Report: Lowe agrees to deal with Braves
An era of sorts ended for the Atlanta Braves when 20-season mainstay John Smoltz accepted a free agent deal with Boston. Coincidentally, they are on the verge of replacing him with a pitcher whose greatest moments came with the Red Sox.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting this afternoon that righthander Derek Lowe has agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth about $60 million. The deal will be finalized pending a physical tomorrow, according to the newspaper's website.
Lowe, 35, has a career 126-107 record in 12 seasons with Seattle, the Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Lowe, who joined the Dodgers as a free agent following the 2004 season, was 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA last season.
He was also reportedly coveted by the New York Mets, but he recently turned down their three-year, $36 million offer.
Lowe, a sinkerballer who helped pitch the Red Sox to the 2004 championship by winning the clinching game in American League Division Series, AL Championship Series, and World Series, is one of the game's most durable pitchers, averaging 208 innings and 15 wins the past seven seasons.
He will join Jair Jurrjens, Javier Vazquez (acquired from the White Sox this offseason), and Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami in a remodeled Atlanta rotation.
Not only has Smoltz departed, but righthander Tim Hudson is recovering from ligament replacement surgery in his elbow and veteran lefthander Tom Glavine is a free agent.
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I wish him nothing but the best. I loved while he was here and I still do. I only wish I got to see pitch once when he was here.
Good luck, Derek. Glad that you're with a good team, in the NL. Now we can root for you!
too bad, I wanted Lowe with the Sox, I wish him luck!
i grew up a braves and sox fan, i love the sox to death but i actually knew the braves longer, back when NESN was not everywhere TBS broadcast all the Braves games. Every NL game I've ever been to was a Braves game, now my two favorite teams are reloaded for 2009. If the acquisitions pay off for both, I may be at a loss come the World Series...of course though, the Red Sox come first.
Am I the only one who thinks 60 million for 35 yo derek lowe is absolutely out of line?
Say it ain't so D-Lowe!!!!!!!!!
GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND......... Thanks for 2004
Would've been nice to see him back in a Sox uni, but he's a good fit on the Braves.
I hope they enjoy paying him 15 million in the last year of his contract when he's 40 yrs old.
that is WAY TOO MUCH money for that guy.. but still wish we got em at a lower price.
Say it ain't so D-Lowe
Boston is nuts not to get you back!
Good luck my friend.......
THANKS FOR "2004"
$15 mil/per year for Lowe? I guess the Braves are willing to overpay just to remain somewhat creditable. It seems that after many win a World Championship it just becomes about the money, unless he has family in Atlanta his motives seem pretty obvious. Can't wait to boo him at Citifield. In fact I can't wait I will start now ...booo - booo, booo and of course Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaareeeeeeeeeeee.
He should like Atlanta, there are alot of good bars.
Glavine's a free agent, eh? And he's from Billerica, to boot ... hmmmmm ;-)
I like D-lowe, I think he's an excellent pitcher, but I find it hard to believe he's averaged 15 wins over the last 7 seasons.
I like D-lowe, I think he's an excellent pitcher, but I find it hard to believe he's averaged 15 wins over the last 7 seasons.
Class act all the way
Wish he was in Boston
Dave, you're not the only one to think that $60M is way to much to pay for Lowe. The Sox would have been crazy to pay that for a guy who would have been #4 or 5 in the rotation. With Buchholz, Penney and Smoltz, the Sox ought to do at least as well as they would have with Lowe, for a lot less money. The Braves are more justified to shell out that kind of money because their need for starting pitching is so much greater.
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