Loading ...It’s starting to look like the Mets are going to go after Derek Lowe to fill their starting pitching needs.
Of course, he’s the best pitcher on the market, but is he worth it? Think about it. Lowe will be 36 in June and if the Mets have to give him a four-year, $60 million contract, the team will be paying him $15 million to pitch when he’s 40. To me, that’s not a good investment.
Sure Lowe will give you over 200 innings a year and will throw to a low-3 ERA, but for how long. Just looking at the recent history of four-year contracts the Mets gave out to pitchers in their mid to late 30s, you can see how the team has gotten burned.
Tom Glavine never regained the Hall of Fame form he had in Atlanta and while he had some good seasons, they were dominate. Pedro Martinez’s arm went out during his second season of a four year contract and Billy Wagner will get paid around $10 million in 2009 to rehab his arm.
This is not to say Lowe will be like those players, but he’s hardly a Hall of Famer, and if history shows us one thing, it’s that older pitchers break down much, much easier.
Personally, I would like to see the Mets re-sign Ollie Perez, who is 27 and has shown no signs of breaking down. A four year contract will put him at 32 when a four year deal ends, since his birthday is in August.
The Mets are better off paying a guy for what he will do, not what he did for other teams.
Posted under Commentary, Free Agency, Hot Stove
This post was written by Joe McDonald on December 24, 2008
LAS VEGAS – Alright, the Mets have gotten their closer and if nothing else happens during the next day at the Bellagio, the Winter Meetings have to be considered a success.That said, there’s still more work to do to make this a successful off-season. Besides their bullpen makeover, which includes an eighth inning setup man, the Mets need at least one starter.With both Pedro Martinez and Oliver Perez free agents, there are obvious holes in the Mets rotation. As of right now, the team seems content to allowing Jon Niese a spot, one that Jerry Manuel said may be bestowed upon him based on his September, rather than earned in Spring Training.
LAS VEGAS – Based on a number of reports and sources, Francisco Rodriguez will sign a three-year, $37 million dollar contract with the Mets tomorrow after a physical in New York.The Mets have seemingly reached this deal after two days of talk between the club and agent Paul Kinzer.”He’s a tremendously skilled closer,” said manager Jerry Manuel during his media session. “I was impressed with the energy he had when he came out and with that energy came confidence.”With Rodriguez, the Mets are signing one of the top closers in the game, who went 2-3 last year with a 2.24 ERA and a Major League record 62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels. Over his six year career, the righthander went 23-17 with a 2.35 ERA and 208 saves.