Could Derek Lowe Be An Option?

The Cleveland Indians designated Derek Lowe for assignment last night. Which means, he is done with the Indians unless he clears waivers and is reassigned to Triple-A, which I’m guessing won’t happen. I’m not saying that Lowe won’t clear waivers; I’m guessing that a 39 year-old won’t want to be assigned to Triple-A.

As most of you know, Derek Lowe was already a member of the Red Sox, from 1997- 2004. In one of the most lopsided trades in the history of the game, the Red Sox acquired Derek Lowe and Jason Varitek from the Mariners for Heathcliff Slocumb in 1997. Yeah, that deal worked out pretty well for the Red Sox, I’d say.

Since departing in 2004, Derek Lowe was with the Dodgers from 2005-2008, the Braves from 2009-2011, and he signed with the Indians this past offseason. He was very good in Los Angeles, never having an ERA over 3.88. In Atlanta, he had never had an ERA below 4.00. This season, Lowe has a 5.52 ERA, an 8-10 record, and a 1.689 WHIP.

So the question remains; could Derek Lowe be an option for the Red Sox? As a starter, I’m going to have to say no. Yes, the rotation needs help, especially if these team is serious about making a playoff run. But, I think the Sox would benefit from looking internally (Franklin Morales) more than externally.

However, Derek Lowe was once a reliever for the Red Sox, a closer in fact. While I don’t think Lowe has closer material anymore, he could possibly be an option for a reliever, a long reliever or mop-up guy even. If the Sox want/need to move Morales into a starting role (which I see them doing… soon even), then the Sox would need another reliever.

Scott Atchison, who is arguably the Sox’s best reliever this season, is likely done for the remainder of the season and is on his way to Tommy John surgery. While the Sox still have Andrew Miller, Junichi Tazawa, Clayton Mortensen, Vicente Padilla, Alfredo Aceves, etc., they could use another arm in the bullpen. (Personally, I’d rather see Mark Prior come up from Triple-A. Yes, I am talking about THE Mark Prior of Cubs-lore. He’s pitched 20.1 innings this season, has a 2.66 ERA, and is holding opposing hitters to a .121 average.)

If the Sox think they can attain Derek Lowe for cheap, I think they should give it a try. I’d love for them to release a guy like Melancon and his 8.34 ERA or Vicente Padilla and his scary demeanor and even scarier pitching performance. If things don’t work out with Lowe, they could release him and bring up a guy like Prior or Mortensen.

My guess is the Sox balk at the idea of signing Derek Lowe. It’s an interesting thing to think about though, bringing in a guy who had helped the franchise win a World Series, their first World Series in 86 years. But, the Sox need to think strategically. They didn’t do much at the trade deadline, and they’re supposedly comfortable with the players they have. We’ll see what happens this month, when most players are put on waivers and then retracted.