Dodgers righty Derek Lowe is entering a contract year again, and he feels much less pressure than he did entering the ’04 season. Lowe posted a 5.42 ERA but still snagged a four-year, $36MM deal from Paul DePodesta. I believe the deal was panned by many but it turned out phenomenally for L.A. There’s a decent chance he makes over 130 starts during the life of the contract. He’s been first or second in the league in groundball rate during each Dodger season.
Lowe turns 35 in June, and could be primed for $12MM a year if he has a typical ’08. He may be able to find a team willing to go to three years, if Scott Boras is on his game. Looking at the 2008-09 free agent class, Lowe may be accompanied by A.J. Burnett, Jon Garland, Pedro Martinez, C.C. Sabathia, and Ben Sheets.
