Lowe upset about trade talk, Braves need to move him
Last season didn't go as well as expected for Derek Lowe, and now the Braves may move him.
Even before Derek Lowe complained about being singled out for his struggles last season – and I’ll get to that in a minute – it was safe to assume the Braves were not going to get much for him in a trade. Now that he admits he’s miffed about the trade talk and has made the need for a deal a little more desperate, I’m sure they won’t get much.
Trade him anyway. It would be significant addition by subtraction.
Lowe, a relative bust as the Braves’ $60 million free agent last season, told Mark Bowman of MLB.com: “I’m just waiting for it to happen. I don’t think it’s a matter of if anymore. It’s just a matter of when.”
And then came the money quote (pun absolutely intended): “It kind of [upsets] you in a way. It’s well-documented that I stunk the last two months of the season. But I look at it as, ‘Am I the only guy who has struggled for a couple of months in his first season after signing as a free agent?’”
Lowe also said he is bothered that nobody from the organization has contacted him directly about a trade possibility.
Dude. Seriously?
The Braves didn’t exactly cozy up to franchise icons Tom Glavine or John Smoltz on their way out the door. How much good will does Lowe think he has built up? Besides, I would think his $15 million salary last season would buy a little therapy.
He went 7-3 with a 3.44 ERA in his first 13 starts. He fizzled to 8-7 and 5.59 in the next 21. Remember, the Braves got better in the second half, not worse.
Lowe was given No. 1 starter money. But by the last two months of the season, he looked like the rotation’s sixth most important pitcher (partly because of economics). Ahead of him: Javier Vazquez, Tommy Hanson, Jair Jurrjens, Kenshin Kawakami and Tim Hudson (back from surgery).
Before, the Braves wanted to dump him. Now, they almost have to dump him.
Vazquez would be easier to move because he’s entering his free agency year. But Vazquez (15-10, 2.87) is coming off a great season and Frank Wren wants Lowe’s contract off the books.
There are a lot of rumors flying around — not quite to the level of Georgia defensive coordinator rumors, but close. One has Lowe going to the Angels for outfielder Juan Rivera. Another has him headed to the Yankees for Nick Swisher.
Wren probably would jump at either. But I’m guessing he’d settle for a couple of prospects who don’t bruise so easily.
Just getting Lowe off the payroll would give Wren $10 million to $15 million to spend in free agency (or via trade). He needs that to strengthen the lineup.
It’s not like there’s zero upside to keeping Lowe. He has been a solid pitcher through his career. But the upside has significantly decreased.
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313 comments Add your comment
ronald
December 22nd, 2009
10:00 pm
Well now we have ourselves in a pickle. We traded Javy because we were having to pay him to much. Lowe has a $45 million contract. We’d love to move him but we can’t. The week after the season I told a friend that we would have a very difficult time trading him because of that pathetic contract we gave him. To tell you truth, I think Frank Wren needs to be traded. One of the ushers in the upper deck know more about baseball than this clown. No, wait, a wren is a bird isn’t it.
Robert
December 22nd, 2009
10:26 pm
Trading Lowe would’ve been the smart thing. You could’ve gotten a mediocre 4th outfielder for him like Melky “who??” Cabrera. But Frank Wren wanted some teenager from the Caribbean who MIGHT put on a Braves uniform in 2015. That is, if he doesn’t meet the fate of hundreds of can’t miss prospects and gets hurt. So, he threw away his most consistent pitcher. Now, we’re stuck with Lowe who wants out. Oh, but we have a GREAT a-baller and money to throw around at someone like Xavier Nady or Laroche. Boy, those really answer that daunting question: How do the Braves get back to the World Series? Wren crapped himself on this one. Melky Cabrera stinks, his teenage sensation won’t do anything for at least 5 years, and once again the Braves are destined for a worthless “we ain’t tryin’ to win” 3rd place. Oh, but we’ll re-sign a broken down old man who hits singles to a lifetime contract at 3B. Just stupid. Liberty Media and Frank Wren are terrible. Thanks for ruining the Braves. What’s next, trading Brian McCann to LA for a backup 1B and a 16 yr old pitcher in the Dominican? Wren stinks….hello meaningless season. We may even drop behind the stinking Mets again!
bruce
December 23rd, 2009
1:16 pm
Hey Jeff… what is Lowe saying now?
Mr. Thomas Anthony "The Taxman Cometh" Jones, SR (Waf-SS, ret.)
December 27th, 2009
2:38 pm
The braves screwed up again. Derek Lowe was overpaid by the Braves washout of a GM Frank Wren. My grandson is a better GM than Wren. While young talent is wasted in the minors years last year, Wren overplayed Lowe. Heyward and Hanson should have started here at the beginning of last year. When Heywerd is xhasing career records in 2029 the years Wren stole from him will be be remembered by the Heyward fans. We hate Wren with a passion. Someone order a United Van Lines for Wren now. Or call Worldwide Van Lines or Mayflower moving Vans. Please get him out of town, now. We can’t stand him. The Yankees would not touch him with a stick.Neither would the Red Sox or the Philadelphia Phillies. Or the Cardinals or the Dodgers. They consider him third rate at best. Send him the to Pittsburgh Pirates of the Kansas City Royals to work. Het him out of here.
Robert
December 29th, 2009
7:59 am
“Trade him anyway. It would be significant addition by subtraction.”
Applies more to Cox than to Lowe.
Of course, no major league team would give you the time of the day for Cox
Robert
December 29th, 2009
8:00 am
Enter your comments here
Mike Clark
December 29th, 2009
9:05 am
Jeff,
It must feel terrible to not have the Braves listen to your expert opinion.
Jeff Schultz
December 29th, 2009
9:18 am
Mike Clark — Oh, I think it’s pretty clear they tried to move Derek Lowe. Tried very hard. But couldn’t.
yj09
December 29th, 2009
3:50 pm
Jeff, Have you heard of any trade rumors? Mets now have Bay. Phillies have Halladay. Braves?
bernie
December 29th, 2009
9:40 pm
Way to go Mr. Wren. You have sit on your duff again and have waited on all the good player to catch on with other teams. What you have gotten is players out of their prime with the exception of Cabrera. What will he hit next year as far as home runs. 10? We still want to see that lead off hitter that can get on base but I guess we will wait till next year righr?
BravesForLife
January 4th, 2010
4:34 pm
Mr. Schultz, How many weeks, months or years are you going to leave this article up….enough already……Mr. Lowe must have really hurt your feelings bad for you to leave this article up for soooo long…….
TampaDawg86
January 6th, 2010
2:58 pm
Jeff,
Can you please take this blog down. We are not trading Lowe anymore. We haven’t been for a couple weeks now! No need for this to still be up!
Spring training is happy time, and Lowe is no exception | Jeff Schultz
February 25th, 2010
11:20 am
[...] combined with the second-worst opponents batting average among starers in the majors (.301), combined with the Braves’ failed attempts to trade him, combined with the trading of Javier Vasquez, combined with Lowe’s salary — well, you [...]