Mike Lowell Once Again Subject Of Trade Rumors With The Rangers

Just like expected, the Rangers plucked Ryan Garko off the free agent market, leaving Mike Lowell a member of the Boston Red Sox for the time being:

Barring an unexpected development, Lowell will start the season as a reserve with the Red Sox.

“There hasn’t been much trade activity, if at all, with him this spring,” Theo Epstein said.

Lowell isn't thrilled with the the thought of coming off the bench for the first time in his career. But Epstein tried to put a positive spin on the idea.

“He’s swinging the bat well of late, looking healthier every day and I anticipate him being an important bench guy for us,” he said. “No one wishes injury on anyone, but strange things happen in this game and it’s a good feeling to have him be able to step in if needed.”

Lowell is expected to see time off the bench to fill in at third base, first base and designated hitter. He will most likely also be the first hitter called off the bench for a late-game pinch hitting situation.

If Lowell proves he is capable and healthy, the Red Sox most likely could trade him at the July 31 trading deadline.

With Mike Lowell proving his health -- or, at least, getting some at-bats in spring training -- the Texas Rangers seem to be back in the race to potentially acquire the Red Sox backup third baseman:

A baseball source said Wednesday that talks between the Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers over infielder Mike Lowell have accelerated and a trade remained a possibility.

[...]

The Rangers have been scouting Lowell regularly since he started playing this spring, and have a clear need for a backup first baseman and right-handed designated hitter.

They may be engaged in a high-stakes poker game with the Red Sox to see how much of Lowell's salary Boston will eat to make the deal.

Despite Lowell being on the field and the Rangers looking for a corner infield bat, WEEI reports a deal isn't close:

According to multiple sources, the Red Sox and Rangers aren’t close to a deal that would send Lowell to Texas to serve as a back-up for third baseman Michael Young, first baseman Chris Davis, and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero. The main issue continues to be Texas’ reluctance to allocate the kind of money the Red Sox would be looking for the Rangers to absorb out of the $12 million the infielder is scheduled to be paid this season.

If the Rangers want some first base and designated hitter help, they don't have to look far on the free agent market. The Cubs recently cut Kevin Millar, while the Mariners waived Ryan Garko. Both would be cheap additions to the club that wouldn't involve losing a player like Max Ramirez, who was rumored in the first trade between the Rangers and Red Sox.

Lowell is hitting .294 this spring in 17 at-bats. He has split time at both third base, his natural position, and first base, a position he just started playing this spring.

According to Mike Lowell himself, he was always in contact with the Red Sox organization when it came to his thumb injury:

“I was in constant and open communication about my thumb situation from the moment it happened to every week after,” he said, pointing to a foul ball against Cleveland starter Jeremy Sowers as the cause for what is now diagnosed as a strain of the radial collateral ligament in his right thumb. Lowell said that he was asked by the Red Sox to take an MRI on Dec. 7 after being put in a splint at the suggestion of Red Sox trainer Mike Reinold, who had visited Lowell in Miami on Nov. 25.

“I’ve had very open and honest communication with the training and medical staff,” Lowell added. “The day this thing happened it was X-rayed and I told them about the pain, which was Oct. 2. That’s why I didn’t play the other two games. We taped it up in a way that we thought would help me in the postseason. They thought it might be a strain or a bone bruise. I don’t want to lay blame on anybody because in ‘07 my other thumb got hurt and they thought it was a strain as well and it ended up being that way and everything settled down nice and easy.

Regardless, Lowell will have thumb surgery and should be ready to go for spring training. His stock may rise if he shows he can play during spring training, but for now he will stay a Boston Red Sox.

Mike Lowell was in Texas on Saturday to undergo a physical and he did not pass -- the third baseman has a torn ligament in his thumb and it will require surgery. This means the deal to send him from the Red Sox to the Rangers is off (at least for now).

According to a major league source, the third baseman needs surgery on the radial collateral ligament in his right thumb and the trade to Texas that was agreed upon 11 days ago is off.

Lowell is expected to have the surgery after Christmas and will hopefully be ready in time for the start of spring training (the recovery takes 6-8 weeks). 

For now, the trade that would have sent Lowell to Texas (and $9 million of Lowell's salary) in exchange for catcher Max Ramirez is off.

The Mike Lowell trade saga is set to end soon -- either positively or negatively -- as he will have a physical in Texas this weekend.

The Rangers are concerned Lowell may need to have thumb surgery after hurting it the last weekend of the regular season.

Lowell is expected to primarily be a designated hitter for the Rangers, while also playing some third base and first base.

The on-again, off-again Mike Lowell trade between the Red Sox and Rangers is off again, this time due to Lowell’s health. SBN’s MLB Daily Dish passes along a Peter Gammons report that Lowell may require surgery on his right thumb, which has once again put the potential trade between the Red Sox and Rangers in jeopoardy.

If Lowell does undergo surgery, the Rangers will reportedly pursue Garrett Atkins to play third base instead. The Red Sox, meanwhile, might have to put the rest of their hot stove plans on hold. That could mean no Adrian Gonzalez, at least not until mid-season.

Money no longer seems to be a problem as the Red Sox and Rangers have reached a preliminary deal to send Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers:

The Red Sox have agreed in principle with the Rangers to a trade that will send popular third baseman Mike Lowell to Texas for catcher Max Ramirez, according to a baseball source. A money issue has also been resolved, the source said. Lowell will make $12 million this season, and the Sox will pay Texas some of his salary.

The remaining hurdle is medical clearance, usually a formality in most deals, but given the history of Lowell’s hip injury, the Rangers could get cold feet.

MLB.com Red Sox beat writer Ian Browne tweets the deal could be finalized in two to three days.

Reports of the Red Sox trading aging third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers late Wednesday night may have been a bit premature, as both teams have yet to come to an official agreement:

Now, according to Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, both sides are in contemplation mode.

“Both clubs understand where the other one is and what we’re looking to do,” said Daniels. “At the same time, we’re also both looking at alternatives and what our options are as we kind of go through the process. I don’t really have anything specific to give you guys, but I think some of the reports of how close it is might be a little bit overstated.”

[…]

It sounded as if the sides were past the point of negotiating how much cash would change hands.

“I think there are always different layers to these things, but both clubs are kind of evaluating,” Daniels said. “I think the general parameters are understood, but both clubs need to decide whether it’s the right fit.”

The snagging point, some think, is how much of Lowell’s 2010 contract the Red Sox will pay (Lowell is due $12 million next year). Some reports say the Sox need to cover at least half, while others are saying Boston will need to pay almost his entire salary.