Derek Lowe drawing interest from five clubs

Free-agent right-hander Derek Lowe is garnering interest from five different big-league clubs, but he has not pulled the trigger on any offers because they all want to use him as a swingman rather than a starter, reports Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:

The 39-year-old said he’s heard from five teams, all of which want him to be a swingman. But Lowe is resisting.

"I’ve heard the same thing from everyone," Lowe said. "I want to be a starter and feel I have a lot left in being a regular starter in a rotation and making my 30-plus starts.

"I can still do that."

The 39-year-old Lowe had been a full-time major-league starter from 2002 through the first half of 2012 -- averaging 32 starts a season for the last 11 years -- but when the New York Yankees picked him up following his release by the Cleveland Indians they put him in the bullpen. The extreme ground-ball pitcher's career took off in the bullpen as the closer for the Boston Red Sox, but he proved to be even more valuable in the rotation.

The Yankees moved Lowe into the bullpen because his numbers as a starter have declined severely the last two seasons, with the right-hander posting an ERA well over 5.00. Lowe can still eat innings if a team is in the need for someone to do so, but his ability to get swings and misses has completely dropped off the table.