IF: Ted Lilly is worth a four-year contract close to $10M per...
THEN: Noah Lowry, signed for the next four seasons for a total of $14M, is one of the biggest bargains in the game.
You can't front on that logic. I went over a lot of this here, but that was before Lowry's name was actually coming up in rumors. Lowry for Sexson? Not a fair deal. Lowry did have a down year last year, but he's pitched more 200-inning seasons than Lilly over his career. Sexson is good, but owed far more than he's worth. Lowry for Ramirez, with the Giants neglecting to sign Bonds? That'd be a legendary blunder, as Lowry + Bonds = more financial flexibility for 2008 and a better team for 2007.
I'm not saying that Lowry is destined for greatness, but that he's destined for competence. He's already established he can be a middle of the rotation starter, and should only be dealt for pre-arbitration players or for young players whose arbitration years have also been bought out. Mike Jacobs, maybe. Wily Mo Pena and friends, perhaps.
But you just know -- feel it in the pit of your soul -- that one of these is going to come about:
Lowry for Garrett Anderson
Lowry for Richie Sexson
Lowry for Melvin Mora
Lowry for Geoff Jenkins and Derrick Turnbow
Lowry for Pat Burrell
Mark Mulder for 2/$15M (with incentives)
Jason Marquis for 3/$27M