This may be the final year that Mike Lowell plays in the major leagues.
According to The Boston Globe's Amalie Benjamin, the third baseman has indicated that he "will almost certainly be done with baseball at the end of his deal."
Lowell signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract in November 2007 with Boston that expires at the end of the season.
Lowell is currently stuck on the bench despite over 10 years experience starting at third for the Florida Marlins and Red Sox. He lost his job after the signing of Adrian Beltre, although he will play at the hot corner in Saturday's game.
Lowell underwent hip surgery prior to the 2009 season and has yet to fully recover, with the hip restricting his movement on defense.
The Red Sox have been attempting to trade the 35-year-old but many teams are not interested in the aging slugger, especially at the $12 million salary Lowell carries.
The right-hander's best season came in 2007 when he was named the World Series MVP. He hit .324 with 21 home runs and 120 RBIs, finishing fifth in MVP balloting.
Lowell was acquired along with starting pitcher Josh Beckett prior to the 2006 season in exchange for Hanley Ramirez and minor league players.
Click here to see Tony Lee's take on Lowell's announcement. Amalie Benjamin appeared on Red Sox GameDay Live and spoke about the topic here.
