When it comes to pitching, Cliff Lee will be the prize of the upcoming offseason. Though free agent starters such as Javier Vazquez, Ted Lilly and Hiroki Kuroda would be welcome additions to many MLB rotations, they haven't pitched as well as Lee in recent years.
After winning the 2008 Cy Young Award, Lee posted a 3.22 ERA in over 230 innings last year, striking out more than four times as many batters as he walked. So far in 2010, the lefty has a 3.28 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 0.7 BB/9 as he closes in on his fifth 200 inning season. Lee, 32, has set himself up for a big free agent payday. Here's a list of teams with possible interest:
- Yankees – It's long been assumed that the Yankees will offer Lee a massive contract. The Bronx Bombers have outbid others before and their financial might will likely come in to play again. After all, some believe Lee will go to Siberia if that's where the money is.
- Tigers – The Tigers have an open rotation spot and money coming off the books. It's a natural fit.
- Rangers – The Rangers know Lee will be pricey, but they're prepared to bid on him.
- Nationals - GM Mike Rizzo identified starting pitching as a major need even before Stephen Strasburg underwent Tommy John surgery. The Nationals have been willing to spend on free agents in recent years.
- Dodgers – Ted Lilly, Vicente Padilla and Hiroki Kuroda hit free agency and the Dodgers have to replace that production somehow.
- The Twins, Mets, Reds, Brewers and Padres may have interest, depending on how the next few months unfold. Lee could have an extra suitor or two if the Twins lose Carl Pavano, the Mets decide they can spend more than expected, the Reds let Bronson Arroyo walk or the Padres surprise people. At this point, it seems more likely that the Yankees, Tigers and Rangers will be Lee's most serious suitors.
I would love if Cliff Lee went to Toronto. Just somewhere, noone would ever expect.
I agree that it would be nice if he went somewhere off the radar, like when the reds won the chapman sweepstakes.. I don’t see Toronto as a good fit though.
I agree that it would be nice if he went somewhere off the radar, like when the reds won the chapman sweepstakes.. I don’t see Toronto as a good fit though.
Toronto doesn’t need Lee, and the last thing the rotation needs is another LH pitcher.
Lee’s contract will be an albatross by the 2nd season
not saying it makes sense…just saying…it would be nice if these other
owners would stop crying broke and pony up the money to compete.
The contract Cliff Lee might get on the open market may not look well few years from now…
it will def be interesting to see how it plays out..
it will def be interesting to see how it plays out..
Those massive contracts never do, but all GMs already know this.
The reasoning is that if the guy helps you WIN, then it’s worth it (i.e. the Sabathia contract).
I’d have to agree. If the ultimate goal in baseball is to win championships, and the player in question plays a large part in helping the team do so…
not saying it makes sense…just saying…it would be nice if these other
owners would stop crying broke and pony up the money to compete.
Toronto doesn’t need Lee, and the last thing the rotation needs is another LH pitcher.
Lee’s contract will be an albatross by the 2nd season
I would love if Cliff Lee went to Toronto. Just somewhere, noone would ever expect.
I just don’t see any one outbidding the Yankees…The only thing I see stopping him from being a Yankee is if he doesn’t want to go there for some reason. However good friends with CC, already ahd talks about CC when he thought he was traded there, I just don’t see that being the case!
So the Yankees’ payroll is infinite? They want Lee, but they also want Crawford and lord knows how many other teams’ free agents this winter. I think unless they get into a bidding war with the Red Sox, the Yankees don’t necessarily have a lock on outbidding the Rangers for Lee. If Lee goes to the Yankees, it will be because he wants to be there and will be leaving money on the table in not accepting the Rangers’ offer.
You’re getting all that Carl Crawford stuff from the media, the Yankees have not actually spoken on wether they want him or not besides with Hal running, he reall isn’t going to spend as much as his dad, as they have shown in 2009 offseason… The yanks have 3 quality outfielders all under team control for the next 2 years or more
So it’s okay to listen to all of the hype surrounding Cliff Lee and the Yankees, presented to you by the media, but it’s not okay to listen to all of the hype surrounding the Yankees interest in Carl Crawford, and even Jayson Werth… As I said yesterday, 99.9% of the baseball world expects the Yankees to bid on one of Carl Crawford and Jayson Werth. Whether you like that or not, it’s going to happen.
I think that Lee will be the Yanks priority, and that the Tigers will not want to go as long as Lee will be able to get. I’m not so sure that the Yanks will chase Crawford. They have plenty on their plate with Jeter, Mariano, Pettite, and Vazquez all becoming free agents, and they figure to bring back three of those four. Vazquez will be outta New York. If Pettite retires, the Cash man will probably go after another free agent to replace him as well. I see them sticking with their current outfielders.
I could see the Tigers signing a starting pitcher, and I think they need to, but I could also see Dombrowski standing pat and pretending that the current rotation with the addition of Andy Oliver is sufficient. It isn’t. Pavano, Kuroda, Lilly, Arroyo, Webb, DeLaRosa, and Padilla are more likely targets for the Tigers, and Dombrowski has a very strong preference for trading rather than signing a free agent.
I think that Lee will be the Yanks priority, and that the Tigers will not want to go as long as Lee will be able to get. I’m not so sure that the Yanks will chase Crawford. They have plenty on their plate with Jeter, Mariano, Pettite, and Vazquez all becoming free agents, and they figure to bring back three of those four. Vazquez will be outta New York. If Pettite retires, the Cash man will probably go after another free agent to replace him as well. I see them sticking with their current outfielders.
I could see the Tigers signing a starting pitcher, and I think they need to, but I could also see Dombrowski standing pat and pretending that the current rotation with the addition of Andy Oliver is sufficient. It isn’t. Pavano, Kuroda, Lilly, Arroyo, Webb, DeLaRosa, and Padilla are more likely targets for the Tigers, and Dombrowski has a very strong preference for trading rather than signing a free agent.
I just don’t see any one outbidding the Yankees…The only thing I see stopping him from being a Yankee is if he doesn’t want to go there for some reason. However good friends with CC, already ahd talks about CC when he thought he was traded there, I just don’t see that being the case!
Dear Rockies,
Please get Cliff Lee
Given their disasterous foray into high profile, big name free agents (Neagle, Kile, Hampton, etc.), I doubt the Rocks would be interested.
Given their disasterous foray into high profile, big name free agents (Neagle, Kile, Hampton, etc.), I doubt the Rocks would be interested.
Dear Rockies,
Please get Cliff Lee
I see a 5 year $100+ mil offer from Yanks coming and seems like it would be the best deal for both sides. I wouldn’t go above 5 years tho (see AJ Burnett).
I see a 5 year $100+ mil offer from Yanks coming and seems like it would be the best deal for both sides. I wouldn’t go above 5 years tho (see AJ Burnett).
i think he will stay in Texas. why they do not have a state income tax so even if the Yankees outbid in money he may say for once i am on a team from the start of a season that has a chance to win for a few years. Yankees are great i am a Mets fan but there he will be #2 behind CC again in Texas he will be the ace.
i think he will stay in Texas. why they do not have a state income tax so even if the Yankees outbid in money he may say for once i am on a team from the start of a season that has a chance to win for a few years. Yankees are great i am a Mets fan but there he will be #2 behind CC again in Texas he will be the ace.
Alot of mlb pitchers would love to have Nolan Ryan avail to give them tips on pitching . He is very popular with the pitchers on the staff a go to guy. Now he is part owner. Texas has money now . They are no longer bankrupt.
Alot of mlb pitchers would love to have Nolan Ryan avail to give them tips on pitching . He is very popular with the pitchers on the staff a go to guy. Now he is part owner. Texas has money now . They are no longer bankrupt.
Yeah, the only way the Yanks don’t land Lee is if they decide they don’t want him……
What no one is really mentioning is how the Yanks will have 3 full NTC’s in their rotation (Assuming Lee demands one, which seems almost certain)….I’m a Red Sox fan so it doesn’t scare me (actually makes me optimistic), but are any Yankee fans nervous about that?
Correction: Burnett has a limited NTC – 10 teams each year are on it.
It is a good point to consider. Yes the Yankees have more money than God, but sooner or later all those big money, 4-5 year contracts will paralyze their payroll. I mean, they’re going to pay Jeter and Rivera until they retire, have A-Rod, Tex, Burnett, and CC under long term contract. And they’ll need to pay up on Cano real soon. How many long term, big contracts can they take on?
Exactly.ARod has already shown signs of regressing. In fact, his WAR values for the last 4 years are 9.2, 6.0, 4.7, 3.2. That must be cause for alarm as his contract is literally untradeable.Over the last 3 years, Teixeira has shown similar decline. His WAR values are 7.3, 5.6, 3.3. Even C.C., while he’s probably lived up to his contract the most, has declined slightly over the years. With CC, however, I feel that it was more of the fact that the Yankees signed him while he was in his prime. He’s leveled out to a 4.0 WAR after sporting a whopping 7.5 WAR during his contract year.If I were the Yankees, I would be more than alarmed by the overall decline of their players performance. They are only getting older. If they lock up Lee to another long term deal, they’ll only be adding another declining player to their arsenal. Yes, he’ll give them a couple great years…but it’s likely that he’ll give them a couple mediocre years as well…and those mediocre years will still be at a 20m+ salary.
We’ve been hearing the ‘they’re only getting older’ mantra about the Yankees for a full decade now. And while it had some backing back when they had no minor league talent and a dysfunctional front office, it’s now a tired and inaccurate cliche.
They have slowly but surely shifted their core from Pettitte, Jeter, and A-Rod to similar, younger, and healthier high-end talent like Teixeira, Cano, and Sabathia. Guys like Swisher, Gardner, Granderson and Hughes are not quite ‘core’, but they are very good, young players to surround their highest-end talent.
This fact is why, even though Jeter and A-Rod are having their worst-ever years, and Pettitte and Posada have missed significant time, the Yankees are still the best team in the game. And since their new ‘core’ players are 30 or younger at the moment, and their ‘fill-in’ players are also young, it doesn’t look like they’re going away any time soon.
You missed my point entirely. Yes, their “core” is young right now..but they are all signed well into their mid 30’s. If they continue to decline as they have been, they will be a team full of 35 year old has-beens all getting paid as if they were 30 year olds in their prime. The problem isn’t with the roster today, or even next year…it’s 3-5 years from now. Giving Lee a 5 year, 125m contract with a full NTC would add another 35+ year old to their arsenal 4-5 years from now.
I actually hit on your point – the same story was being told 5 years ago, many high-priced players were in full decline, their prime-aged core was aging, and they wouldn’t be able to contend for years, etc.
The Yankees, time and time again, have shown the ability, through intelligent scouting, trades, player development, and, yes, pure financial clout in free agency, to replace their core. I don’t see any reason why we should doubt their ability to do so going forward.
They were very successful from 2001-2008, eh?I’m not saying they won’t eventually recover, but they are setting themselves up for another 2001-2008-esque period IMO.
You mean a period where they make the postseason all but one year, win 2 World Series, and appear in two more, averaging 96.5 wins a year?
I’ll sign up for that in a cocaine heartbeat, thanks.
Sorry, had the dates wrong…but thought you’d get the point regardless
You mean a period where they made the World Series twice, made the postseason all but one year, and averaged 96.8 wins a year?
You can’t even use selective endpoints (one of the worst ways to argue) properly to make your point.
You’re so biased it’s ridiculous. I was trying to refer to the period when the Yankees had several washed-up, declining players locked up with over-sized contracts. I’m done arguing with you, you’re hopeless.
Okay, so you’ve referred to that period. So did I. What are the facts? The facts are that the Yankees STILL SUCCEEDED despite having washed-up, overpriced players locked into long-term contracts.
Why?
Because they ALSO had several prime-aged, high-talent players performing well during that time!
I’m just saying, if the ‘bleak’ future you’re predicting is the Yankees winning 96.5 games a year, you’ve made a lot of Yankee fans happy.
But he’s right. Even when they had washed up players with large contracts (Giambi, Pavano, etc…), they were still at the top of the class in all of baseball. So… what’s your point exactly? Because while they are a more complete team now, with younger talent, they were still one of the best teams, if not the best, for the last decade, while housing washed players with large contracts.
You’re so biased it’s ridiculous. I was trying to refer to the period when the Yankees had several washed-up, declining players locked up with over-sized contracts. I’m done arguing with you, you’re hopeless.
You mean a period where they made the World Series twice, made the postseason all but one year, and averaged 96.8 wins a year?
You can’t even use selective endpoints (one of the worst ways to argue) properly to make your point.
Sorry, had the dates wrong…but thought you’d get the point regardless
You mean a period where they make the postseason all but one year, win 2 World Series, and appear in two more, averaging 96.5 wins a year?
I’ll sign up for that in a cocaine heartbeat, thanks.
They were very successful from 2001-2008, eh?I’m not saying they won’t eventually recover, but they are setting themselves up for another 2001-2008-esque period IMO.
Your post makes me wish this site had a LOVE button.
We’ve been hearing the ‘they’re only getting older’ mantra about the Yankees for a full decade now. And while it had some backing back when they had no minor league talent and a dysfunctional front office, it’s now a tired and inaccurate cliche.
They have slowly but surely shifted their core from Pettitte, Jeter, and A-Rod to similar, younger, and healthier high-end talent like Teixeira, Cano, and Sabathia. Guys like Swisher, Gardner, Granderson and Hughes are not quite ‘core’, but they are very good, young players to surround their highest-end talent.
This fact is why, even though Jeter and A-Rod are having their worst-ever years, and Pettitte and Posada have missed significant time, the Yankees are still the best team in the game. And since their new ‘core’ players are 30 or younger at the moment, and their ‘fill-in’ players are also young, it doesn’t look like they’re going away any time soon.
Exactly.ARod has already shown signs of regressing. In fact, his WAR values for the last 4 years are 9.2, 6.0, 4.7, 3.2. That must be cause for alarm as his contract is literally untradeable.Over the last 3 years, Teixeira has shown similar decline. His WAR values are 7.3, 5.6, 3.3. Even C.C., while he’s probably lived up to his contract the most, has declined slightly over the years. With CC, however, I feel that it was more of the fact that the Yankees signed him while he was in his prime. He’s leveled out to a 4.0 WAR after sporting a whopping 7.5 WAR during his contract year.If I were the Yankees, I would be more than alarmed by the overall decline of their players performance. They are only getting older. If they lock up Lee to another long term deal, they’ll only be adding another declining player to their arsenal. Yes, he’ll give them a couple great years…but it’s likely that he’ll give them a couple mediocre years as well…and those mediocre years will still be at a 20m+ salary.
Don’t forget trying to land Carl Crawford and other free agents as well. There has to be a tipping point even with the Yankees payroll. And if there isn’t, there should be.
There’s actually no evidence to support this.
The Yankees are operating on a different level than other teams. If you look at Forbes’ team values, it’s clear that the Yankees are worth 2-4 times more than other major market clubs (L.A., Boston, NY, ChC), and 4-6 times more than everyone else. The general trend is that teams seem to be fielding payrolls of roughly 20-25% of their supposed value; if we were to apply this to the Yankees, they’d be capable of $350-400+ million dollar payrolls.
Admittedly, this is a simplistic analysis, for the sake of brevity, but likely reflective.
The only thing stopping the Yankees from fielding $400+ million dollar payrolls is the luxury tax, and that they just simply don’t want to deal with the PR hassle and chastising from Selig.
It is a good point to consider. Yes the Yankees have more money than God, but sooner or later all those big money, 4-5 year contracts will paralyze their payroll. I mean, they’re going to pay Jeter and Rivera until they retire, have A-Rod, Tex, Burnett, and CC under long term contract. And they’ll need to pay up on Cano real soon. How many long term, big contracts can they take on?
Nervous about NTCs?
Those almost never matter when it comes to contending teams, because contending teams rarely trade their high-priced players, and if they are in a situation where they want to trade a guy, well, their team would probably be so dysfunctional already that the player would probably want out.
Plus, those contracts are enough of a NTC themself…who would take on that massive thing?
I know the Sox have a policy of not offering NTC’s, and that’s cute, but it only serves to hurt their chances at acquiring top-shelf talent.
I don’t see how the no NTC policy is “cute,” but it’s certainly a good policy to go by. Of course there will be exceptions along the way, but I like the idea of having an “out” down the road if he doesn’t live up to his contract.
Yes, the contracts are often “untradeable”…but if a team is willing to eat part of the contract in order to save face and open a roster spot, a trade is always possible…unless there’s a full NTC.
I don’t see how the no NTC policy is “cute,” but it’s certainly a good policy to go by. Of course there will be exceptions along the way, but I like the idea of having an “out” down the road if he doesn’t live up to his contract.
Yes, the contracts are often “untradeable”…but if a team is willing to eat part of the contract in order to save face and open a roster spot, a trade is always possible…unless there’s a full NTC.
Nervous about NTCs?
Those almost never matter when it comes to contending teams, because contending teams rarely trade their high-priced players, and if they are in a situation where they want to trade a guy, well, their team would probably be so dysfunctional already that the player would probably want out.
Plus, those contracts are enough of a NTC themself…who would take on that massive thing?
I know the Sox have a policy of not offering NTC’s, and that’s cute, but it only serves to hurt their chances at acquiring top-shelf talent.
Yeah, the only way the Yanks don’t land Lee is if they decide they don’t want him……
What no one is really mentioning is how the Yanks will have 3 full NTC’s in their rotation (Assuming Lee demands one, which seems almost certain)….I’m a Red Sox fan so it doesn’t scare me (actually makes me optimistic), but are any Yankee fans nervous about that?
I’d be surprised if the Yanks don’t get him. The way he’s been pitching in Texas makes it seem like everything until next season is just waiting to wear pinstripes and cash that big paycheck.
I’d be surprised if the Yanks don’t get him. The way he’s been pitching in Texas makes it seem like everything until next season is just waiting to wear pinstripes and cash that big paycheck.
That 6.35 ERA in August after pitching all those complete games in June/July? Hopefully it’s just a “dead arm period” and not a harbringer for things to come.
That 6.35 ERA in August after pitching all those complete games in June/July? Hopefully it’s just a “dead arm period” and not a harbringer for things to come.
Yankees will take this one , Tigers will have interest but Tigers can’t afford for Lee to be injured making $23 mill/year. Yankees can.
Yankees will take this one , Tigers will have interest but Tigers can’t afford for Lee to be injured making $23 mill/year. Yankees can.
The Dodgers have two starters going into next season and McCourt may need to sell Kershaw or billigsley. It looks like 2011 is going to be bad news for the Dodgers.
The Dodgers have two starters going into next season and McCourt may need to sell Kershaw or billigsley. It looks like 2011 is going to be bad news for the Dodgers.
Now that the Yankees know that they can no longer defeat the Rangers, I think they can expect to lose out on Lee’s services as well.
Now that the Yankees know that they can no longer defeat the Rangers, I think they can expect to lose out on Lee’s services as well.
I would not touch Lee with a ten foot pole! I love pitching and think he is one of the best ones out there. And who knows maybe I am wrong. But with the amount of innings he is putting up, I am almost certain he is a candidate to be hurt sometime soon…Between to load Philly, Sea and now Tex is putting on him…his arm is going to fall off…
I would not touch Lee with a ten foot pole! I love pitching and think he is one of the best ones out there. And who knows maybe I am wrong. But with the amount of innings he is putting up, I am almost certain he is a candidate to be hurt sometime soon…Between to load Philly, Sea and now Tex is putting on him…his arm is going to fall off…
It’s all in scouting and development in this one, baby. Why? Let me enlighten you. While Sabathia and Burnett have both each Limited NTC, Burnett is the only one of worry. If he can put his mind into pitching and nothing else, expect to see High K, dominant numbers. Sabathia is no worry because he lives up to his contract. Burnett can be traded with the Yankees eating up most of his salary, and in fact that won’t even be a problem if he can just focus, though that right now is a problem for the coaching staff to worry about. This is just the first part.Second part is that in a scenario with 3 NTC Limited or normal including Lee is bound for some concern. Of course there is decline, and too much money to pay. But keep in mind this isn’t a team ran by George M. Steinbrenner anymore. His sons, the new owners, won’t spend at will like him. They might get Lee, but I doubt it’s a huge contract. More like along the lines of 4-5 Years with around… 75-82 MM$. The Rangers top it? Ok. Here’s how Lee can be “avoided”. The Yankees also have a strengthening pitching system, with the likes of Andrew Brackman, Jeremy Bleich, Manny Banuelos, D.J. Mitchell, Dellin Betances, Adam Warren, David Phelps, Hector Noesi, and Ivan Nova rising through the ranks. Dellin Betances and Manny Banuelos, as well as some other prospects listed above should be on the lookout through 2012 and on. Ivan Nova is also an option to start next season, and he has been very good in his starts. Now this, with young Phil Hughes in the rotation who has yet to reach his ceiling in a full season without limit and is going to be young for awhile. From here on, the Yanks pitching staff is only going to get younger, and cheaper too.That is my explanation on only pitching in the future. Cliff Lee can be “avoided” or he can be signed, with a posibility of A.J. Burnett to focus, resulting into a though old, very good Yankee rotation, or possibly able to get traded to a team that could use him.
All those years of good scouting is finally paying off.
I disagree. If it were as easy as “putting his mind into pitching,” why hasn’t AJ Burnett done that already? The fact of the matter is that Burnett has struggled since putting on a Yankees uniform. He’s on a steady decline, and it’s not something you can change by just thinking about it. He’s already 34 years old and his fastball is declining. You aren’t going to see high strikeout, dominant numbers, especially when he’s in decline.
For that reason alone, plus the fact that he’s injured a lot, makes it ridiculous to think that Cliff Lee would demand less money, and years, then AJ Burnett. If I’m Lee’s agent, I’m going to argue that my client’s contract year numbers are more similar to CC Sabathia’s numbers in his contract year. The worst thing that could have happened to Lee was being traded to a hitter’s park in Texas. He would have dominated the National League, as evidenced by his stint in Philadelphia, and boosted his value through the roof. I’d also argue my client’s sheer playoff dominance.
If I’m Cliff Lee, I’m looking for a contract more in line with the 23MM annual that CC Sabathia makes, and there’s no reason that he shouldn’t be able to get it, especially from a National League team, if the Yankees are afraid to pony up, which I highly doubt they will be. 6 years, 138MM is more than a fair starting point for a Cliff Lee deal.
Sabathia got 7/161. 6/138 is pretty much the same as CC money. Don’t you think he would sign for at least that? And to other posts, Lee and Sabathia are good friends from their days with the Indians. I’m pretty sure Lee wouldn’t care if he pitches Number #2 since Sabathia has been there longer, and it’s still a chance for the Yanks to possibly win every series with them going back to back?
Yeah, but that’s got pretty much nothing to do with what you were saying before. Lol. You were saying that you think Cliff Lee would sign for 4 – 5 years, in the 75 – 80MM dollar range. That’s just ridiculous, when Lee is at least as good, if not better, than CC Sabathia. I don’t think Cliff cares if he’s pitching out of the fifth starter’s spot as long as he gets the money that’s rightfully due to him – the 23MM annual that CC makes.
I disagree. If it were as easy as “putting his mind into pitching,” why hasn’t AJ Burnett done that already? The fact of the matter is that Burnett has struggled since putting on a Yankees uniform. He’s on a steady decline, and it’s not something you can change by just thinking about it. He’s already 34 years old and his fastball is declining. You aren’t going to see high strikeout, dominant numbers, especially when he’s in decline.
For that reason alone, plus the fact that he’s injured a lot, makes it ridiculous to think that Cliff Lee would demand less money, and years, then AJ Burnett. If I’m Lee’s agent, I’m going to argue that my client’s contract year numbers are more similar to CC Sabathia’s numbers in his contract year. The worst thing that could have happened to Lee was being traded to a hitter’s park in Texas. He would have dominated the National League, as evidenced by his stint in Philadelphia, and boosted his value through the roof. I’d also argue my client’s sheer playoff dominance.
If I’m Cliff Lee, I’m looking for a contract more in line with the 23MM annual that CC Sabathia makes, and there’s no reason that he shouldn’t be able to get it, especially from a National League team, if the Yankees are afraid to pony up, which I highly doubt they will be. 6 years, 138MM is more than a fair starting point for a Cliff Lee deal.
Wow what a bunch of pathetic people we have caring about something you have no control or receive no credit for.isnt the labor agreement ending soon and you can bet there gonna do something about the way the nyy spend i can promise that look at how the nfl has operated and is by far the most popular sport.its very bad for one team to have so much this would probaly mean there will be some sort of way to limit nyy and boston spending.fans are just people not good enough to play in the majors and can only watch the games you guys dont get paid nor get a trophy for watching these games dont you guys have a life outside of the mlb your not a nyy or a bos player and NEVER will be.Not one of you can bragg cuz I dont see any of you people hitting or pitching in the majors.Anyone can be a fan but its a sad life to think your actually associated with a mlb team just cuz you like them your not.It might be mean but oh well I dont care for peoples opinion on the internet Im mad enough to admit id never play in the mlb as alot of you people should soon admit
Opps, I didn’t mean to like this.
What a pathetic post it is.
What, you favor the absurd notion of putting spaces between sentences? Ha!
LOL
Ok since you’re here bragging about the NFL in an MLB website…
Do you play in the NFL?
I would love if the O’s got him.
I’d like to see the Rangers sign him but I think it’s still fairly unlikely.
I don’t think the Tigers will bid enough to get him nor do I think that is a bad thing. Lee is pretty good, no doubt about that. I just don’t feel he worth 20M a season.Hopefully the second half of the season is an indication of the future of the Tigers starting pitching. Verlander, Scherzer, and Porcello have all been good to great. Somehow Gallaraga has also been decent sporting an e.r.a under 4.Imho, it would be best for the Tigers to go for Crawford and Victor Martinez.
If the Cubs are able to move some money or if the Ricketts decide to open the checkbook I could see them getting in on Lee. That assumes they’re able to fix the offense (Dunn?) first. Can’t really see it happening, the Cubs would have to move too much money first as the payroll is already too high.
I think the Yankees will end up getting Lee in the end. My dark horse candidates are the Detroit Tigers and the Reds. How’s Verlander and Lee sound for a 1-2 punch? How about Cueto/Volquez and Lee? He would be perfect for them. From all I’ve read, Lee is absolutely committed to top dollar. It will be interesting to see what kind of offer he gets.
I’d start Lee in front of Cueto/Volquez any day. Don’t care if they have been there longer.
I think the Yankees will end up getting Lee in the end. My dark horse candidates are the Detroit Tigers and the Reds. How’s Verlander and Lee sound for a 1-2 punch? How about Cueto/Volquez and Lee? He would be perfect for them. From all I’ve read, Lee is absolutely committed to top dollar. It will be interesting to see what kind of offer he gets.
Cliff Lee is most likely going to consider going back to Seattle. His numbers were fantastic for the short time he was there. He’s going to look back at this year and see that Safeco and the Seattle defence is where a pitcher wants to be. I know Lee wants to win, but to win you have to be good with your team if your a #1 pitcher. Right now in Texas, he has an EXTREMELY high ERA for a Cy Young pitcher like he is. Texas doesn’t have the defense that Lee needs. Seattle does. With Ichiro, Gutierrez, Saunders, Langerhans, Kotchman, Figgins, and the Wilson’s, that’s a defense Lee can count on, and did.
the only problem is Figgins is washed up otherwise Anaheim would have kept him. They didn’t keep Lackey because he’s cancer.. which is way they are in 3rd place with Abreu.. Lackey is a better fit for Milwaukee though, he’s ugly enough to fit in perfect. but they only have two hitters..
I guarantee when Eric Byrnes was fired from Seattle the entire team celebrate that they only had one clown and cancer left to leave and they couldn’t afford to fire Bradley
the only problem is Figgins is washed up otherwise Anaheim would have kept him. They didn’t keep Lackey because he’s cancer.. which is way they are in 3rd place with Abreu.. Lackey is a better fit for Milwaukee though, he’s ugly enough to fit in perfect. but they only have two hitters..
I guarantee when Eric Byrnes was fired from Seattle the entire team celebrate that they only had one clown and cancer left to leave and they couldn’t afford to fire Bradley
regardless of his record in the Rangers stadium it would be a smarter choice to stay with Texas rather then go to New York.. He would just add to an endless list of players of greed.. He should take a slight discount.. in all reality the Phillies never needed to trade him they couldve got him back over Oswalt too. I like most of baseball fans hopes he stays in Texas.
regardless of his record in the Rangers stadium it would be a smarter choice to stay with Texas rather then go to New York.. He would just add to an endless list of players of greed.. He should take a slight discount.. in all reality the Phillies never needed to trade him they couldve got him back over Oswalt too. I like most of baseball fans hopes he stays in Texas.