Jed Lowrie signs three-year deal with Houston Astros
By Andrew Padyk
The Houston Astros and free agent infielder Jed Lowrie have come to terms on a three-year contract with a fourth-year team option, according to Astros’ beat writer Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
The deal is worth up to $23 million over the span of the initial three years, but could be potentially worth $28 million as there is the aforementioned club option in place for a forth year at an additional $5 million.
Last season for the Oakland Athletics, Lowrie batted .249/.321/.355, with 125 hits in 566 plate appearances. It was a down year for the 30-year-old shortstop who also had a brief stint on the disabled list last August with a fracture to his right index finger. In two years with Oakland, the middle infielder batted a respectable .271/.334/.405 across 290 games.
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The deal is a reunion for the two sides, as Lowrie spent the 2012 campaign with Houston. That season, the played 97 games, batting .244/.332/.438 with 16 home runs in 387 plate appearances.
Lowrie will be at shortstop for the Astros once again as stated by manager A.J. Hinch, which means that last season’s duo of Jonathan Villar and Marwin Gonzalez will either be on the bench or one of them will most likely be sent down to Triple-A Fresno. The most likely choice would be Villar being sent down, while Gonzalez is kept up due to the fact that he can also back up not only shortstop, but also at second and third base.
This move is perfect for the Astros as it fills a need in the infield, and if Lowrie can produce as he did in 2013, then it will be an added boost to a lineup that will feature George Springer, Jose Altuve and Jon Singleton next season. The parameters of the contract are also perfect for the management of Carlos Correa‘s timetable to reach the Major Leagues, which has been projected to happen in the next two to three years.
While that is still left to be determined, Lowrie will most likely be the starter at shortstop for the foreseeable future.