Lowe reportedly gets three-year offer from Mets

ESPN.com news services
The New York Mets addressed their bullpen this offseason. Now they're turning to their starting rotation.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the team has offered free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe a three-year contract for about $36 million.
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Agent Scott Boras would not confirm that the Mets' offer.
"Obviously, we've taken offers from a number of teams," he said, according to the newspaper.
Boras has reportedly been seeking a five-year contract for Lowe at a per season rate considerably higher than the Mets' offer of $12 million. But New York did seemingly get a bargain with closer Francisco Rodriguez.
Coming off a season with a record-setting 62 saves, he signed with the Mets for three years and $37 million. The Mets also traded for Mariners reliever J.J. Putz.
Lowe was 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA for the Dodgers last season, his fourth with the club. He came up with the Mariners but was traded midway through his rookie season to the Red Sox. He spent over seven years there as a starter and reliever, saving 42 games in 2000.
Lowe, John Smoltz and Dennis Eckersley are the only pitchers to win 20 or more games in one season and save 40 or more in another.
A two-time All-Star, Lowe is 126-107 with a 3.75 ERA and 85 saves in his career.

After spending much of the last two winters wondering about his job security in Chicago, Mark DeRosa was sent to Cleveland on Wednesday following the signing of second baseman Aaron Miles.

The Cubs acquired three pitching prospects from the Indians for DeRosa -- right-hander Jeff Stevens, who was added to the 40-man roster, lefty John Gaub and right-hander Chris Archer.

The addition of three prospects could signal the rekindling of talks with San Diego for right-hander Jake Peavy, now that Colorado has agreed in principle to take starter Jason Marquis for Luis Vizcaino, opening up a spot in the rotation.

General manager Jim Hendry will address the media later today. But in a statement, Hendry called the trade of DeRosa a chance to “stock” the farm system and “modify the balance and shape of our major league roster, and to give our rising talent a chance to contribute more regularly at the major league level.”

The popular DeRosa was in the final year of a three-year deal and had been dangled by the Cubs all winter, after they tried to acquire Brian Roberts to take his second base spot last year. Though he was one of the more valuable Cubs players and a fan favorite, the Cubs wanted to add some left-handed hitting to the lineup, and DeRosa was deemed the most expendable.

Stevens, 25, went 5-4 with a 3.24 ERA in 2008 in Double-A Akron and Triple-A Buffalo, with a .184 batting average against. He averaged 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings, and had a 3:1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. If the Cubs don’t sent him to San Diego, he’ll get a chance to compete for a middle relief spot this spring.

Gaub and Archer aren’t anywhere close to being major league ready. Gaub, 23, was 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in Class A in his first full season, averaging 14.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Archer, 20, was 4-8 with a 4.29 ERA in Class A.

Mets will not raise offer to Lowe

Derek Lowe | Dodgers | Interested: Red Sox? Phillies? Mets?
The New York Mets, confident that they have no serious competition for Derek Lowe, do not intend to raise their three-year, $36-million offer to the righthander at this time, Newsday reported. Lowe ranks as the Mets' first choice to replace Oliver Perez in their starting rotation, but they also are negotiating with Perez himself and lefthander Randy Wolf. Agent Scott Boras represents both Lowe and Perez. The Mets appear to be running the industry when it comes to what's left of the starting pitchers. None of the trio of Lowe, Perez and Wolf figures to commit anywhere before checking with the Mets first. Newsday added that Mets general manager Omar Minaya and his assistsants also have internally discussed a plan to re-sign injury-plagued Pedro Martinez, assuming Martinez is amenable to a contract with a low base salary and heavy with incentives.

Pettitte rejects Yankees $10 million offer

Andy Pettitte | Yankees | Interested: Dodgers?
Free agent left-hander Andy Pettitte has rejected the one-year, $10 million offer from the New York Yankees and there is no standing offer for now, the New York Times reported. The newspaper said Pettitte could return because some in the Yankees' hierarchy want him back. But in a winter of aggressive activity, the Yankees so far have been unwilling to bend for Pettitte. The offer to Pettitte represented a 37.5 percent decrease from his $16 million salary last season. Pettitte considered the offer for weeks, then met with General Manager Brian Cashman in Texas after the winter meetings last month.

Dodgers, Manny still talking

Manny Ramirez | Dodgers | Interested: Rangers? Giants?
Manny Ramirez still doesn't have a new offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers, but general manager Ned Colletti told the Los Angeles Times he and Scott Boras, the player's agent, are still talking and have been since Friday. "We still have differences on what we think, but we're still talking," Colletti said. In November, the Dodgers offered Ramirez a two-year, $45-million contract that they withdrew two weeks later when the player was able to open negotiations with other clubs. As for another Boras client, outfielder Andruw Jones intends to be an everyday player, the agent said, adding, "We're just looking for a situation."

Abreu asking for 3 years, $48 million

Bobby Abreu | Yankees
Yahoo Sports reported that free agent Bobby Abreu is looking for a $48 million contract over three years, which explains the tepid market for an outfielder who has driven in 100 or more runs six years in a row and scored 98 or more 10 years in a row. The Chicago Cubs considered Abreu before agreeing to a deal with Milton Bradley, but Abreu's demands priced himself out early, Yahoo Sports added. The Rays were a possible suitor for Abreu, but that option likely disappeared when Tampa Bay agreed to a deal with Pat Burrell on Monday.

Mets will not raise offer to Lowe

Derek Lowe | Dodgers | Interested: Red Sox? Phillies? Mets?
The New York Mets, confident that they have no serious competition for Derek Lowe, do not intend to raise their three-year, $36-million offer to the righthander at this time, Newsday reported. Lowe ranks as the Mets' first choice to replace Oliver Perez in their starting rotation, but they also are negotiating with Perez himself and lefthander Randy Wolf. Agent Scott Boras represents both Lowe and Perez. The Mets appear to be running the industry when it comes to what's left of the starting pitchers. None of the trio of Lowe, Perez and Wolf figures to commit anywhere before checking with the Mets first. Newsday added that Mets general manager Omar Minaya and his assistsants also have internally discussed a plan to re-sign injury-plagued Pedro Martinez, assuming Martinez is amenable to a contract with a low base salary and heavy with incentives.

Sources: Giants can't afford Manny

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<cite class="source"> By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com
Archive </cite>
<!-- begin story body --> <!-- template inline -->As hard as Scott Boras may be trying to portray the San Francisco Giants as serious bidders for Manny Ramirez, it's even harder to find executives in baseball who believe that.
According to one source familiar with the Giants' thinking, just about every recent rumor connecting the Giants with Manny is "unfounded" or "baloney." "If a million things came together over the next few weeks, would it be possible? Maybe," the source told ESPN.com. "But for where [Boras] is right now and where the team is right now, it doesn't make sense economically and it doesn't make sense for how the team fits together." Sources tell ESPN.com that in a conversation with the Dodgers last Friday, Boras continued to talk about five-year and four-year deals worth upward of $25 million a year.