MLB Winter Meetings 2012: Mark Lowe drawing interest

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, and Milwaukee Brewers are five teams interested in Texas Rangers free agent reliever Mark Lowe, per Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. That’s the list of at least five teams currently interested in Lowe, who is coming off of a season in which he had a 3.43 ERA in nearly 40 innings for the Rangers.

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With five teams interested, that means the 29-year-old right-hander could be headed for a multi-year deal despite posting just 0.1 WAR last season. He received a high amount of luck last season with a BABIP of around .260, but his strikeout totals were down two per nine innings last season. Lowe should be able to bounce back from that latter drop-off, and he was worth 0.3 WAR in 2011 after a solid season for the Rangers in which he had an 8.4 K/9.

If any of those teams pulls the trigger on a two-year deal for him- that’s not advisable, though- then it’s probably going to be the Milwaukee Brewers based on sheer need. Jim Henderson and Jose Veras pitched well, but Francisco Rodriguez is a free agent and there is certainly room for more depth beyond John Axford.

Lowe is only a mediocre pitcher, but he could very well be one of the best 15. Even so, it’s still interesting to hear that he already has a solid list of potential suitors. But if Andrew Friedman and the Rays are interested, then the said reliever is definitely one to watch for closely. That organization is rarely wrong at identifying veteran relievers poised for a breakout season.

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