In the three weeks since winning their second championship in four seasons, the Red Sox have re-signed their two biggest free agents, Lowell and pitcher Curt Schilling, and exercised options on Tim Wakefield and Julian Tavarez.

Lowell, 33, who made $9 million this season, had sought four guaranteed years and might have gotten it elsewhere.

A high-priced castoff of the Florida Marlins who was dumped on the Red Sox in the Josh Beckett trade, Lowell moved into the fifth spot in Boston's powerful lineup behind David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez. Lowell hit 21 homers this season while reaching career highs with a .324 average and 120 RBIs.

Lowell batted .400 (6-for-15) during Boston's four-game Series sweep of the Colorado Rockies, with four RBIs, three walks and a team-high six runs to earn MVP honors. Red Sox fans were still celebrating at Coors Field when they began chanting for management to re-sign Lowell and ignore the temptations offered by AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, alternating chants of "Re-sign Lowell!" with chants of "Don't sign A-Rod!"

During the team's victory parade, Ramirez also cast a vote for the incumbent: "Forget about A-Rod," he yelled, "we've got Mike Lowell in the house!"

A four-time All-Star, Lowell was the honorary grand marshal at a Disney World parade last week. In announcing his new contract, the team also said Lowell had been named this year's Thomas A. Yawkey Award recipient, as the team's most valuable player. He becomes just the third Red Sox third baseman to win the award, after Frank Malzone in 1957 and 1959, and Wade Boggs in 1985.

The other remaining Red Sox free agents are backup outfielders Bobby Kielty and Eric Hinske, shortstop Royce Clayton, relievers Eric Gagne and Mike Timlin and backup catcher Doug Mirabelli.