Dr. Free Agent Love

Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Mike Lowell Ordeal

Wouldn’t you know it? Guess who is hard at work trying to give Mike Lowell his four year deal that he and his agent Seth Levinson are after? That’s right, the New York Yankees. And yes, that is Lowell to the left there. While this conjures up Johnny Damon-like sentiments, it’s nothing to lose any sleep over. That’s right, I said it.

If Mike Lowell is picked up by the Yanks, it will not be the end of the world for the Boston Red Sox. Finding a 3^rd base replacement with Lowell-like fielding ability and replacing 120 RBI’s from within the lineup will be a challenge. But it won’t be the end of the world.

Lowell was originally drafted by the Yankees in 1995 and played within their system until being shipped to Florida. So it’s not like there aren’t any ties to the Bronx for Lowell.

I’d also understand why Lowell would want to opt for the extra year and the extra $10 mil. This is a guy who has been under-appreciated his whole career. He didn’t earn the moniker of “Throw-In Lowell” for nothing. Does it sound like I've already let the idea of Mike Lowell retiring a Red Sock go? If you get too attached to players you're a douche. Baseball especially. It's mostly business, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Especially when you are competing in a high stakes arms race with New York. Sorry kid, life is a series of disappointments, buy a fucking helmet.

I also know Boston has a predilection to not paying aging talent (Lowell is 34) and allowing them to go to ball clubs that will pay a guy $10-12 million for him when he’s 38. Sure, Lowell had a great season this past year, it will probably be his best ever.

That’s the point right there, and what GM Theo Epstein seems to be banking on. We got him, and we used him for what will probably be his best season in his career. Let someone else overpay him while he declines. Batting behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez may also be a major contributor to his success in Boston. It’s easier to make these kinds of rationalizations now that my World Series hangover is subsiding.

Then again, happening across a player like Lowell in a trade for someone else that was your real target doesn’t happen very often. Remember what I said about him doing well behind one of the best 3-4 combos in baseball? He’s the guy who came up big when one of the two wasn’t hitting so well, or injured. I'm not 100% comfortable with all of this.

Bottom line is that Boston will figure out a way to work around Lowell going to another team. They did it with Damon when everyone in Red Sox Nation was crying foul on the Yanks. After putting together another championship season I’m more inclined to side with where Epstein is going. Since the current regime entered the picture it's been Boston 2, New York 0 for World Series titles. I don't think losing Lowell to the Yanks will sway it that much. How well is Damon doing now, by the way?

Sure it would suck if Lowell left, and it would really suck ass if he went to the Yankees. But the Sox front office has learned something over the past five years they’ve been in New England. Building a team around solid pitching and a rock solid bullpen is how you win consistently, not hanging on to aging veterans in the lineup. And until the culture in baseball changes the Sox look like they are in good shape for a long time to come.