Atlanta Braves lose their mind, sign Derek Lowe to a mega deal

Surveillance photo of Derek Lowe robbing the Atlanta Braves, while agent Scott Boras waits in the getaway car.

The Atlanta Braves fell into the exact trap that I wrote about in a previous article.  They have greatly overspent for a second tier free agent, signing Derek Lowe to a four-year deal worth an astounding $60 million.

At a time when outrageous contracts are only awarded to superstar players and some middle class free agents are not even receiving contact offers at all (see Bobby Abreu or Oliver Perez), the Braves decided to open the safe and turn their back while Lowe ran off with as much money as he could carry.  It should come as no surprise to find out that the man driving the getaway car was none other than baseball super-agent Scott Boras.

This is a move that reeks of desperation.  The Braves failed to re-sign John Smoltz and trade talks have stalled with the Padres for Jake Peavy.  The Smoltz loss was met with particularly strong criticism from Georgians.  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the city’s largest newspaper, tore the Braves apart for letting Smoltz walk for a mere $5.5 million in guaranteed money.  From a public relations standpoint, the team had no choice but to sign a pitcher that the team could hang their hat on.

However, desperate times call for desperate measures, and no baseball agent is more adept at pulling on a needy team's purse strings than Scott Boras.  It is believed that the only offer for Lowe was from the New York Mets, for three years and $36 million.  This means the Braves outbid the Mets by one year and $24 million.  That is an extraordinary jump.

I need to make it clear that I am not a Lowe hater.  To the contrary, I am quite a fan of Lowe.  Four years ago, both Lowe and Pedro Martinez signed free agent contracts.  While Pedro fizzled out, Lowe performed extremely well.  Over the past four years, Lowe has averaged 213 IP and 14 wins per season.  He also had a combined ERA of 3.59 over that stretch, which equates to around the tenth best in the National League.

These numbers are very good, but they do not mean you should give a 35-year-old pitcher a four-year deal worth $15 million per season.  A three-year deal worth $40 million is perfectly acceptable for Lowe, but you need to know your limits.  If Lowe breaks down or becomes less effective in two years, the Braves will be stuck with a hefty burden.  I feel that the Braves are paying Lowe more for his past accomplishments than his future success.  Well, that and also to placate the screaming masses; which is never a good way to run a team.

D-Lowe, I wish you the best in Atlanta.  I truly hope you do well and I am certainly not mad at you for taking the money.  I am simply using your story as a cautionary tale of second tier free agent overspending.  Also, when a team is in trouble, it is never a good idea to call Scott Boras.