[4-6-3]

Per ESPN, Lowell trade is off. Lowell will have surgery after Christmas and recovery is 6-8 weeks.

Link

[MartyBarrettMVP]

It's off per Michael Silverman:

Source: Lowell needs thumb surgery, trade w Texas off. 6-8 wks recovery.

Source: http://twitter.com/MikeSilvermanBB

[Mugsys Jock]

Does insurance kick in here? If he has surgery that delays his availability for the top of the season?

Say they treat it conservatively with physical therapy, and he doesn't give up all hope and go for the surgery until April?

You do have to wonder why the Sox wouldn't have had this taken care of in November... unless they were hoping they could hide it.

This post has been edited by Mugsys Jock: 19 December 2009 - 10:03 PM

[templeUsox]

I assume, without any attempt to trade him this off-season, the Sox would have been completely ignorant of this condition until ST. That's pretty scary to me.

[SoxScout]

Why wasn't this fixed the week after the season ended? Was everyone just going to ignore it until spring training if there was no trade offer?

[Foulkey Reese]

I assume, without any attempt to trade him this off-season, the Sox would have been completely ignorant of this condition until ST. That's pretty scary to me.

That's what I was coming in here to post. What the hell would have happened had this trade not been initiated? Big black eye for the FO in my opinion.

[Noah]

I assume, without any attempt to trade him this off-season, the Sox would have been completely ignorant of this condition until ST. That's pretty scary to me.

Yeah. Maybe they should do pre-offseason physicals for everyone from now on.

[Bowlerman9]

That's what I was coming in here to post. What the hell would have happened had this trade not been initiated? Big black eye for the FO in my opinion.

Should the FO be conducting exit physicals for every player at the end of every season?

By all accounts, Lowell never told anyone his thumb was bothering him. This is squarely on Lowell.

How was the Sox FO supposed to know about this if Lowell wasnt going to tell them?

[Laser Show]

I just do not understand why Lowell didn't a) disclose this to the team or b) have it taken care of at the end of the season.

I was pretty sure they did pre-offseason physicals on everyone already... guess not.

[Rough Carrigan]

Is this Mike Lowell being passive aggressive or something? He does nothing right after the season for something that might take 2 months to heal? WTF? Then, after he's traded this arises?

Try and spin this, Rob Bradford.

[SoxFanSince57]

I think there were multiple reports that the thumb was injured and may need surgery. This particular diagnosis was revealed today, but since there had been reports prior to the Rangers looking at his thumb, the Sox and/or Lowell may have been trying to ignore the severity of the injury.

I agree that there was a lack of responsibility on the part of the Sox and/or Lowell to see a specialist until now. My guess is that Lowell felt that the injury would "go away" with time so he never got a specialist to look at it.

I suspect that the Sox will continue their efforts to replace Lowell. At some point during or after spring training/stint on the DL and some AAA rehab, the Sox will find a trading partner or DFA him. Sox may well lose an additional 3M and Max Ramirez because of this. I would be surprised if Lowell takes more than a handful of ABs with the Sox this season.

This post has been edited by SoxFanSince57: 19 December 2009 - 10:20 PM

[shawnrbu]

What a disaster this has turned out to be. Mike Lowell could be one surly veteran riding the bench in 2010. This isn't unprecedented in recent history. Remember the new deal Schilling was given following 2007 and a few weeks later he is diagnosed with a season ending injury. Bob Lobel could extend his career by another decade if Max Ramirez becomes any kind of player.

[4-6-3]

Yeah. Maybe they should do pre-offseason physicals for everyone from now on.

I'm surprised they don't have physicals at season end. So, I wonder how this changes any plans that Theo may have had regarding Max Ramirez and/or acquiring a corner infielder. Will we find out years from now just what the plan was for Max - like Theo described how they were interested in obtaining Cameron if Manny would have been claimed off waivers. Should be interesting ...

[Foulkey Reese]

Should the FO be conducting exit physicals for every player at the end of every season?

By all accounts, Lowell never told anyone his thumb was bothering him. This is squarely on Lowell.

How was the Sox FO supposed to know about this if Lowell wasnt going to tell them?

We've been hearing about the hand/thumb for over a week now though. I mean had he just gotten a physical a few days after the trade was announced he would have an extra week of getting ready for ST. The entire thing is a mess.

[Adirondack jack]

Should the FO be conducting exit physicals for every player at the end of every season?

By all accounts, Lowell never told anyone his thumb was bothering him. This is squarely on Lowell.

How was the Sox FO supposed to know about this if Lowell wasnt going to tell them?

Given the investment in these players one would think they would be doing exit physicals. I wouldn't be surprised if they did, despite this specific injury either going undetected or perhaps just being diagnosed as 'it's going to heal this winter' type thing.

However, Lowell always seemed to have issues with the (one or both?) thumb. I always assumed it was almost like a 'skiers thumb injury' from diving at balls while in the field, but that's slipping me now and unsure on why Lowell always wore that thumb guard hitting and it seeming to be an issue on different occasions.

Seeing as they were paying most the freight and that Max Ramirez reports seemed luke warm at best, this may not be the worst thing for both the Beltre negoiations, which I still serious question if anyone is actually willing to exceed $10 AAV or two years, or the fact that Lowell could in theory provide more value in 2010 than Max Ramirez may ever.

[E5 Yaz]

I'd be shocked if the front office hasn't put a contigency plan in the works by this stage.

The only thing that's "lost" thus far is acquiring Max Ramirez. Lowell will have his surgery and be out 8 weeks or so. The idea that this is a mess or a disaster really overstates the case. The trade didn't go through, so what. Lowell's a pro; at this point of his career, he's not likely to become a distraction.

But that's about all we know until the parties involved are quoted.

[OCD SS]

... Lowell's a pro; at this point of his career, he's not likely to become a distraction.

I wouldn't be so sure. He did not seem happy to have his playing time cut when VMart arrived; and IIRC there was a quote about how that arrangement "wouldn't work for a whole season."

[Bowlerman9]

We've been hearing about the hand/thumb for over a week now though. I mean had he just gotten a physical a few days after the trade was announced he would have an extra week of getting ready for ST. The entire thing is a mess.

Except he still could have elected to have the surgery after XMas, which he is. The timing doesnt really change. The Sox cannot force him to have surgery the same way they can't force him to have it the week or two weeks before XMas.

[bosockboy]

So he won't be ready for Spring Training. With the dearth of 3B options available the next 2-3 years, I suspect the Sox march on and sign Beltre anyway. Unless that 3 million saved is some tipping point for them going over the luxury tax. Theo did mention something in November about how tight the budget might get when they redid Wake's deal.

[Dogman2]

The article states that Lowell injured the thumb during the final week off the season during batting practice. I'm certain the FO knew about this injury. This is on the FO more then Lowell.

Also from the article:

This means the Rangers remain in the market for a right-handed bat. They have shown interest in Jermaine Dye, Vladimir Guerrero and Jim Thome.

Thome fits that description perfectly.