With Dice-K's Return, Is It Goodbye For Lowell?

With Daisuke Matsuzaka scheduled to make his return from the disabled list in his start tonight for the Boston Red Sox, the team will need to make a roster move in order to make room for Dice-K. Could Mike Lowell finally be on the move as a result?

The Red Sox will need to give one player on their active roster the boot, and when faced with that question, who do you pick? Daniel Nava was the one called up for Matsuzaka's place, but it would be counterintuitive to move him now that he's become one the biggest offensive contributors of late. Guys like Reddick and McDonald aren't necessarily tearing it up, but their production is certainly sufficient thus far. And with a banged up outfield, do you really want to cut off one player from a platoon that has worked so well? Ellsbury is still hurt, Cameron is always on-and-off, and JD Drew has been suffered from a sore hamstring. You really have no room to toss out an outfielder. So what's next? Do you take Dustin Richardson out from the bullpen where he's been a pleasant surprise? Removing a bullpen pitcher will just make that list in the pen even thinner than before, a list that Terry Francona has been carefully monitoring to avoid overusing guys like Daniel Bard. As much as you might hate to say the time has come, Mike Lowell is the guy you need to designate for assignment here if you still can't work some kind of negotiation with another team. Lowell is 4 for his last 45 (.089) and is, for all intents and purposes, the most useless player the Sox have on the bench. He's so hobbled up that he can't really run much, so he's only really valuable in pinch-hitting situations. Given that he's 4 for his last 45, that doesn't seem to be working too well, either.

I know that many Sox fans will get that bitter feeling of seeing such a great Red Sox player leave town on such a dull note. It hasn't been hostile and there has been no aggression -- Lowell is a respectful guy. But just know that whatever the outcome is, Lowell just wants to play baseball. He's said before that the Sox are wasting a roster spot on him, and that he would like to at least give it a shot somewhere else where he can play. From a neutral perspective, anyone can tell you that Lowell isn't doing much help here. So the all-around right decision would be to let him go. The guy gave so much to Boston, the least we can do is accommodate his wishes  (which, in fact, are actually best for the team, too.).

Will this move happen? It will have to happen before tonight when Daisuke Matsuzaka is activated and takes the hill against the Rockies.