I think Lowe would be a solid addition to the team, but I think the resources could be used in a better way. Say the Rangers have $16 million to spend, in this depressed market, I think they could do better than just signing Lowe.

4/64. I believe that is down from the 5/75 he was asking for a little while ago, right?

I bet he ends up signing for 4/50 with someone.

I’d still rather have Sheets over Lowe.

I would be agreeable to signing Lowe. I agree that the years would be too long, but he has been the model of consistency. He’s been at or above 200 innings for the last three years with an ERA under four, and a decent WHIP, and a great ground ball ratio. He’s never on the DL. I know he’s not flashy, and a little flaky, but how would those stats he has put up the last three years helped not only our bullpen, but the starting rotation as well. What would we think of Millwood if he would have put up those numbers the last three years?

But 4/64 ain’t worth it.

Spend that money on Sheets, a younger option

I think Peyton fumbled that ball…

That would suck if the Chargers get screwed on a call to end the year…

Always get that Michael Jackson bit from “Somebody’s Watching Me” stuck in their head because of those shitty Geico commercials?

he’s a solid pitcher but his success in 08 screams ‘contract year’. he’ll be good for the next 2-3 years but not that good and he’s getting old.

The time to sign Lowe was back in 2004 when he was a FA for the first time. Does anybody know why the Rangers didn’t pursue him?

Sheets or bust for that money.

If he shaved off $2-3 mil. annually and only had 3 years, then I’d be on board, or at least willing to think it through.

Texas would have to overbid a bit to get him. He wants to go to Boston or NY, and he’ll easily get 4 years and $60M from one of them. Obviously this year he’d have to pretty much fall into Daniels’ lap for him to come. Sheets seems more likely to be a leftover because of the risk factor.

if a guy is so good that he needs that kind of money, why would a team that definitely has cash to spend, like the Dodgers, let him go? I wondered the same when the Red Sox let him walk some years ago.

and it shouldn’t ever be brought up again.

why does everyone here spend so much speculating on pitchers the rangers SHOULD sign when NO pitchers want to be here?

it’s like me debating whether i would should have sex with megan fox or victoria silvstedt. tough choice, right?

the rangers tried to get lowe last time around – they thought they were a front runner. lowe had a zero interest in throwing bp for the rangers.

no one pitches for the rangers unless they have no better options. texas is good for building offers to places they really will go. that’s it.

threads debating on whether texas should offer $XXXM to pitcher ABC are pointless. “gee, i don’t know if the rangers should spend that much money.” meanwhile, pitcher is telling his agent (more likely that agent is telling pitcher), “any place but texas.”

He has only been a starting pitcher for seven years, so its not like he is entering his 15th year as a starter or anything. It doesn’t appear his arm is about to fall off.

Obviously his numbers would go up a little here, but I am fine with him if he can keep it close or just up a little. His walks have trended down every year. His strikeouts have trended up every year. He will get you 180-200 innings and 14 wins a year and his earned runs allowed have trended down every year.

I would offer (and he would take) a 3 year, 42 million deal with a fourth year team option/buyout.
To help with team salary flexibility in future (and I would explain it this way to him), I would pay him 15mil in 2009, 14 in 2010 and 13 in 2011 with a 12mil option in 2012 or 3 mil buyout. To some, overpaying, but would not be a Silva overpay.

If he plays all four years it is a 4/54 mil deal (13.5 AAV) totally reasonable for a pitcher that obviously takes care of himself and has a reliable record of performance.

With a solid #1 pitcher in Lowe, and Millwood and Padilla pitching in contract years (where they have always performed their best), I feel that would be a great opportunity to come in and steal the 2009 AL West title.

The rotation to start the season would be: Lowe, Millwood, Padilla, Harrison and Feldman (a reward for his team first attitude in 2008). We will need Hurley, Hunter and McCarthy during the year, so let them get some confidence and positive results in Oklahoma first. Then you add Holland to the mix in August and Millwood and/or Padilla are expendable if we are in contention.

Grab Lowe, but still try to get Sheets and hope he is healthy or can be rehabilitated here. There are still options for this team to improve its pitching at relatively bargain prices. Don’t stop trying JD!!