One such team may be the Florida Marlins.
According to The Miami Herald's "Fish Bytes" blog, the Marlins were in attendance on Monday, and Lowell's name "has come up in discussions … but it's unclear what [the Marlins'] interest level is."
Other than the Red Sox, the Marlins certainly know Lowell better than any other team. He spent seven years with the club, winning a World Series ring, before he was shipped to Boston following the 2005 season along with Josh Beckett for a package headlined by Hanley Ramirez.
The Marlins currently have an unsettled situation at both first and third base. The only certainty is that Jorge Cantu will start at one of the positions. If the club feels that Rule 5 pick Jorge Jimenez — plucked from the Red Sox organization via the Houston Astros — can handle third base at the major league level, they'll hand him the keys. Jimenez, however, has yet to play above Double-A.
The Fish also have two strong candidates to man first in Gaby Sanchez and Logan Morrison, although they both lack significant major league experience. (Still, Morrison is considered to be one of the top prospects in the game.)
If the internal candidates available to the Marlins aren't appealing, Lowell would represent a feel-good, homecoming story while giving Florida what it's seeking in its push for a playoff spot.
Lowell would be a veteran pickup who can contribute with the bat and, at least historically, has been a great defender. The Marlins annually rank near the bottom of the league in payroll, however, and they would certainly require the Red Sox to pick up a majority — if not all — of the $12 million Lowell is slated to make this season. In a failed trade to the Texas Rangers in the offseason, the Red Sox were set to pay $9 million of Lowell's salary.
It is unknown whether or not there were any other teams in attendance for Lowell's spring debut.
The Red Sox have said that if a spot can be found for Lowell on another team, they will do whatever they can to accommodate a trade. However, they have stated that they will not compromise and are prepared to carry Lowell on the bench.
