Yanks, Phils most aggressive for Lowe

Jon Heyman is reporting that the Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies are the top two contenders for Derek Lowe's services.

The Phillies and Yankees appear for the moment to have emerged as the two most prominent contenders for star free-agent pitcher Derek Lowe, who seeks at least a five-year deal for about $80 million.

The 35-yer [sic]-old Lowe has been pursued by about 10 teams, but it appears those two have been among the more aggressive for Lowe. The Red Sox and Mets are among interested teams discouraged by the price. An official with one team interested in Lowe said he was "shocked'' how high the bidding appears to be going.

That's way too much for Lowe, and I don't know exactly how successful he'd be returning to the AL East. Just look at his last two years with the Red Sox, for example.

Aside from CC Sabathia, I think two years for Ben Sheets is the best offer I've seen so far.