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I'm not sure I've ever been this disappointed to announce a free agent signing.
This morning Tom Haudricourt was reporting that Kyle Lohse was in Maryvale for a physical today, and assuming no problems are reported he'll ink a three year deal for "just over $30 million." The terms of his contract have since been updated to three years, $33 million with a breakdown as follows:
Season | Payment |
2013 | $4 million |
2014 | $11 million |
2015 | $11 million |
2016-18 | $7 million total in deferred salary |
I'm sure most of you know the details on Lohse but in case you don't: He's 34 and a veteran of 12 MLB seasons, including the last five as a member of the Cardinals. He posted a career-low 2.86 ERA over a career-high 211 innings a year ago, receiving Cy Young Award votes for the first time. You may notice a massive difference between that 2.86 number and his 4.45 career mark, or the 6.55 mark he posted in 2010.
Lohse has pitched 120 or more innings in just two of the last four seasons, and has broken 200 in just three of his 12 major league years. He's been throwing simulated games, so it remains to be seen how close he is to being ready to pitch early in the 2013 season.
Signing Lohse also costs the Brewers the #17 pick in the 2013 draft and the draft spending allotment that comes with it, so this move puts a dent in the short and long-term futures.