Derek Lowe Is Yankees' Odd Man Out When the Yankees signed Derek Lowe off waivers on Aug. 13, they believed his substantial playoff experience would serve the team well down the stretch. As a former starter and closer with the Boston Red Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves, with more than 95 postseason innings over seven different series, Lowe has more October experience than any pitcher in the Yankees' clubhouse other than Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera. With this season winding down, and opportunities for him to prove his aptitude dwindling, Lowe finds himself in an uncomfortable situation. If the Yankees reach the postseason, Lowe understands he will probably not make the roster. "Your mind-set is, 'O.K., this is playoff time, I'm going to play a pivotal role and be in a lot of games,' " Lowe said. That's the hardest thing to kind of grasp. Not only do you not have a pivotal role, the odds are you're not even going to be on the team to have a role. The 39-year-old Lowe has not allowed an earned run in four consecutive appearances, but they have come sporadically, and normally in tense-free situations. After throwing one inning against Baltimore in a 13-3 win on Sept. 9, he did not pitch again until Wednesday. "It's the first time in 16 years I've never had a role," Lowe said. Even when you're the long guy, at least you knew you were the long guy. So if a starter went down, you were the first guy to go in. I think that's tough. But there's nothing you can do. You just pitch when you're asked. After he was designated for assignment by Cleveland - he had an 8.80 earned run average in his last 12 starts - Lowe reworked his mechanics and fielded interest from the Orioles, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, and the Red Sox, the team he helped win a World Series in 2004. But, to him, the Yankees represented a better shot to pitch in the playoffs. Lowe said he does not regret coming to New York, even though he never got a chance to make a start while Ivan Nova and Andy Pettitte were injured. "I knew I wasn't going to start," Lowe said. There was never talk that I was going to get a chance to start. He understands the reason he came to the Bronx may ultimately not be in his future. "You just do the math," Lowe said. They're not going to carry 17 pitchers in the playoffs. You know what I mean? I wasn't very good at high school math, but when you start adding up people that are guaranteed to be on it, it adds up pretty fast. The pitching coach Larry Rothschild declined to speculate on the postseason roster, saying only that Lowe had looked better to him his last few outings. "I think he's getting a little bit used to the role," Rothschild said. There's an adjustment in there. He's gone back-to-back yesterday and today and pitched well in both those. Hopefully, he gets on a little roll. Lowe last pitched in the postseason in 2010 for the Braves, starting Game 4 of the National League Division Series. His career postseason mark stands at 5-7 with a 3.21 E.R.A. in 23 games (12 starts). The Yankees currently have Rafael Soriano, David Robertson, Boone Logan, Joba Chamberlain, David Phelps, Cody Eppley and Clay Rapada as their primary bullpen arms. "I'm not going to sit here and say this is fun," Lowe said. You play for the playoffs, and the experience of being down the stretch. But the bottom line is you have to look in the mirror and say, 'I put myself here.'  He added: "If you don't stink for two months, you're not having this conversation. This game is a performance-based business. It's that simple. JETER NOT GOING ANYWHERE Derek Jeter laughed off the suggestion that he might have thoughts of playing elsewhere after an ESPN article quoted him as saying he would be open to it. In response to a question regarding Peyton Manning and whether he might also someday change teams, Jeter told ESPN: "If I wanted to keep playing, yes. It's a business. People forget that. On Friday, Jeter maintained he was merely answering a hypothetical question. "I think it's comical," he said. I've told you guys time and time again I can't picture myself playing anywhere else. Jeter also returned to the designated hitter role Friday to give his sore left ankle a bit of a break after consecutive games at shortstop.