With Mike Lowell’s performance as of late, I thought it would be a good idea to run a poll about Mike Lowell and his future. As we have heard all season, Lowell will be a free agent at the end of the 2007 season. Manny RamÃrez and David Ortiz have said the Red Sox should re-sign him now.
In looking at the final poll results, a resounding 86% of the SOX & Dawgs readers think that the Sox should re-sign him. I am guessing the other 14% aren’t Sox fans and haven’t seen Lowell play.
Signing Lowell for 2007 will be a serious task. If AROD opts out of his contract, it’s obvious that AROD will be the top third baseman on the free agent market. If he doesn’t opt out, then Lowell will be. With no other big name free agents out there, it’s been shown in the past that some team will overpay and offer a bigger contract.
The Red Sox would like to re-sign Lowell but would probably not offer what some other teams would. Would Lowell take a hometown discount, I’d sure hope so. Another factor to take under consideration is the length of contract. Only one person in Sox history that was an aging veteran, Jason Varitek, has a gotten a long-term deal. His contract was for 4 years at the end of the 2004 World Series season. Lowell will turn 34 before the start of the 2008 season so that may be working against him as far as a long-term deal with the Sox goes.
I really do hope the Red Sox do sign Lowell for next year. Yes he is having a career year at the plate. Does that mean he should get paid? By all means, yes it does. Lowell agreeing to a hometown discount would show everyone that baseball isn’t just about money. Plus, I think Josh Beckett might miss him as well.
[Steve has your Red Sox recap tonight while I will be bringing you a recap of the UCONN Huskies football game against Maine tonight]
