Less than a month before opening day, Kyle Lohse remains unemployed.And, it seems, he's starting to panic.
Lohse, who had been seeking a five-year contract worth approximately $10 million annually, now reportedly is willing to accept a one-year deal worth between $4 million and $10 million. But even if his asking price has dropped that much, the Phillies insist they are no longer interested in bringing him back. It should be noted that Lohse and agent Scott Boras rejected the Phillies' three-year, $21 million offer during the offseason.
"I will say at those numbers we're probably not interested," assistant GM Mike Arbuckle said, referring to the one-year, $4-10 million possibility. "Let me change that. At those numbers, I know we're not interested."
I wonder if things might've been different for Lohse if he had a better postseason. Had he tossed seven solid innings against the Rockies in a nationally televised game, I wonder if he would've gotten the five-year, $50 million contract that Boras was so sure he'd get. Instead, Lohse relieved Kyle Kendrick in Game 2 and served up Kazuo Matsui's game-breaking grand slam.
It'll be interesting to see where Lohse ends up -- and if he allows Boras to negotiate his next contract.
3 comments:
I'm pretty confused Scott. Why would the Phillies not be interested at 1 yr/$4mill when they once offered him 3 yr/$21 mill?
I agree with Tom... stories like this make me think there are potential clubhouse friction issues us fans aren't always privy to...
Given our current shaky #5 situation, 4mil. doesn't look so bad on paper.
$4 million a year is an absolute steal in this market. It's borderline criminal, from a talent standpoint, to go with Eaton as your fifth starter instead of paying Lohse such a paltry salary.
Give me a break with this self-imposed salary cap; Lohse is better than Eaton, which will mean more regular season wins, which will mean both a possible playoff berth and higher attendance figures throughout the year. It's not rocket science, and it's compounded by the fact that Eaton is oh-so-terrible.
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