Cliff Lee out-pitched C.C. Sabathia last night, there's no question about that. Now, as Jon Heyman of SI.com points out, Lee's value is at an all-time high. The Phillies figure to try to lock Lee up this offseason, but he may cost $100MM or more. After two straight World Series appearances, however, Heyman says the Phillies have the "loot" to reach an agreement with their ace.
Agent Darek Braunecker, can make the argument that Lee has out-pitched Sabathia for the last two years, not just in Game 1. (FanGraphs happens to value Lee's 2008-09 performance a little higher than Sabathia's). But Lee is older than Sabathia and the Phillies have a $9MM option for Lee's services next year, so he doesn't have the negotiating power he would as a free agent.
When Heyman quizzed a couple of other agents about Lee's prospects, they predicted deals worth between $75-100MM. Here are some other rumors from around the league:
- Heyman says it's possible John Lackey will also command $100MM this winter.
- Mets ownership plans to hire another top executive, leading some team officials to suggest the higher-ups are preparing to oust GM Omar Minaya - or at least reduce his power.
- It's getting harder to imagine that the Nats' new manager will be anyone but Jim Riggleman, who took over after the team fired Manny Acta last summer.
