Even as the Yankees press ahead in their talks to bring third baseman Alex Rodriguez back into the fold, free agent Mike Lowell remains a point of interest.
Mike Lowell was drafted by the Yankees and broke into the majors with New York. Now the club is interested in bringing him full-circle.
If anything, the Yankees are now coming at Lowell from another angle ... or corner.
According to reports in the New York Post and Star Ledger of Newark, the Yankees are talking with Lowell, Boston's third baseman the last two seasons, about moving from third to first.
"All I can say at this time is that the Yankees have engaged us," one of Lowell's agents, Seth Levinson, told the Post.
Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein put a new contract for the World Series MVP on the table last week, a three-year offer reportedly worth in the $35 million to $45 million range.
Where the Red Sox were the only team that could negotiate with Lowell through midnight on Monday, others now can make offers. It's not known if the Yankees and Lowell's agents have advanced beyond the discussion phase.
Lowell followed a superlative regular season -- career highs in batting average (.324) and RBIs (120) to go with 21 home runs in 154 games -- with an outstanding October. In Boston's four-game sweep of Colorado, Lowell hit .400 (6-for-15) with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs in winning
He homered, doubled and scored twice in the Game 4 clincher at Denver's Coors Field.
Lowell, who made $9 million last year, was selected by the Yankees in the 20th round of the 1995 amateur draft. He played eight games for New York in the 1998 season before being dealt to the Florida Marlins in February 1999. He was acquired by Boston from Florida in November 2005 in the Josh Beckett trade.
It is likely that Jason Giambi will play out the final season of his Yankees contract as the team's designated hitter. First baseman Andy Phillips is returning in 2008, but Lowell, who turns 34 in February, is known for excellent defense.
