Derek Lowe, who's proven to be clutch, durable and even versatile (he was a successful closer before switching to a starting role), is seeking to match or even beat the $16-million salary Andy Pettitte was paid by the Yankees last season when he was 35, as Lowe is now.
The two pitchers had similar platform years (Lowe was 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA last year compared to Pettitte's 15-9 with a 4.05 ERA in 2007) and fairly similar numbers in the preceding couple years, as well (though Pettitte's overall starting career is more impressive). A couple executives have mentioned that Lowe's agent, Scott Boras, made the comparison.
Pettitte has limited his field to the Yankees and Houston in his free-agent years. But the number of teams chasing Lowe is large, and may include the Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Braves, Phillies, Giants and Mariners. The Yankees were expecting to present their offer to Lowe, which will follow proposals for top target CC Sabathia as well as A.J. Burnett, sometime this week.
Lowe gave the impression that he preferred playing on the East Coast, where he had a successful stint in Boston before moving to the West Coast by signing a four-year deal with the Dodgers before the 2005 season that just expired. But even if he limits the field based on geography, the Detroit product still would appear to have at least five viable suitors to choose from.
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