Mike Lowell: much sought after World Series MVP

I have to admit that I didn't follow Mike Lowell's Red Sox career all that closely. A beautiful baby girl entered our lives, and my wife probably wouldn't be cool with me spending hours of free time watching the Sox-Devil Rays or Sox-Twins heart-stopping series.

Still, he clearly put up some impressive stats over the last two years with the BoSox, and in doing so, he has helped himself to a nice fat contract with whomever wins the "Mike Lowell Derby" this postseason:

Mike Lowell's stats.

I would be a fool for posting a link to his stats and not acknowledging my previous post about A-Rod, wherein I posted links to articles decrying the use of stats and A-Rod's lack of character. Stats are not everything, and Lowell has more than just stats. He has a rock solid clubhouse reputation, a World Series MVP, the publicly endorsed encouragement of current teammates, and an entire New England region behind him.

The Globe's Kevin Paul Dupont on Friday chimed in about Lowell's chances of re-signing with the Red Sox, and his comments are interesting for the comparison he makes to the Sox's approach toward former Red Sox players and icons Pedro Martinez (still loved around these parts) and Johnny Damon (he'll be chased out of town if he ever comes back without a security detail).

Should the Sox keep Lowell?

Interestingly, and smartly, Dupont's observation differs from so much of the commentary of last week in Boston. Many people said it was up to Lowell whether he returns. Dupont begs to differ.

"Lowell's re-signing ultimately will come down to how many years the Sox are comfortable extending him as he enters what are considered baseball's AARP years...The dilemma here, though, is similar to what the Sox faced when the likes of Johnny Damon and Pedro Martinez reached free agency in their later years. Damon and Martinez were both allowed to walk, and thus far, the Sox have seen the better of the return in turning them free."

The problem is, if the Sox let Lowell walk, their third baseman options become:

1. A bidding war for dollars and years for A-Rod, with many teams, including the Yankees, in the hunt.

2. Moving first baseman Kevin Youkilis to third. All I have to say about that is the fact that Youk has turned in a .995 fielding percentage in 2006 and a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage at first in 2007. Or, in other words: 1,586 straight games (excluding the '07 postseason) of not committing one single error.

3. Miguel Cabrera of the Florida Marlins. This article covers the pros and cons of going after this commodity: Cabrera's suitors.


Lowell clearly has earned his way towards a new, fat multi-year contract. Does he join Petty and the Chief Idiot as the ones that thankfully got away after the Sox got their best out of them? Or does he buck that trend? Does he end up in pinstripes? Do the Sox and Marlins resume their non-sexual swapping congress (Cliff Floyd in '02, Beckett and Lowell in '05)?

Lots of questions, soon to be answered.