Lowe to Braves…are Mets now desperate for Perez?
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- January
- 13
I had a discussion through e-mail about this with a reader last week and we had a disagreement. It becomes a very real debate now that Derek Lowe has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $60-million deal with the Braves.
My contention was that if the Mets didn’t land Lowe, they then were hamstrung in talks with Scott Boras (yet again) because the uberagent can drive up the price on Oliver Perez just like he did on Lowe. So after all this time negotiating, the Mets may now find themselves in the same position, guarding against entering a competition without an opponent. But, as always, maybe their is an opponent? Boras always seems to find one.
The reader, Jason, argued that Perez and Lowe were of equal value. Some even feel Perez has greater value. You all know why — he’s younger, lefty, has a greater ceiling, etc.
Jason believed the Mets could hold at their price on Lowe, then sign Perez if they didn’t get him. But my contention was that Boras wouldn’t let them off so easily. Now that Lowe, at 36, received $60 million, won’t Boras try to squeeze just as much money out for Perez, who is just 27 and lefty?
I don’t think we’ll know immediately. What do you think will happen? Are they now desperate for Perez?
Here’s the Mets rotation with Perez:
Santana, LHP, 16-7, 2.53, 206 K, 1.15 WHIP
Pelfrey, RHP, 13-11, 3.72, 110 K, 1.36 WHIP
Maine, RHP, 10-8, 4.18 ERA, 122 K, 1.35 WHIP
Perez, LHP, 10-7, 4.22 ERA, 180 K, 1.40 WHIP
Redding, RHP, 10-11, 4.95 ERA, 120 K, 1.43 WHIP
Good, but do you think it can win them a World Series? How about a division title?
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, January 13th, 2009 at 3:20 pm by Josh Thomson.
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Without Lowe, the Mets may have lost the NL East: http://jumpinginpools.blogspot.com/2009/01/without-lowe-mets-have-lost-nl-east.html
“my contention was that Boras wouldn’t let them off so easily.”
This kind of misses the point. Boras can’t do anything unless there’s demand for Perez. I guess he can say there’s demand when there isn’t, but it’s only the bad negotiator that falls for that. What Boras does so well is properly scour the market and make sure he’s squeezed every last drop out of it. So the Mets may be the last drop on Perez. They may not be. Maybe the Brewer get involved. Maybe the Phillies, or maybe the Yankees. If so, the price and years go up. If not, they don’t. Or Boras decides on a one year deal and hopes the market comes to Perez next year. Either way, Boras only gets what’s there.
So we’ll see. The Mets really aren’t worse off on Perez by waiting. They weren’t going to get him 2 weeks ago. And they were going to get him after Boras soaked out the market. Now, it’s just here. If they get him, it’s the best signing outside of Sabathia from the starters market.
But again if the Mets don’t get a hitter too, they haven’t done enough.
What make everyone think Tim Redding is going to be the 5th starter?
Boras knows that he was lucky that Atlanta was desperate and signed Lowe 4/60. He will take 4/50 for Perez. I dont believe he will take a 3 year offer on Perez. He will convince one of the Brewers/Cardinals to bid 3 years on him. Nobody else but the Mets would go to 4 I believe.
Michael: You’ve got tobe kidding, right?