More on Lowell

Reports are starting to trickle in on Mike Lowell’s 3-year contract with the Red Sox, and it looks like the veteran got $37.5 million, which is certainly a nice chunk of change, and definitely more than he could have received if he had signed an extension in spring training. So, well played by Lowell.

As noted here earlier today, the deal allows the Red Sox to skip out on other cost-prohibitive options, like Miguel Cabrera, and allows them to keep their tremendous defensive infield intact. It also allows them to proceed this offseason with most of the heavy lifting already done.

In the winter of 2002, the Sox signed several low-cost, high-return free agents. Following the 2003 season, they embarked on the epic Alex Rodriguez situation (not to mention wooing Curt Schilling and signing Keith Foulke). Post-2004, they dismantled what they had wrought and brought in Matt Clement, Edgar Renteria, et al. The 2005 moves brought in Josh Beckett and Lowell from Florida and Coco Crisp from Cleveland. And last year, they opened the checkbook for JD Drew, Julio Lugo, and Daisuke Matzusaka.

This winter their most pressing task left on the table is getting the biggest return on Crisp. That, friends, is progress.

Back to Lowell. Schilling chimed in on his blog expressing his happiness that Lowell will return, adding “How cool is that? Leaving years and dollars on the table to come back here for three more years, good stuff.”

It’s a nice story, but the longer this dragged out the less likely it seemed that there were too many 4-year offers. Reading between the lines, the Yankees offer (if there was one) seemed to have been done for effect, and the Phillies GM, Pat Gillick, indicated last week that they weren’t in on Lowell.

That said, we’re glad Lowell will be back. We’re happier that it’s not for 4 years, and we’re much, much happier that he won’t be going to New York.

PHOTO From Jimmyfund.org.