Mike Lowell Trade to Rangers Called Off

By KC Downey in Featured, Red Sox, Top Story ⋅ December 19, 2009 at 9:56pm ⋅ Post a comment

For now, third baseman Mike Lowell will remain with the Red Sox, according to WEEI’s Rob Bradford. Instead of heading to the Rangers in a proposed deal for minor league catcher Max Ramirez, Lowell will instead undergo surgery on his injured right thumb, which will sideline him for 6-8 weeks. Due to the injury, the Rangers and Red Sox will not complete the trade.

Analysis

Lowell’s surgery puts a gigantic monkey wrench into the Sox offseason plans. If the team planned to trade for a power-hitting first baseman like Adrian Gonzalez, Lowell was the likely casualty. Perhaps Ramirez would have been spun in a trade for Gonzalez, but for the moment, that will not happen. Instead, the Red Sox inherit an aging third baseman who can’t field his position anymore (due to his list of ailments).

Also worth mentioning is the possibility that Lowell might be a bit disgruntled. After an injury-plagued campaign in 2008, he was involved trade rumors while the Sox pursued free agent first baseman Mark Teixeira. The Sox failed to get Tex, and Lowell had another injury-plagued season in 2009 (.290, 17 HR, 75 RBI).

Either way, stay tuned. I wonder what Theo and co. have up their sleeve next.