8:43pm: Ruben Amaro didn't confirm or deny the reports of the Dodgers' claim on Lee to the media (including MLB.com's Paul Hagen) but said "It's irrelevant. [Lee] is not going anywhere."
5:16pm: The Dodgers were awarded Lee's claiming rights, tweets Jon Morosi of FOX Sports. This means that all NL teams with a record worse than the Dodgers' 56-50 mark (every NL team except the Reds, Nationals, Pirates, Braves, Giants and Cardinals) first passed on Lee.
5:06pm: The Phillies don't see a trade as very likely, reports Jon Heyman. The Phils also aren't likely to just let Lee leave to the claiming team without getting anything back in return.
3:46pm: Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee has been claimed on waivers, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). The Phillies can now pull Lee back off of waivers, assign his contract to the team that won the claim, or work a trade out with the claiming team. Lee can block trades and claims to 21 teams, which could limit the Phillies' flexibility, depending on the identity of the claiming team.
The team(s) that claimed Lee showed a willingness to take on approximately $95MM in future commitments. Lee earns $21.5MM in 2012 and $25MM per season through 2015. His contract includes a $27.5MM vesting option for 2016 with a $12.5MM buyout. If the Phillies can assign Lee to the claiming team without his permission, they will now have to decide whether they value Lee's performance more than the flexibility they'd obtain by letting him go. If multiple teams claimed Lee, National League teams have priority over American League teams.
Lee, who turns 34 this month, has a 3.73 ERA with 8.5 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 in 125 1/3 innings so far this year. He has averaged seven innings per start and contributed 2.7 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.
The Red Sox didn't claim Lee, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports (on Twitter). More than 58% of 14,000 MLBTR readers correctly predicted that Lee would be claimed.
MLBTR's Mark Polishuk also contributed to this post
I guess its Giants turn…
Red Sox guaranteed
probably a block attempt
Someone’s going to risk getting stuck with Lee’s contract just to “block” another team? Uh….?
Definitely not the Marlins
I wonder who claimed him to block him from another team….
Hoping it’s the Dbacks, even though it’s unlikely the Phillies would let him go.
Wouldn’t surprise me if the dbacks blocked him, but they don’t really have to worry about the Dodgers anymore since they just picked up Joe Blanton from the Phillies.
This couldn’t also be the dodgers, right?
Dodgers…
It’s OBVIOUSLY my Astros, folks. C’mon…. (I have the trolliest of troll faces on right now)
Please be the Tigers…
Astros gotta be the Astros
Pirates?!?!?
don’t count on it. the Pirates couldn’t afford him, and even if they could, the Phillies would pull him back. besides, he’d most likely reject a trade to them anyway.
i’d be lying if i said i wouldn’t like to see him in a Bucs uniform, though.
Definitely the Yankees, which Lee will then deny.
cant deny to the yanks, they are one of the 8 teams not on his list
Lee cant deny to the yankees
So every other team in baseball passed on him, as well as the chance to block him going to a division rival?
Not that it matters. Lee isn’t going anywhere. And, once again, it’s proven that leaked waivers in August are the most annoying thing in baseball.
Want the Dodgers, expect the White Sox.
double post
Huh? The Sox would be one of the last teams to get a shot at claiming him. Don’t see that happening.
My guess it’s either: The Rangers, Red Sox, Yankees, possibly Dodgers.
Not the yankees they are trying to lower their payroll
Didn’t they throw beer on his wife? He won’t allow a trade to NY
They fliped her off, he cant deny to NY, he didnt want too
Yankees are not on his no-trade list.
That’s true but who knows. Yankees are very unpredictable.
The Rangers got Dempster so its about a 30% chance that the Rangers go hard after Lee. But Ryan Loves Lee and it wouldn’t surprise me that at the end of it all that Lee is back in a Rangers uniform.
I’ll wager the Nats. Lots of money there.
my guess….arizona diamondbacks… towers is known to do this…
If it is and gets done, I’ll be really happy. I know this would limit us in the future, but I would love to go for it.
Arizona is one of the 21 teams
doesnt matter, that just means he has to waive it, or phillies can just let us have him, or he will stay with phillies. great move if it is dbacks because it blocks la or sf from getting him
He has a 21 No-Trade Clause, not a No-Move clause. He can be moved to any team if claimed off waivers.
Not true. He can veto trades AND waiver claims to 21 teams.
Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, but I hope Arizona isn’t the team. They cant justify spending a quarter of their payroll on a 35-37 year old starting pitcher.
Arizona is on his NO NO List so he would have to waive his rights and bet that would be make his vesting option a guarantee year
They are on his trade blocking list. If philly just gives up and lets the claiming team take on the salary, pretty sure he has no say there
Kenny Williams pulling another magic trick with an expensive player he figures the Sox can fix?
They want prospects back for Lee, not to mention they’re basically at the bottom of the waiver list.
Ahead of the Yankees, another popular choice 🙂 And who knows, they seem to be giving up most of their bats, why keep the high priced pitchers? Salary relief might be sufficient…
They got a pretty good return for Pence and salary relief.
Pence was on a $10MM, one year contract, with another year of arbitration coming (ie, no risk). Entirely different situation than a pitcher owed nearly $100M over the next four plus years.
Pence is going to make close to 15 million next year. That’s quite a bit of money.
Don;t forget, Peavy comes off the books after this year. Slight increase but worth it
I was waiting for someone to mention the waiver order…
Cliff Lee is NOT broken.
Doubt it’s an AL team.. entire NL has first crack.
So, if I’m reading the article right, Lee could block an attempt to move him via a waiver claim? Interesting.
Not how I read it. He can block the trade. But if Phillies decide to give him up without getting anything back, he cant do anything about it.
The best way I have had it explained is it is essentially a “no move” clause so he can block a waiver claim
pretty sure that clause doesn’t exist.
It does exist in Cliff Lee’s contract. Doubt the words “no move” are in it, but he has the right to veto trades AND waiver claims to 21 teams.
I doubt he made it out of the NL.
I would guess the Dbacks are the team that put the claim in, to block the Dodgers!
Yup. DBacks have no risk. They are on Lee’s list of 21 teams he can veto a trade to.
Even if Philly tried to drop Lee off on the DBacks’ lap, Lee could veto the move.
DBacks prevent Dodgers from trying to trade for Lee…for now.
There is still the Winter.
um, no…. lee couldn’t veto the phillies dumping him, he can only veto a trade. if there’s no trade, and it’s just a waiver claim, he has no say whatsoever.
Lee can’t veto a straight-up waiver claim.
I would say Rangers, but they just got Dempster. I say Yankees or Braves.
I would not mind having Cliff Lee on our team.
I doubt Pohlad would spend the money
I doubt it too, but him and Scott Diamond (who tried to copy Lee’s delivery) would make a nice start of the rotation.
I like Scott Diamond he has good stuff
The best part of it all is that we got him for nothing. I don’t blame Frank Wren for leaving him unprotected, though.
Big money for Lee but exactly what they need.
21 teams are on his no trade list. I wonder if those teams know that?
He most likley went through the NL without being claimed, my guess is its the Rangers or Yankees, and he cant deny to either team. Which means phillies can give him over to them right now
Why would it be likely he would go through the NL without being claimed?
I’m sure Phillies just pull him back off waivers. Occam’s Razor.
Phillies should just let him go, he’s on the decline and that is a ton of money remaining.
Pull a Cody Ross and just get rid of the contract…
Amaro on Cliff Lee’s status: “He’s not going anywhere.”
The only thing with Amaro is that he always says one thing and usually does the opposite.
Or does the opposite opposite.
Could be wrong but I think I heard that the Phillies said that because the Dodgers were not willing to give them the amount of young talent that they wanted…….
If I was amaro I’d let it go. Free’s up tons of money.
Cleveland! Oh wait…. the Browns got a new owner today, not the Indians. My bad. That’s about $94 million too much for the Dolans.
Dick Jacobs would have the Dolans not so much
White Sox. They can let Peavey walk and save $18m after the season ($22m – $4m buyout).
Although I think that Lee is probably going to block if the team is on his no trade list.
Please be the whitesox!! Lee and sale in the same rotation is scary! With peavys 20 mill off the books this season, aj off, konerko off next season and rips after that the sox can easily afford him. Reinsdorf pays his pitchers he just does not like going long in years lee is a perfect fit. !! Please please please !!!
Roto is already saying he was pulled back.
If I had to take a guess it would be the Giants blocking the Dodgers, or possibly the Angels or A’s blocking the Rangers. Yankees can’t afford it, and I don’t see the BoSox being that aggressive.
Giants are ahead of the Dodgers in the standings and are in no position to block them.
I’d be shocked if it was the Giants, the Giants are going to do everything in their power to resign Melky and Pence in the offseason.
There exists no world where the yankees can’t afford it.
They might not want to spend the $, but they can afford it.
The Giants couldn’t do it to block the Dodgers because the Dodgers have a worse record, so their waiver claim has a higher priority. It most likely was someone from the NL since the player has to go through the league in which the team putting him on waivers is in.
I could see it being either the D-backs or the Braves making the claim. D-backs probably to try to block the Dodgers while the Braves were looking for a frontline pitcher at the deadline and the Phillies having none of that from a division rival.
I’m gonna go with the DBacks.
To block him from the Dodgers?
Just thought this. If it is the whitesox and they get him they will have 4 left ganders under contract for next season that’s nuts.
If I’m the Phillies, I would think about just letting him go. Try to work a trade until the deadline, then just let the other team have him. they have a ton of money wrapped up in pitchers and this would take that off the books without them having to eat any of it. I don’t know if Lee could block a straight waiver claim where they just let him go for nothing.
From twitter
He was claimed by Yankees, Yanks didnt want to pay all the $$$ so phills pulled him off
That doesn’t make sense. They probably balked at Phils wanting prospects and yanks to pay all salary. They could’ve relinquished Lee’s contract for full salary relief only, if they had wanted to.
Padres for sure
Of course he was claimed. Anybody in a pennant race would want Cliff Lee to shore up their rotation. I doubt he actually goes anywhere.
I have it on good authority that he was claimed by Ryan Dempster.
If the Phillies rid themselves of the contract, they’d have paid only $25.1M for a year and two-thirds of 2.87 ERA production from Cliff Lee.
That’s incredible. I’m surprised more teams haven’t decided to do this.
Every team places everybody on revocable waivers in August.
Not everybody. Trout won’t see waivers. Everyone who is tradeable will see waivers.
Most players will see waivers, it helps you hide who you reallywant to trade, and some team may show interest.
Players don’t like to be shifted around alot, if teams get a reputation to sign and trade after a year they risk losing free agents. I think this is a good deal for both sides. Philly dumps payroll, while LA gets the #2 pitcherthey need.
There are reports that he has already been pulled back. Ruben Amaro also just said “he’s not going anywhere”
Ruben Amaro isn’t always the best guy to take at his word
In this case, he is probably telling the truth, cause it is the wrong thing to do. Gave him away for nothing once to save $9.5MM; could save 10 times that this time, and reload and be competitive the next few years, so…RAJ sucks. (said the Phillies fan)
Well we got Aumont…wait he can’t get his head straight.
Well then we have Gillies…wait he can’t stay out of trouble.
Well at least we still have Ramirez…wait where is he even at?
Yes, but there are also reports saying that they have pulled him back
Lee was pulled back. Phillies were never going to let him go without top prospects coming back.
Where did you read that he was pulled back? I can only find one reference to that, and it was by someone who clearly misread Heyman’s original tweet. Of course, Amaro is trying to make it clear he won’t let Lee go (Lord only knows why not).
I hope he hasn’t been pulled back yet I enjoy some good Cliff lee drama….his free agent signing was a boon for this site
he was, sorry.
source?
Howard Eskin on twitter. Also Amaro just said “Lee is not going anywhere”
It appears he was restating John Heyman’s comments
Eskin’s tweet credited CBS Sports, who have said NOTHING about Lee being pulled back. He misread Heyman’s tweet about Lee not CLEARING waivers.
It’s from an interview with Leslie guidel
The smart thing for Lee to do is to make himself available only to the 8 teams who can *least* afford him.
There’s only 1 report on twitter that he was pulled back, and it was written by a nobody schmuck.
Cliff Lee is not going anywhere
Neither are the Phillies, as long as they are paying Lee, Halladay, Hamels, Utley, Howard, Rollins and Papelbon at the same time. Well over $100MM for probably about 40 wins worth of production…maybe 50.
Nice crystal ball, where do I get one?
If it makes you feel better Halladay and Utley are done at the end of next year, Rollins will be done after 2014 or he may even be traded this winter along with Lee possibly. Now trim that list down to Howard, Papelbon, and Hamels and it doesn’t seem so bad considering Papelbon has done his job and Hamels is still only 28 and will only be 34 at the end of his deal.
Yes, Doc and Utley are done after this year, but Lee and Howard get big raises going forward. Papelbon has done his job, yes, but I fail to see where 60-70 innings are worth $12M (just my opinion). I have strong doubts that Rollins and/or Lee can or will be traded effectively by Amaro, but anyway, I said they weren’t going anywhere with all those guys. Yes, if they move some of that money, then they will have the opportunity to improve areas that need to be addressed.
I was just trying to make you feel somewhat better haha but yeah I agree they should try to move some of the contracts, but Halladay and Lee could very well go back to the guys they were. That’s the only risk that I see.
Oh, I am not so worried about their production. I simply hate this notion of “All starting pitching plus Utley and Howard will win World Series” philosophy of Amaro’s. I believe offense, defense and bullpens win World Series, contrary to the popular media view. Most playoff games, especially the pivotal ones, are won and lost in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings.
From that perspective, I simply do not like the way the team is comprised, or the direction it is headed. But it may not all be doom and gloom. Ruben could pull another crazy rabbit out of his hat for one year, then scramble to undo it the next year. LOL
For the people saying “Per CBS Cliff Lee has been taken off waivers.” That is incorrect Jon Heyman who WORKS for CBS sports has said no such thing, he has just tweeted about 2 minutes ago that it will be difficult for the claiming team to acquire Lee so that obviously means he hasn’t been pulled back.
Pirates maybe? I don’t know if he blocked them or not, but Neal Huntington drafted him, so maybe he wouldn’t blck them. I think money would be a big issue with them though. I’d say either White Sox, Reds, or Dodgers.
Is utley on waivers?
Yes.
Not really surprising that he got claimed: the Dodgers been looking for ace upgrades in pitching, reportedly sniffing around Dempster; they have a lot of cash burning their pockets, else why would they overpay to buy the team; they have took on a lot of iffy contracts/players without care, seemingly, about cost and budget, so at minimum, one should expect the Dodgers to put in a claim.
The question is more if any team with a higher priority than the Dodgers made a claim too. Boston, Mets, Miami are big spenders under them, but they don’t seem likely, though Miami has a big budget and was trying to buy a division title this season, so who knows? Maybe they do it in anticipation for next season.
I doubt this would happen, but KC has been looking for pitching and they are owned by a multi-billionaire, this would be a bold move to get that pitching, though I would bet Lee would veto the trade.
The Orioles…Defenitly The O’s they need a #1 and they know it. Plus they have money…
Peter Angelos has money. The Orioles do not.
sources tell me its seibu lions from the japanese league
I imagine that several teams claimed Lee, and the question is which team won the claim, and whether the Phillies care to negotiate with said team.
I love that the 1st confirmed team that Didn’t claim him was my Red Sox =[ I’d of loved to see them get him, maybe send back some salary to the Phillies.
It would be a Team with a future 3B and Dodgers don’t have one,Arizona has Ryan Wheeler.
I don’t think the Phillies can get an elite prospect when they want the acquiring team to absorb all of the contract
they can
I don’t think they can.
Anyone who really wants him will.
Angels trying to create the sickest rotation of all time.
Dodgers claimed him according to Morosi
And it was the Dodgers…knew it haha
Dodgers!
If the Phillies don’t let the Dodgers take Lee for JUST shedding his contract, RA needs to be fired. They already shed a TON of salary and got back some good pieces. You’re not going to get prospects for eating a $25 MM/ year contract.
Here here. But then, Ruben should be fired for all the money he has set on fire already.
But anyway, he has been pulled back. And Ruben did tell the Philly media he is not going anywhere. Considering the Dodgers farm system, their reluctance to part with their two best pitching prospects, and the Phillies’ needs, I tend to believe Amaro (this time).
Amaro wants back a legit prospect.
If the Phillies were willing to eat some of Cliff Lee’s salary, I could see the Dodgers do a Zach Lee for Cliff Lee swap.
The Phillies get back the Dodgers’ best prospect and the Dodgers get Cliff Lee. Its not a bad trade for both parties.
Oh I hope not as a Dbacks fan.
Well how much salary? If they have to eat a decent chunk for one prospect why just not wait until the off season and try to get a better deal
Zach Lee wouldn’t clear waivers
Well, now this could get interesting…
Don’t get too excited. The Phillies are not letting him go for the salary relief, and a trade is extremely unlikely.
The Los Angeles Yankees!!! LOL!!!!
Does anyone know the 8 teams he cannot block teams to? I know the Yankees and Rangers were two.
Don’t know all of them, but yes, the Yankees and Rangers, and I think the Braves were one of the the others.
Marlins and Braves are two more
What… The Phillies are now the AAA team for the Dodgers?
Seems only fair that they return the favor the Astros paid them for years. LOL
D.Backs passed on Lee? What happend to their ‘Blockbuster Trade”?
afraid of salary.
I’ve been thinking… Maybe Lee and Blanton are related. The dodgers take on blantons horrible contract almost as part of a trade? I know it was 2 separate claims but still,..
That horrible 3.2 million that expires at the end of the season?
That’s nearly 300k per start of 5 ERA ball. Yeah, that’s horrible
Yeah well the Phillies were fine holding on to him that’s why they asked the O’s for their number 3 prospect. The Dodgers took him off their hands for no reason. So if you think 3.2 milion will get you Cliff Lee, it won’t. The Dodgers will have to eat almost all of the salary and then give up porspects or Amaro can just wait until the off season and talk to the Rangers again.
Huh? Obviously they were content on getting nothing because they basically did. Cash considerations means you pay salary and ptbnl are usually nothing special. And you should probably reread my post. I said part of it. As in, you take Blanton and his 3 mil and we’ll talk about Lee. Not take Blanton and you can have lee too, and here’s 40 mil for the fun of it. Think of the cubs/dodgers talks. The cubs wanted to include soriano in a deal for demp to try to get rid of the contract. Same thought process
PTBNL actually can be valuable. Look at Domingo Santana, the guy the Phillies gave the Astros in the Pence deal. He’s got a lot of potential and is tearing it up right now. “The dodgers take on blantons horrible contract almost as part of a trade?” That’s what you said, nothing about the Phillies taking Blanton’s contract, unless you’re talking from the Phillies perspective.
Okay hold up. Who said anything about the phillies taking blantons contract? The dodgers acquired him for cash or a ptbnl. Aka the dodgers pay his contract. Two, was the player you’re talking about my eligable to be traded yet? They have to be in the system for a year before being dealt when drafted. Also, we’re talking completely different levels of trades from Pence to the Phillies and Blanton to the Dodgers. Finally, Are we not saying the same thing? The take Blantons deal(aka cash considerations), and that is considered as part of a potential Lee deal? Damn this isn’t that complicated
I have no idea haha. I do believe that we are sayng the Dodgers are taking on Blanton’s contract and it could be considered but what I said before was pretty much Amaro is being ridiculous with his price and trying to get the Dodgers to pay all of Lee’s salary and then give up prospects. But were you trying to say that if the Dodgrs take Blanton’s salary then they would get some kind of discount on Lee?
Basically we are saying the same thing. The only discount I’m referring to would be the prospect haul. The dodgers took Blanton, who had very little value at this point. They would also take on all of Lees contract. The total of ~110M would be enough to not make Amaro think that he will get amazing prospects too. The phillies are just looking for relief as much as anything at this point. 8M this year and 110M is a lot of relief, that would allow them to make multiple moves that they couldn’t do if Lee was their #2
I’m sorry about messing this all up haha and I completely agree with you. But Amaro isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed as you can see by the position the Philliesare in righ now. If I was Amaro, Cliff would already be on his way to LA as a regualar waiver claim, but he seems very determined to get something else in return. Which I guess you can’t blame him since he got fleeced by Ed Wade last summer.
I understand amaros stance, but given Hamels contract, who is a younger lee in many ways, along with the other contracts, I’d save the 100+M
I’d be fine with the Dodgers eating Lee’s deal. They have the money. As for Blanton, he’s not a difference maker, but take that 115:18 K:BB out of CBB to Dodger Stadium and he will be just fine.
I’d be fine with that too as it would make their financial state much more flexible, but as of now it looks like Amaro is trying his absolute hardest not to get rid of Lee, he wants teams to eat all of his salary and give up top prospects. If he can get the Dodgers to do that then he’ll be a Doger, but more than likely he’ll be a Phillie until the off season where the Rangers moe than likely will be waiting with open arms for negotiations.
he won’t be a 5 ERA pitcher in Chavez Ravine.
he has solid K/BB rates, and big problem is HRs, and the Dodgers park suppresses that.
But Chavez revine doesn’t negate the over a hit per inning rate. Give up hits, you’re gonna give up runs, and eventually, home runs. The amazing thing is his walk rate is wonderful, which has more than likely saved his ERA from being well over 5. Because of that, he’s either in the zone so much that eventually people hit it or the hitters are hitting his pitches, which is even scarier. If you can’t win on your pitch, what do you do?
LA should trade Joe Blanton to Philly for Cliff Lee.
OK…now that is funny.
Curses! Beat me to it!
Only if they throw in Shane Victorino
Question…does Cliff Lee get a cut of the advertising revenue this site generates? Seems like he has been driving MLBTradeRumors for 3 years now.
Poor Cliff Lee he just has a knack for being not wanted
He’s a very popular guy.
LOL Who says that Dodgers are turning into “Yankees West”? The Dodgers are clearly aiming for “Phillies West.”
What is Kevin Towers doing in AZ now? He totally screwed up on the infield and still has Drew and his bloated contract taking up space without even having a place to play him. He fails to get a “bloskbuster deal” done on trade day despite the fact they were touting it all day. And now he has let BOTH Blanton and Lee get to the Dodgers? Really?
Lee isn’t going to LA.
The LAD should have never been given the chance to acquire him though.
Drews bloated contract as you put it is gone in 2 months so that is a non issue I would think. Johnson has been a nice surprise so far with the stick. He may have failed on his Garza attempt but in hindsight with the injury and knowing how the ball sails in Az heat it may be a blessing in disguise. The team has excellent chemistry right now much like the A’s. I think basically standing pat with a fringe player or two was the correct move chemistry wise for both ball clubs.
The Phillies should let him walk, and let the Dodgers take on the cost. They’ll be regretting this claim exactly two years from now, at the very least.
The DBacks and the Giants are probably hoping the Phillies don’t let Lee go. If this does happen them who would go to the #5 spot? Harang or Blanton?
My guess is the rotation would look like Kershaw, Lee, Billz, Capuano and Blanton.
Harang has pitched poorly of late and would go to the pen.
Also think the Dodgers would put Harang on waivers (if they already haven’t) and look to deal him this month.
Some pitching starved team would likely take him if the Dodgers only asked for a bag of balls back.
That’s what I was thinking. I wonder what team wants Bobby Abreu……. Rumors are the Togers and Rays. Maybe the Dodgers can use him to acquire James Shields but that’s a long shot.
So you’re saying using Abreu to acquire James Shields, who wouldn’t make it to the Dodgers on waivers, is a long shot?
Dodgers might also have Lilly coming back at the end of this month.
Harang, Lilly, and Rubby de la Rosa, Rubby can go to the bullpen. Im also wondering about the other 2 as well.. Lilly a relief? Thats 8 quality starters.
Joe Pederson,James Baldwin the OF,Alex Castellanos and so on back for him?
THAT would require a little more than “quite the bit of salary” paid on Philly’s part.
Why? Spare parts…
Not Joc Pederson
The Dodgers are focusing on adquire players and not in win games .-.
huh?
Lmao. I had the same reaction.
What do you happen to be watching?!?
Philadelphia is literally giving away half there team to the dodgers lol
Because the Phils are looking for a 3B/OF/Bullpen Help and another
Starter and the Dodgers have all those in the Minors to give up.
Cliff Lee has gotten passed around the last few years more than Herpes…
you stay classy, Kevin.
I could have sworn either Texas out the Yankees would take him..oh well
Maybe they put in a claim. But Dodgers get first dibs.
Dodgers new ownership has already flexed it’s financial muscle. If they can somehow do it again and actually acquire Lee, it would be insane how much talent they have added in season. I don’t see it happening, but Dodger fans have to be happy with the aggressive nature of its new ownership.
They are doing A LOT more than what greedy old Frank McCourt EVER did.
Yep. They have added more talet in half a season than he did in years.
It almost brings tears to my eyes.
Winning is what would bring real tears to my eyes.
Can understand that also after all LAD fans have been through the last few seasons after a few “dry” years and why they claimed Lee, but just absorbing the contract of Lee and paying him is more than enough, just can’t see the ownership willing to go a step beyond that, as they shouldn’t.
The team is good enough for next year and can target a front line SP if they want.
It’s been a long drought for Dodger fans, more than 25 years since our last appearance in the Series. Mathematically, that’s pretty difficult to accomplish. In fact before they swept the Cubs in the NLDS in 2008, the number of playoff GAMES the Dodgers had won since 1988 was… exactly one. So the 2009 and 2010 seasons were more like salt in an open wound. Anyway, I have to say this to all the fans of Mark Cuban who really wanted him as the new Dodgers owner: you were wrong! Cuban said it would take years to rebuild the Dodgers into a competitive team. Maybe the way he would do it, it might. The new owners have taken the bit in their teeth. Now we just to win.
Philles would be wise to dump all of that salary. They already got enough guys making 20 mill a year.
why put him on the waiver wire at all if he’s not going anywhere???
That’s exactly what I was thinking!
Typically teams put their entire roster on the waiver wire, believe me if Cliff Lee is going to be traded it will be in the off-season.
Most teams will try put most their players on. If they pass through waivers teams can work out trades with the players. Always worth seeing what someone will pay, or if someone will take a bad contrat off your hands.
Amaro made high demands to the Orioles for Blanton and then let him go the Dodgers on waivers for cash. Would it be wise to do the same with Lee if it comes down to it?
This is baffling to me. The Phillies already got the best year out of Lee; Lee is worthless to them the rest of this season since they are not going to contend for the playoffs; and Lee is vastly overpaid the rest of his contract given his age. Lee is still really good, but he is 34 and is being paid so much money going forward that it is almost impossible for him to provide any surplus value. The Phillies have a golden opportunity to avoid all of the risk of this contract and to free up a ton of money to spend on a team that needs to be rebuilt. I cant think of any reason why they shouldn’t just let the Dodgers take him.
Phillies set the value. Dodgers didn’t want to meet it. Pretty simple, not too hard to understand.
If the Phillies traded Cliff Lee to the Dodgers for the Dodgers’ #1 prospect, Zach Lee, that would be a good trade for both parties, IMO.
Phillies shed almost $100 in salary and pick up a very good SP prospect and the Dodgers get a top of the rotation guy to pair with their ace, Kershaw.
Dodgers assume all the risk portion of the contract, which starts next year.
Win-Win for Phillies and Dodgers. I highly doubt many other teams would even go near Lee’s contract because it is so risky.
Texas ain’t trading Olt to get Lee. I’m sure the Yankees could take on Lee’s contract if the wanted to, but I don’t think they want to go over the luxury tax threshold next year.
Dodgers make the most sense as a trading partner, IMO.
did you even read my post???
I am so confused. what in the world is happening here? Why place Cliff Lee on waivers if the phillies were not going to let him go in the end?
So what now? If they can’t get Lee…. What other starter is out there that is fit for LA?
Melky or Rios in a 10 team league
if they have no intent to trade him then why place him on waivers?