could not be happier. After losing sparkplug shortstop, Orlando Cabrera and co-ace Pedro Martinez after the 2004 championship, I was wondering if Theo and the rest of the Red Sox brass were committed to building a consistently competitive franchise, or if they would coast on the glory of 2004 until things got really bad. It's a different story in 2007. Although re-signing Curt Schilling wasn't a definite need, it still kept a clubhouse leader and postseason ace on the staff.
With Lowell, I would say signing him was a definite need (unless they planned on signing A-Rod, thank God they didn't). He's a classy, quiet, defensively sound, clutch and selfless teammate. Trying to re-sign him was a no-brainer; it was the amount of money and length of the contract that was in question. After the World Series, Lowell said that his heart was in Boston and with this team, which will basically remain the same in 2008 (with the exception of Jacoby Ellsbury most likely taking over in center for Coco Crisp).
If they hadn't re-signed him, the Red Sox would have had to move Kevin Youkilis back to third (after winning a Gold Glove at first in 2007), and found another guy to play first. Re-signing Lowell makes so much sense and puts me so much more at ease. There's no guy I would rather have at third. No one.
