In the first part of my look back series, I will examine what could have been if the Yankees signed Mike Lowell back in 2007.
Lets say the Yankees sign Lowell to the reported offer of 4 years $60 Million. Here is most likely what would have happened since.
YANKEES TRADE EITHER HIDEKI MATSUI OR JOHNNY DAMON.
The Yankees would have two all-star capable Left-Fielders. The Giants were reportedly interested in a Matsui-for-Matt Cain swap, as were the Yankees. With no Lowell, though, the Yankees had Giambi at 1st and Matsui/Damon at DH. *In Peter Abraham's article he says the Yankees could have gotten both Matt Cain and Noah Lowry for Matsui....what a trade. *Also check out the bottom where a Tim Lincecum for Alex Rios trade was being proposed. Blue Jays probably still crying over that one.
YANKEES DON'T SIGN ONE OF MARK TEIXEIRA, or ALEX RODRIGUEZ.
With Mike Lowell's giant contract and Teixeira or Rodriguez's giant contract, they couldn't afford all three.
REDSOX SIGN ONE OF MARK TEIXEIRA, or ALEX RODRIGUEZ.
Makes perfect sense. Whichever is left over from the Yankees goes to the Redsox.
So lets recap. Here are the possible lineups.
WITH LOWELL AND TEIXEIRA
1. Jeter SS
2. Damon DH
3. Teixeira 1B
4. Posada C
5. Cano 2B
6. Lowell 3B
7. Swisher RF
8. Cabrera LF
9. Gardner CF
SP: Matt Cain
WITH LOWELL AND RODRIGUEZ
1. Jeter SS
2. Damon DH
3. Lowell 1B
4. Rodriguez 3B
5. Cano 2B
6. Posada C
7. Swisher RF
8. Cabrera LF
9. Gardner CF
Both lineups look much worse than their current one, while the 2nd one has back-to-back hip surgery patients.
So even though the Yankees might have a better rotation....I am very happy the Yankees did not sign Mike Lowell back in 2007.
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5 comments:
I don't buy the premise that the Yankees could have traded Matsui for Cain. If I recall correctly, this trade rumor was shot down by the Giants as soon as it had come out.
Otherwise, an interesting post.
I still think Texieira would have been a Redsox if the Yankees weren't interested. Most likely the Yankees wouldn't have been able to do one-for-one but I could see Cain for Matsui and a prospect at that point.
With Tex right now the Redsox would be in 1st in my opinion.
Thanks for reading!
I'm a Sox fan and a Mike Lowell fan obviously. One thing you left out is that even by signing Lowell, by losing either Tex or Arod you still free up a decent chunk of cash that could have been used to upgrade elsewhere. Not to mention what may have been fetched for Matsui in a deal, which at the time, may not have been much. So I think your lineup TODAY is unreal as much as I hate to say it. But I don't think it's as weak as it looks in this article.
CF Ellsbury
2B Pedroia
3B Youkilis
1B Teixeira
LF Bay
DH Ortiz
RF Drew
C Varitek
SS Whoever
That wouldn't look bad, But Teixeira wore 23 because of Mattingly right? No chance he was ever coming to the sox. EVER
I would have punched myself in the face repeatedly if the Yanks had blown that money on Lowell. He has never been a $15 mill player..hell he has never been worthy of a $10 mill per deal. It would have been pure stupidity to sign him....not that Cashman hasn't made stupid deals before...cough cough A-Rod resigning when no one else would have approached half of that deal..
Cough cough Kei Igawa Carl Pavano Jaret Wright cough haha but seriously Mike Lowell is a good if not great player...just not for the Yankees....imagine no Teixeira AND Teixeira on the redsox?
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