All Systems Go For Derek Lowe? by Jared Carrabis
D-Lowe's Return To Boston In Question

The last time Derek Lowe took the mound for the Boston Red Sox was a day that will forever live on in Red Sox glory. For those that don't remember, it was the clinching Game 4 of the 2004 World Series. A game in which Derek Lowe tossed seven shutout innings of three-hit baseball with four strikeouts en route to the Red Sox capturing their first World Series title in 86 years. His start before that? I don't know how you can top a World Series clincher for the Boston Red Sox but his start before Game 4 was the single biggest win in the team's history leading up to the World Series.

Derek Lowe took the mound in the center of the Bronx in Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS looking to complete the greatest comeback in professional sports. Given that his offense provided him with 10 runs in the pennant clinching win over the Yankees, it was more than enough for Lowe. The sinkerballer baffled the New York Yankees over six innings holding them to just one hit and a run. Funny how a guy that wasn't good enough to be in the playoff rotation for Boston in 2004 came up with two of the biggest wins in the team's history.

In arguably the greatest move ever made by former Red Sox general manager, Dan Duquette, the Red Sox traded relief pitcher, Heathcliff Slocumb, in return for the package deal of Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek from the Seattle Mariners. His first two seasons with Boston were a little rocky as he compiled a record of 5-15 but the 1999 season saw a new Derek Lowe as he took on the role of Boston's closer. Lowe went on to lead the American League in saves with 42 the following year in 2000.

In 2002 the right-hander was moved back into the starting rotation after losing the closer's spot to Ugueth Urbina (who is currently serving a 14-year sentence in a Venezuelan prison somewhere) and in that same year he turned in one of his many historic starts in team history. On April 27, 2002, Derek Lowe threw a no-hitter against the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Who can forget the 2003 American League Division Series when in the deciding Game 5, D-Lowe came on in the bottom of the ninth with no outs and an eventual bases loaded situation to strike out Adam Melhuse and Terence Long to propel the Boston Red Sox into the American League Championship Series against the Yankees.

In January of 2005, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Lowe to a 4-year worth $36 million. Even though Lowe signed a long term deal with the Dodgers, he still came back to Fenway Park wearing his number 32 Red Sox jersey on Opening Day when the 2004 World Series rings were handed out to the players.

Now, almost four years later, the talks of a Derek Lowe return are flying around the city of Boston. He is a free agent once again and is coming off of one of his best seasons in quite some time. In 2008, Derek Lowe tossed 211 innings for the Dodgers posting a 3.24 ERA. The 3.24 ERA is his lowest ERA since 2002 when Lowe won 21 games and posted an ERA of 2.58 for the Boston Red Sox.

The great season for Lowe definitely sparked an interest on the Red Sox behalf in relation to working out a deal that would see the return of Derek Lowe to Boston, however, the asking price on Lowe may be out of the range of what the Red Sox are looking to spend. When Brad Penny went down with shoulder problems late in the season for the Dodgers, Derek Lowe stepped up as the ace of the staff leading the way to the National League Championship Series where the boys in blue fell to the Philadelphia Phillies.

If Lowe were to return to Boston, he would be a fourth starter at best, maybe even a fifth starter if the Red Sox choose to make a move for another starting pitcher. Don't get me wrong, Derek Lowe would be an excellent addition to the bottom of this rotation, but the price tag on Lowe is anywhere from the $14-$15 million range annually. Keep in mind that the Red Sox have some extra cash to spend with the salary of Manny Ramirez off the team's payroll, but $14-$15 is too much.

If Lowe got anything higher than $14 million, he would be the highest paid player on the team just above JD Drew who makes $14 million even. For a fourth or fifth starter? I don't think that's very realistic. Now the upside to this would be the fact that the Boston Red Sox are on top of Lowe's list of teams that he would like to play for. I guess we'll have to wait and see how badly he wants to return because if he really wants to play in Boston again, it won't be for $14-$15 million, no way.

In comparison, Josh Beckett makes $10,166,666, Jon Lester makes $421,500, and Daisuke Matsuzka makes $8,333,333. Can't take away from the great season that he had, but if he's going to be mixed into the Boston rotation, fair is fair and upwards of $15 million a year is not fair to these other Red Sox pitchers who have had the same or greater success than Lowe in a tougher league and in a far more competitive division.

Will Derek Lowe return to the Boston Red Sox? I'm not banking on it, but we'll see just how bad he wants to return to Boston when the other offers roll in. Something else you might want to keep in mind: If Derek Lowe is to return to Boston, Theo Epstein will have to work out a deal with the devil once again, Scott Boras.

Published on October 24, 2008

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