Phillies make offer to Lowe

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo-->QUOTE <!--quotec-->Shane Victorino may just have to find another pitcher to run over. The Boston Globe is reporting that the Phillies are one of two teams that have given a formal offer sheet to Derek Lowe.

The second team is still a mystery, but the Globe confirmed it is neither the Yankees or Red Sox--two teams that have expressed an interest in the 35-year-old sinkerballer.

David Murphy of the Daily News, makes a good point: The offer to Lowe might suggest that new GM Ruben Amaro Jr. wants to take the Phillies in a bit of a new direction--focusing on pitching, rather than a power lineup. The fact that the Phils did not offer arbitration to Pat Burrell reinforces that possibility.

Lowe is reportedly seeking a three-four year deal somewhere in the neighborhood of $14-15 million/year.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Linkage

[Clapp]

That would be very bad news for the NL. They had 1 very good starting pitcher and still won the World Series. We had 4 and got swept in the 1st round.

[SandbergMVP1984]

<!--quoteo(post=1374:date=Dec 4 2008, 10:48 PM:name=Clapp)-->QUOTE (Clapp @ Dec 4 2008, 10:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->That would be very bad news for the NL. They had 1 very good starting pitcher and still won the World Series. We had 4 and got swept in the 1st round.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not at all worried about the Phillies next year.

[Runnys]

<!--quoteo(post=1378:date=Dec 4 2008, 11:04 PM:name=Sandberg)-->QUOTE (Sandberg @ Dec 4 2008, 11:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1374:date=Dec 4 2008, 10:48 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Dec 4 2008, 10:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->That would be very bad news for the NL. They had 1 very good starting pitcher and still won the World Series. We had 4 and got swept in the 1st round.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not at all worried about the Phillies next year.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


You are not at all worried about Defending Champs heading into next year? Just curious...why? Their entire team is intact from this past season. Sure, Utley is out for the first few weeks, but they will be able to overcome that. Plus, as Clapp said, adding a sinker ball pitcher to that team gives them another good pitcher to go into the rotation which will make them that much more dangerous.

I am not saying they will repeat because that is hard, but there is absolutely NO reason to think they at least won't be in the NLCS as things stand right now.

[rok]

The only big name they're going to lose is Burrell and he wasn't much of a factor for them in the 2nd half.

[Butcher]

<!--quoteo(post=1450:date=Dec 5 2008, 01:19 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 5 2008, 01:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The only big name they're going to lose is Burrell and he wasn't much of a factor for them in the 2nd half.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like Burrell. Too bad he isn't left-handed. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]

[rok]

<!--quoteo(post=1454:date=Dec 5 2008, 01:31 PM:name=Butcher)-->QUOTE (Butcher @ Dec 5 2008, 01:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1450:date=Dec 5 2008, 01:19 PM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Dec 5 2008, 01:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The only big name they're going to lose is Burrell and he wasn't much of a factor for them in the 2nd half.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like Burrell. Too bad he isn't left-handed. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He's a dangerous hitter with a ton of patience, but he's one of the streakiest hitters around. I think we already have too many of those kind of hitters. He's kind of like a poor man's Dunn.

[Clapp]

<!--quoteo(post=1455:date=Dec 5 2008, 01:34 PM:name=rok)-->QUOTE (rok @ Dec 5 2008, 01:34 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1454:date=Dec 5 2008, 01:31 PM:name=Butcher)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Butcher @ Dec 5 2008, 01:31 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1450:date=Dec 5 2008, 01:19 PM:name=rok)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rok @ Dec 5 2008, 01:19 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->The only big name they're going to lose is Burrell and he wasn't much of a factor for them in the 2nd half.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I like Burrell. Too bad he isn't left-handed. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif[/img]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
He's a dangerous hitter with a ton of patience, but he's one of the streakiest hitters around. I think we already have too many of those kind of hitters. He's kind of like a poor man's Dunn.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah, I wouldn't be interested in him. Burrell will be better off in the AL as a DH for the rest of his career.

[SandbergMVP1984]

<!--quoteo(post=1447:date=Dec 5 2008, 01:15 PM:name=Runnys)-->QUOTE (Runnys @ Dec 5 2008, 01:15 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1378:date=Dec 4 2008, 11:04 PM:name=Sandberg)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sandberg @ Dec 4 2008, 11:04 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec--><!--quoteo(post=1374:date=Dec 4 2008, 10:48 PM:name=Clapp)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Clapp @ Dec 4 2008, 10:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}><!--quotec-->That would be very bad news for the NL. They had 1 very good starting pitcher and still won the World Series. We had 4 and got swept in the 1st round.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm not at all worried about the Phillies next year.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->


You are not at all worried about Defending Champs heading into next year? Just curious...why? Their entire team is intact from this past season. Sure, Utley is out for the first few weeks, but they will be able to overcome that. Plus, as Clapp said, adding a sinker ball pitcher to that team gives them another good pitcher to go into the rotation which will make them that much more dangerous.

I am not saying they will repeat because that is hard, but there is absolutely NO reason to think they at least won't be in the NLCS as things stand right now.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Being the defending champs really doesn't mean anything to me. The playoffs are a crap shoot. The Phillies got hot at the right time.

The Phillies didn't win their division in a convincing matter. In fact, if the Mets improve during the offseason, it wouldn't surprise me if they miss the playoffs entirely. They are a much better playoff team than regular season team.