In an offseason like this, how does Kyle Lohse end up signing for $4.25 million, plus a few hundred grand in potential performance bonuses? The Mariners signed Carlos Silva to a $48 million deal earlier this offseason; Lohse isn't obviously a worse pitcher, and with Seattle's big ballpark and shaky infield defense (UPDATE: The M's don't particularly have shaky infield defense. I have no idea what I was talking about there), Lohse might have actually pitched better for them than the groundball-inducing Silva.

I'm not calling out Seattle specifically - Lohse is a Scott Boras client, which may have meant that he'd have to be signed under a completely different set of conditions than Silva. I'm just wondering how Lohse got so little. He pitched 192 near-average innings last year, and he isn't old - he should have value, and to my eyes there are any number of contenders (Tigers, Phillies, Padres) and wanna-be contenders (Astros, White Sox) who could have used Lohse.