Free agent pitcher Cliff Lee would need a “perfect fit” in order to leave home and make a comeback, agent Darek Braunecker told MLB Network Radio (audio link). Â Braunecker also said that he isn’t certain whether Lee will do a full showcase workout for teams but whenever (or however) he does show his stuff, he’ll be 100% when that time comes.
Lee has drawn interest from at least half the league so far this season, according to Jon Heyman. Â The veteran was said to be seeking a one-year, major league deal, but now it appears that he’s at least considering sitting out the 2016 season entirely. Â If Lee does decide to pitch this year, the Marlins are one of the clubs known to have some level of interest.
Lee, 37, is looking to make his way back from a flexor tendon tear without surgery and while there’s no guarantee that he can get back to his old form, he offers unmatched upside among the free agent bounceback candidates.  It’s far from clear, of course, whether teams are willing at present to commit big dollars to Lee.  For what it’s worth, Heyman indicated earlier this offseason that Lee could command more than many would expect him to.
Though he only put up a 3.65 earned run average in his 81 1/3 innings in 2014, Lee carried a 6.00 K:BB rate and drew ratings from metrics that valued his effort in the 3.00 earned-per-nine range.  Of course, Lee also showed much more prior to that season. He racked up over 220 frames per season over 2011 through 2013, working to a cumulative 2.80 ERA in that span while striking out a batter per inning and walking less than one-and-a-half per nine.
If he wants to join a great shot , Pirates or the Cubs
Good call. Agreed.
Or Dodgers, or St Louis, or Detroit, or Kansas City, or Minnesota, or Toronto, or Boston, or Yankees, or Houston, or Texas. Actually any team with a good offense that needs a solid starter. Why he would limit himself to the Cubs, with their growing pains, or the Pirates, with their small market mentality, is beyond me.
Because the pirates have been incredible at rehabilitation of once excellent pitchers and the cubs are heavy favorites to win it all.
K.c. and st Louis would also be good choices. If I was him I’d be looking for attentive pitching coach staffs
Cubs growing pains? They’re past that…NLCS last year.
I’ll offer a minor league contract and see how he does
Lee lives in the Philadelphia area and has been said to be looking to play for a team relatively close to his home, that has a good shot at going deep into the playoffs. That would rule out any team on the West Coast and Rocky Mountains, the Blue Jays, and Texas or Florida teams. The Cubs, Cardinals and the Pirates fit that bill. As would the Orioles if they add some offense, the Yankees, Red Sox, and the Royals. @stymeedone, for the life of me I can’t figure out what you mean by growing pains in regard to the Cubs. They won 97 games last season with one of the youngest teams in baseball and added several key, veteran pieces in the off season. They are clearly the team to beat in the NL Central.
How does that rule out the Blue Jays? They are geographically close (a little over a 1 hour flight) and have the best offence in the league.
In his partial no-trade clause while with the Phillies the Blue Jays were on it. That would probably rule them out.
Actually Cliff lives in Arkansas where he is from and has sold his place in Philly. I think that would put the Cardinals, Royals and Rangers in play for his services if he decides to pitch again.
Lee still lives in the Rittenhouse Square area.
With this Cubs team everyone seems to forget that most rookies experience growing pains in year two when opposing pitchers and staffs have a year (or half year) of tape to watch and pinpoint weaknesses. Don’t expect much of a drop off but Cubs still have issues (back end of bullpen, overall team d, arrieta can’t possibly replicate his historic year, etc.) as does every other team
He lives in Arkansas
He was born in Arkansas. He lives in the Rittenhouse Square area of Philadelphia.
Unless lee wants to sign a minor league deal, the Cubs don’t have any room for lee
That’s the only way I would see teams interested. Minor league deal and all incentives!!
Pirates won’t sign him. Not their style.
One of the good guys, but I’m not sure how healthy he really is. He’s certainly worth a minor league contract, or even a small incentive-laden major league deal but until he can show he’s healthy I wouldn’t imagine he could get much. I’m guessing that if he throws for some teams and passes a physical, someone will offer a $3-5 mil guaranteed with another $10 in incentives based on number of starts. Whether that’s enough for Lee remains to be determined.
From everything I am hearing, he is asking for a deal north of $15 million and will likely get it if he can find a team that is a fit.
Anderson got 10m guarantee (plus Incentives) last year from the Dodgers coming for several injury season. A pitcher of Lee’s caliber at least would get that much.
My pirates have a great record of helping veterans to get back on track if there careers
The Pirates help struggling guys get back on track, not a guy with a hole in his arm
Well he has all the leverage in the world, to some extent. If he doesn’t wanna make a come back, well bye bye. He might do well maybe with a team like Seattle or the Pirates, maybe even SD. But still he made his $, never really lived up to his big contract with the Phillies. So at this point, he can go either way. Good for him, and one of the few guys that didn’t just think of the money.
Would be interested in knowing what his velocity will be like. I suppose either way, there is little risk to the team who signs him to a one year. Go get him, Cubs.
The Cubs would be good, I think he would be to homer prone.
Gosh how did the Phillies not win the WS in 2011 with Lee/Halladay/Hamels and Oswalt? That Cardinals team was something else.
Anyways, Im sure a “perfect fit” to him is going to a contender AND a team that has a spot in the rotation for him (not my Metsies). So im sure that only leaves a few teams such as the Pirates, Nationals, Yankees etc.
Although the Yankees fanbase did mistreat his wife in the stands back in the 2010 ALCS so maybe he is still salty towards the Bronx.
The perfect fit for him will be the team that will PAY him.
Maybe im wrong, but the guy did just make PLENTY of money off that phillies contract.
At this point, I imagine he cares more about a shot at the WS than how much money he will make
I had the same thought… maybe being a LOOGY on a WS contender is his “perfect fit”.
You haven’t really followed Lee much have you? It;s pretty obvious you didn’t read the article either. Lee took less money to return to Philadelphia and is pretty adamant that he wants to play close to home which is Philadelphia. No matter where he decides to play, he is going to get paid because he is that good when healthy and he is not going to come back unless he is 100%.
I’m not sure why you believe his ‘home’ is Philly. He bought a place here when he signed his contract, but the townhouse has long been up for sale. I don’t know where he moved off to, but he came here from Arkansas.
I can’t imagine Cliff Lee not landing somewhere to his liking IF he’s healthy. He was too good of a pitcher for too long not to help some team.
Not a Giants fan, but if he wants to win he could call them…it is an even year
“More than many would expect”
Hummmmm good luck with that…
And I would need the “perfect fit” to go join an on-the-road circus. So either he gets the dollar value he wants (probably too expensive if he would need “the perfect fit” to not retire), and a chance to be in the rotation, if not a guarantee? Sounds like retirement to me. He can’t get a spot in a contenders rotation, and any rebuilding team that signs him would want to use him as a trade chip, which he wouldn’t want.
Is Cliff Lee sticking it to the Phillies by not officially retiring?
This dog and pony show that Lee is playing here gives baseball a ‘black’ eye.
We are all paying for this silliness and it’s getting annoying.
At least that is how I feel about it.
Fans like you give baseball a black eye. Know nothing haters that annoy real fans because they just want to come on a board and try to slam someone. Lee is not under contract with the Phillies because they declined his 2015 option, so he can’t be sticking it to anyone.
Players like Lee are what is good about the game. A guy that is not interested in leaving his home and children unless he is 100% healthy and can start for a contending team. To him its not about money, because teams have been throwing big figures at him to play this upcoming season and he has turned many down flat.
Mr Watermelon to him it’s not about money are you serious?? Who’s thrown a big figure to him this up coming season Id like to know??
Oh gimme a break.
His arm might be done, he could have told the Phillies he was retiring, he did not do that.
I don’t want to hear it otherwise.
SMH
Exactly! What has he done the last 2 years nothing!! He should be playing this up coming season at league minimum ! But no he knows he’s done but just wants to milk it some more!
Why do the Phillies care if he is retiring or not? It gas nothing to do with them, he’s not under contract.
@lefty Why would he need to tell the Phillies anything? They declined his option. I’m struggling to figure out what you and @skip are upset about.
O I’m not upset I just find it funny he thinks he’s going to or ask to get a lot more than people think. So lets say he says I want 17.5 million guaranteed plus incentives he’s basically saying I’m coming back just for the money! Instead of saying I wanna pitch for a winner that’s most important in my career right now and sign cheap with a winner with lots of incentives. That makes sense if he says something like that but no cause all MILLIONS has made so far is not enough for him.
I guess with 15+ teams having contacted his agent, it makes a lot of sense that at least one of them would be offering a lot of money. He was one of the top pitchers in baseball at the time of his injury and making $25+ million, so anyone that thinks he is coming back for less than $15 million is kidding himself.
Lee signed with the Phillies to win a title and they had their best chances to do so when he was on the team with the Holliday, Lee, Oswalt rotation and Utley and Howard in their prime. If Lee retired its because its his right to do so and he doesn’t need the money. Philly and Cleveland should be happy to have enjoyed his talents. Hope Pittsburgh can too for one or two last years
Mr. Lee services are no longer in demand. He can go stand next to Bronson Arroyo as champions of yesterdays new stories. Time for these guys to move on to coaching careers.
Why would he do that if he can still pitch?
I don’t think he’ll sign with a team before late June-early July.
If he want’s to do well I think he’d do great as a Pirate or a Cardinal. Pirates have a history of making older guys better and the Cardinals some how brought out the best in Lackey and have had guys like Carpenter perform well into their mid to late 30’s.
How much “unlimited upside” is there in a 37 year old pitcher with a tear in his flexor is what I would like to know.regardless of what he did in the past.
Half a year of dominance before his arm blows out forever. Worth it for 4-6 mil in my opinion for a team chasing a title with mid-june starting pitching callups to ease the loss of his spot in the rotation should he not be able to throw for the whole season (Pirates have Glasnow and Taillon expected to come up after super two threshold if they are healthy, just saying).
He hasn’t pitched since July of 2014. Are you trying to say that his arm absolutely cannot have healed since then?
The Yankees are a nice fit for Lee considering he only needs to go 5-6 innings and then the big 3 shut it down. oooommm
I’d take a gamble on him if was the Blue Jays. They need another starter. If he’s healthy, he’s far better than Hutchinson & Chavez even if he has lost a little.
You are correct. As much as I would love to see Lee in pinstripes, there doesn’t seem to be a better fit for him than Toronto. Even if he is half of what he used to be he would easily win a spot in their rotation. They are definitely a contender and with him they will probably be the favorite to win the east. He would probably take a $5m base salary with another $10m in incentives. Pitching is what will hold them back in 2016 and signing Lee would go a long way in fixing that problem. If they manage to get him and somehow get a team like the Nationals to trade someone like Storen while eating a chunk of his salary as well they would start to look pretty solid for 2016. It’s too bad they gave up so many good prospects last year. They could sure use a couple of them now.
I’d love see him back in Seattle. I bet he’d put up better numbers than Miley this year.
I will be forever bitter about that trade. Giving up Smith was a bad idea, when Elias could have done the same thing.