Do we risk insulting Lowe....

I understand the concept of negotiation and trying to get the player you want at a reasonable price but if you play hard ball you run the risk of losing that player. Omar has done a tremendous job in certain negotiation; Johan Santana, Pedro Martinez and Carlos Beltran. But he has also miss-read the market badly at times over paying badly for Luis Castillo and completing missing out on the relief market. The last time he thought he had the corner on the starting pitching market, they flew to California with an offer for Barry Zito they left without the pitcher signed and him calling the Mets officials arrogant. Now I know Zito signed a bloated contract and has been a complete flop but the point is that the Mets could be coming off, once again as very arrogant.

The Mets offered Lowe a contract that is worth less then what Carlos Silva received last year. Even if Silva's contract is horrible ( which it is) you can't pay Derek Lowe less. Playing hard ball like this, you do run the risk of completing turning off the player to your organization. Now, I know some say that if he's that sensitive he'll never make it in NY, but Lowe has already been successful in a large market ( Boston). It wouldn't be about sensitivity but more to do with not wanting to join an organization, where he'll more then likely end his career that nickle and dimed him...

I still feel that a deal will get done ( just my gut) but I am growing concerned wih how these negotiation are going. I wish they would have made a better starting offer, that would have warded off other suitors and not insulted our main target.

I hear that no way Derek Lowe takes the Mets' three-year, $36 million offer - unless that is all there is, and it is going to take a while longer in negotiations for Lowe/Scott Boras to believe that is really all there is out there for one of the majors' most dependable starters. source NY Post