Mike Lowell NOT Traded To Rangers (Updated)

[Big_Matt34]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10503520/Sources:-BoSox-ready-to-send-Lowell-to-Texas

According to Ken Rosenthal Lowell has been dealt to Texas for Max Ramirez, pending the owners signing off. The Sox will pay nearly all of Lowells remaining contract, i like but dont love it, i couldnt deal with watching Lowell at 3rd anymore.

Ramirez is a 25 year old catching/first base prospect who struggled and played hurt last year, but in 2008 he hit .354 with 17 homers and a .1096 OPS in AA, he has a career .889 OPS in the minors. Wonder if they Andy Marte him and spin him in a Halladay trade since the Blue Jays want a young catcher. I also would think the Sox try to get Adrian Beltre to play 3rd, they supposedly have shown significant interest in him.

http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/R/maximiliano-ramirez.shtml

[Roy Hobbs]

Well, there's now a fairly significant hole at first or at third.  Do we go after Adrian Gonzalez, or Adrian Beltre?

[Donoghus]

Well, there's now a fairly significant hole at first or at third.  Do we go after Adrian Gonzalez, or Adrian Beltre?

Do they plan to move Youk full-time to 3B and have V-Mart at 1B while putting up with another year of Varitek at C (even in limited instances, I cringe)?  Way too big of a gamble, IMO.  Hopefully, they're eyeballing another domino to fall here. 

[Big_Matt34]

Do they plan to move Youk full-time to 3B and have V-Mart at 1B while putting up with another year of Varitek at C?  Way too big of a gamble, IMO.  Hopefully, they're eyeballing another domino to fall here.

There was a report earlier saying they have significant interest in Adrian Beltre. Beltre is probably the best defensive 3B in the game, and here are his numbers away from Safeco the last few year. Last year he was hurt, but he is still only 31, and is a pull hitter so he is probably a good fit at Fenway.

2006 .283/.343/.462/.806
2007 .288/.320/.538/.858
2008 .292/.349/.512/.862
2009 .279/.324/.393/.717

[Donoghus]

Do they plan to move Youk full-time to 3B and have V-Mart at 1B while putting up with another year of Varitek at C?  Way too big of a gamble, IMO.  Hopefully, they're eyeballing another domino to fall here.

There was a report earlier saying they have significant interest in Adrian Beltre. Beltre is probably the best defensive 3B in the game, and here are his numbers away from Safeco the last few year. Last year he was hurt, but he is still only 31, and is a pull hitter so he is probably a good fit at Fenway.

2006 .283/.343/.462/.806
2007 .288/.320/.538/.858
2008 .292/.349/.512/.862
2009 .279/.324/.393/.717

Yeah, there's gotta be something else here.  Beltre would make a lot of sense.  I guess they still have Kotchman to play 1B worst-case scenario but I can't believe that's the direction they're going. 

[Big_Matt34]

Yeah, there's gotta be something else here.  Beltre would make a lot of sense.  I guess they still have Kotchman to play 1B worst-case scenario but I can't believe that's the direction they're going. 

We all know how bad they were defensively last year, and a infield of Beltre/Scutaro/Pedroia/Youk is probably the best defensively in baseball and pretty good offensively. I'm thinking its possible Ramirez may be spun off in another deal, id think he would still have value to other teams, not as a centerpiece of a deal but a nice secondary piece.

[Atzar]

Defensively, I'd take Longoria over Beltre.  Just saying.

Anyway, I'm expecting the other shoe to drop on this one.  This deal leaves us with a big hole to be filled at 3B, 1B, or C depending on where they end up using Youkilis and VMart.  I can't imagine we go into next season without that hole being filled.

Maybe Max gets flipped for Beltre or Adrian (though I doubt it).  Or maybe we're just collecting Ramirez's and the next moves will bring Hanley and Manny back into town.

EDIT:  I R Stoopid for thinking we needed to trade for Beltre.  Forgot he was a FA, haha.

[Donoghus]

Yeah, there's gotta be something else here.  Beltre would make a lot of sense.  I guess they still have Kotchman to play 1B worst-case scenario but I can't believe that's the direction they're going. 

We all know how bad they were defensively last year, and a infield of Beltre/Scutaro/Pedroia/Youk is probably the best defensively in baseball and pretty good offensively. I'm hoping Ramirez may be spun off in another deal, id think he would still have value to other teams, not as a centerpiece of a deal but a nice secondary piece.

That would be a stellar defensive infield. 

[Donoghus]

From the Herald:

The Red Sox and Rangers have been working through the evening to complete a deal that would send third baseman Mike Lowell to the Rangers for catcher Max Ramirez. According to a league source, the teams were haggling over money tonight. But now it appears the deal is done.

According to FoxSports.com, the teams have reached preliminary agreement on a deal that will send Lowell to the Rangers for Ramirez, with the Red Sox eating the majority of his $12 million contract.

The move clears the way for the Red Sox to make an upgrade at third, whether it’s free agent Adrian Beltre, or a trade for a player such as Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla, who could shift across the diamond.

As for Ramirez, he’s an offensive-minded catcher with limited defensive skills who may end up as first base/DH type in the big leagues.

[Prof. Clutch]

Sad to see Lowell go.  I really appreciated how hard he played here and how good he was considering he was just a throw-in salary dump in the Becket deal.  He was a fan favorite.

On the other hand this marks a clear initiative to move forward by the Sox.  Hopefully this leads to brighter things (like Adrian Gonzalez playing first base for us.)

[OriginalODb]

Thank God. I never thought they should have resigned in the first place. That being said, Thanks Mike you for the most part proved me wrong. He did play really hard and well for us

[steve]

I want Gonzo and Halladay.  In this case we'd probably lose Clay and Ellsbury and half our prospects but who cares, this team is boring as constructed, we need Gonzo's bat in Fenway.   

[Bahku]

Mixed emotions ... always loved Mikey and his passion for the game, but I think he's slowing a bit ... will miss him, though.

[moiso]

Mike would have made a better dh than Ortiz at this stage.

[Fan from VT]

Maybe this paves the way for a trade for Miggy Cabrera, with some sort of V-mart, New Guy, Cabrera, Ortiz, Youk, etc. platoon at first/catcher/third/DH such that Cabrera, Youk, and V-mart are in the lineup every day their healthy.