One of the hottest rumors flying around Thursday at baseball's Winter Meetings is that the Boston Red Sox have agreed to trade third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for minor league catcher Max Ramirez.
Lowell, who has dealt with numerous injuries over the past few seasons, is set to make $12 million in 2010, while Ramirez's salary is substantially less; Ramirez made $402,000 last year.
Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman first reported that part of the transaction will be Boston sending between $8-$9 million to Texas to cover a large portion of Lowell's contract.
Which brings us to another big name flying around Indianapolis this week—Milton Bradley.
The Chicago Cubs have been doing everything possible to rid themselves of Bradley and the $21 million he's due over the next two seasons. They haven't been able to get a deal done, though, despite various rumors that there are interested teams.
Cubs chairman Crane Kenney told Chicago media on Wednesday that the Cubs have no plans to eat much, if any, of Bradley's salary in any deal. Which is where the connection to the Lowell-Ramirez deal comes into focus.
Boston has a number of large contracts due to players not in their long-term plans, with Lowell being at the top of their list to get out of town. The circumstances surrounding Lowell leaving Boston and the Cubs shopping Bradley are very different, though.
Lowell has been, by all accounts, a clubhouse leader in Boston who has performed when healthy. The Red Sox aren't moving Lowell because of personality issues, but because they need to open a roster spot for a new third or first baseman. The Red Sox are rumored to have interest in former Mariners third baseman Adrian Beltre.
The circumstances of the two teams trying to dump a player are universally different.
Lowell has never been a personality issue in Boston, but his health issues and the Red Sox desire to add a younger, healthier bat to their lineup forced Lowell out.
On the other hand, the divorce in Chicago has been a train wreck. Bradley, Cubs brass, and the fans at Wrigley Field haven't been on the same page since March and the Cubs are now trying to rid themselves of a player with a track record of issues.
If Boston is willing to take back a prospect and pay the majority of Lowell's contract, why would a team take Bradley and not expect the Cubs to send a substantial amount of cash with him?
The most popular rumor surrounding Bradley has been between the Cubs and Rays, with the Cubs taking Pat Burrell back in exchange for the switch-hitting outfielder. But with only one year left on Burrell's contract, indications have been that the finances of the deal have been the hold up.
With the Red Sox being as willing as they apparently have been to send cash to Texas with Lowell, the Cubs' bargaining position to move Bradley without cash has been greatly compromised. If the Cubs don't become more flexible with their willingness to pay to move Bradley, they might be stuck with him in 2010 and even beyond.
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