John Harper of the NY Daily News has a couple updates on the New York Mets and one on the New York Yankees. He reports the Mets have offered SP Derek lowe a three-year/$36MM contract and will not bid against themselves as the team does not believe Lowe has any other suitors. Apparently the air in Flushing Queens is a lot different than it is in the Bronx/Tampa, FL, because the New York Yankees have never seen a situation where they wouldn't bid against themselves. (See Alex Rodriguez and C.C. Sabathia.)
Mr. Harper also addresses the recent Andruw Jones for Luis Castillo trade rumor. The Mets want to move Luis Castillo's $18MM. It had little to do with Andruw Jones per se. Both players are owed the same amount of money, but Jones' would be gone after 2009. This frees the team of a slow bleed, but I am not sure a large market team like the Mets are hamstrung by paying a .350 OBP 2B $6MM over three years. My guess is the Mets would like to sign free agent 2B Orlando Hudson.
Finally, the door remains open for LHP Andy Pettitte to sign with the New York Yankees. Mr. Harpers source says the take-it-or-leave-it offer was a scare tactic, and Pettitte will return. If Pettitte re-signs, and I hope he does as a proven pitcher in the spotlight of NY media, then one can't help wondering exactly how far Phil Hughes' star has fallen.