Phils To Foil Cashman’s Plans To Address Yanks Starting Pitcher Woes?
Via Tyler Kepner –
Nobody wants to be unemployed around the holidays, but Clifton Phifer Lee of Little Rock, Ark., does not seem to mind. The Yankees, the Texas Rangers and, now, the Philadelphia Phillies are eagerly awaiting Lee’s decision on where to continue his career, at $20 million or more per season.
“They have not made any decision,” Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman said Monday night. “Same as yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. He’s evaluating all his opportunities, whatever they are.”
The latest opportunity is probably what is taking Lee so long. The presence of the Phillies — his team at the end of 2009 — was especially troubling to the Yankees.
Privately, the Yankees were growing pessimistic as the night went on, believing that Lee might really be headed to Philadelphia for fewer years and less money.
The Phillies’ policy is never to guarantee a pitcher more than three years in a new contract — not even Roy Halladay, who signed a three-year, $60 million extension after his trade from Toronto last December. But Lee loved his time in Philadelphia, and the Phillies, who have already shed the contract of Jayson Werth, could lose more payroll by dealing starter Joe Blanton.
Give credit to Jon Heyman for sharing days ago that there was a “mystery team” in the hunt for Cliff Lee – along with the Yankees and Rangers. And, give credit to Joel Sherman for being the first – as far as I know – to bring the Phillies up, earlier today. And, all those bloggers, twitters, and other sundry internet comment leavers who scoffed at Heyman and/or Sherman should all now stand up and admit that their desire to ride in the front car of the snarky train now has them looking pretty darn stupid at this junction.
I gotta give Heyman & Sherman credit as well.
They just reported on ESPN that Cliff Lee is signing with the Phils—5 years, $100 million.
I never had much faith he would sign with the Yankees — not after Kristen Lee complained about Yankee fans — but I didn’t see this one coming.
lisaswan wrote:
I hope that didn’t factor into the decision, given Philly fans. Of course the obvious point would’ve been that those boorish Yankees fans were giving them a hard time because they were opponents; had they been with the home team, their treatment would’ve been different.
Jim TreshFan wrote:
One report has it as $115 million for 5 years…which would mean he’s being paid more than Halladay, which is interesting to me.
I’m sure Roy could care less though, what with Halladay, Lee, Oswalt and Hamels together on the same staff.
Since I thought seven years was too long, I have mixed feelings about this. But one thing is clear — it would be worse to be a Mets fan and wake up today to read this. But, then, it is always worse to be a Mets fan.
ESPN is reporting that:
Philly = 5Y/120M
Texas = 6Y/138M
NYY = 6Y/138M
Each deal has an option for a [sixth/seventh] year.
What that tells us is:
1. All the talk of him not wanting to leave the comforts of his home region was BS;
2. All the talk of Texas’s advantage due to the favorable tax situation in that state was BS; and
3. Lee left a minimum of $18M on the table to sign with a team that wasn’t involved at this time last week.
The Yanks did the best they could. They made a competitive offer. In the end, Lee neither wanted Yankee riches NOR Texas riches. He wanted to go back to where he pitched in ’09, in the NL. Can’t blame him. The NL will make him look even better than he looked in the AL.