The righty is believed to be looking for a five year $80 million deal, and the Phillies are now the front runners in the race to sign him, after the Yankees shelled out a massive $160 million on top pitching free agent C.C. Sabathia.That move could push Lowe's price up slightly, as he and former Toronto star A.J. Burnett are now the top two pitchers left on the market.
The 35-year-old has become well known as a durable pitcher with a great sinkerball, and a good postseason record.
Lowe has a 3.33 career ERA in the postseason, and he gave up just four runs in a perfect 3-0 playoff run for the Red Sox in 2004, when they won the World Series.
Last season he had a record of 14-11 in the Dodgers' rotation, but these stats would have been better had the Dodgers had any offence earlier in the season, before the late trade for Manny Ramirez.
A deal for Lowe would make Moyer's return less likely, although the Phillies could still do with another pitcher to add to their rotation, as behind ace Cole Hamels the only vaguely consistent pitcher is Joe Blanton.
You never know what you are going to get with Brett Myers and Kyle Kendrick faded badly at the back end of last year.
Moyer could still fill a spot in the rotation even if Lowe does sign, however very little progress has been made in terms of resigning the lefty since he filed for free agency.At least the two parties are talking though and Philly have stated they want to bring Moyer back, which is more than can be said for the Phillies and left fielder Pat Burrell.
So far the management team have not even been in contact with Burrell, increasing the speculation that they are determined to look elsewhere to find the outfielder they desire.
If they do, then Philly are likely to try and find a right-handed batter to offset the mass of lefty hitters in the middle of their lineup.
Going back to pitchers, the word is going around that the team are on the verge of signing unattached right-hander Chan Ho Park, another former Dodger, to act as a middle-inning reliever and an occasional starter.
The 35-year-old South Korean was a regular starter at the turn of the century, but has been used more and more sparingly in that role over the last few years.
He has some reasonable stats last year, picking up a 4-4 record with five starts and an ERA of 3.40 for LA, but if the deal is done it will be interesting to see how he copes in a hitter-friendly ballpark.
Speaking of pitchers or rather pitchers speaking, ace Cole Hamels is in the process of becoming a true Phillies legend, after the World Series MVP laid into the rival Mets on a New York radio station.
In a truly gutsy interview in enemy territory trying to promote the Phillies' World Series DVD, Hamels slated the Mets and labeled them "choke artists" in the wake of their failure to make the playoffs the last two years.Both times the Mets were seen as the class of the NL East, but both times they faded late in the season having led the division the majority of the way, allowing the Phillies to take back-to-back division titles.
Hamels said he would continue to see New York's 'other team' as choke artists until they prove otherwise, and then proceeded to attack Mets short stop Jose Reyes.
The starter suggested Reyes is a show-boater because of his finger-pointing home run celebration, acting like his hit has won the game, even if it is only come a few innings in.
The lefty also stated that he and the rest of the Phillies had had a go at teammate Shane Victorino, when he used a similar celebration after hitting a grand slam off the then Brewers pitcher C.C. Sabathia, in this year's NLDS.
It is great to see a young star standing up and criticising show-boating, in an age where massive salaries and massive egos are threatening to turn baseball into a soap opera.
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