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Rumorville: Derek Lowe/Corey Hart

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Braves are shopping Derek Lowe to any team who wants to give a 37-year-old $45 million over the next 3 years. One of the few teams mentioned is our beloved Brewers. Rosenthal insists the two teams were discussing a Lowe/Hart swap, though Mark Bowman, Adam McC's counterpart for the Braves, disagrees, saying the Braves don't care much for Hart's inability to take a walk, and the Brewers don't care much for Lowe's age and disappointing 2009.

I can't imagine trading for Lowe while still keeping Suppan. That's just crazy talk. However, I'd be happy to take on Lowe's contract if it means ridding ourselves of the Soup, even if it means two more seasons of paying an old guy a lot of money. Then again, I think Lowe just had an off-year last season: his four previous seasons produced ERAs under 4, including a sparkling 3.24/1.13 in 2008. And even though this quote from Rosenthal is like channeling a certain former Brewers manager, "Take away three poor starts [last season], and Lowe's ERA would have been 3.87."

It's interesting that Hart is in trade talks, in that we don't have an obvious replacement for him. I recall Jeff offering the idea of keeping Cameron and moving him to right field, plus it would free a spot for Gamel, were he to learn to play right field. Anyway, it's one thing to shop JJ, when you have his replacement knocking on the door. It's another to offer someone who doesn't have an obvious replacement. It reminds of when we were shopping TG Jr before acquiring Cameron.

Further bulletins as events warrant. Hat tip to MLBTR.