Mike Lowell Needs A Leverage Lesson

Mike Lowell loves playing for the Boston Red Sox whether they win the World Series or end up losing to the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the ALCS. It really says a lot about a modern day player who is not afraid to voice his candid opinion to the media. Most athletes who choose to go this route are covered due to their extreme outspoken personalities (see: Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson). Lowell is currently getting press for sticking by his current team and showing loyalty in the wake of becoming a free agent. So what is so bad about that? There are definitely benefits of showing loyalty to your team (especially one that you truly want to stick with), however, by voicing those feelings to the media, Lowell is forfeiting a lot of his agent's leverage in upcoming negotiations at the end of this season. In response to a question about his feelings on A-Rod's impending decision on whether or not to opt out of his current contract with the Yankees, Lowell said, "I love it here and would love to re-sign here. I'm making that clear." [Lowell: 'I love it here']. Again, I think it is great that Lowell has those feelings. And in fact, he should express them to the world once he re-signs with the Red Sox (if he re-signs, actually). But while he is a free agent coming off the best statistical year of his career, he should probably keep those feelings to himself so that he may play for the team that he loves and make more money at the same time. -Darren Heitner