Tag: Cliff Lee (Page 3 of 17)

      Could Greinke be an option for Yankees if they can’t land Lee?

      December 1, 2010 /
      Apr. 05, 2010 - Kansas City, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES - epa02105037 Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Zack Greinke in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri USA, 5 April 2010.

      The bidding war between the Yankees and Rangers over Cliff Lee is about to begin. According to the New York Post, the Rangers are prepared to make an official five-year offer to Lee, but the Yankees are ready to go as high as $23 million annually to secure the lefty’s services.

      But for a moment, let’s assume that Lee wants to return to the Rangers. Let’s assume that the millions of dollars that the Rangers are offering are more than enough to by-pass the trillions of dollars that the Yankees are willing to fork over.

      What is the Yankees’ fallback plan?

      The postseason proved last year that the Bombers need pitching. Who knows what kind of production they’ll get from A.J. Burnett next year and it appears as though Andy Pettitte is set to retire. CC Sabathia and Phil Hughes aren’t going to cut it by themselves.

      So what about Zack Greinke? The Royals seem ready to trade the righty in order to restock their farm system and the 27-year-old won the Cy Young two years ago. Up until recently he wasn’t willing to waive his no-trade clause to play for a big-market team (which includes the Yankees, obviously). He’s had anxiety problems in the past and we’ve seen the Big Apple chew up and spit out pitchers like Javier Vazquez and Jeff Weaver before.

      But a source told Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports that Greinke is now open to moving to a big-market club. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s ready to take on New York, but if the Yankees miss out on Lee you can bet they’ll at least pick up the phone and see what it would take to land the right hander. He’s coming off a bad year but he has a 3.82 career ERA and a 1.26 WHIP, not to mention he’s only 27. (Compared to Lee, who is 32.)

      The winter meetings get kicked off next week, so it’ll be interesting to see how the Cliff Lee situation plays out. It’ll be even more interesting to see what the Yankees do if Lee decides to return to Texas.

      External Sports, MLB

      Yankees offer Cliff Lee six-years, $140 million?

      November 23, 2010 /
      Texas Rangers' pitcher Cliff Lee pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning of game one of the World Series in San Francisco on October 27, 2010. UPI/Kevin Dietsch Photo via Newscom

      Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Yankees have offered free agent Cliff Lee a six-year deal worth around $140 million. If C.C. Sabathia’s contract in December of 2008 can be used in comparison, then Brown’s figures sound right.

      The Yankees signed Sabathia to a seven-year, $161 million contract in ’08. While Sabathia had two more years added onto his contract, he was also four years younger than Lee at the time of the deal. If Lee signs with the Bombers, that would mean the Yankees would be paying their top two pitchers roughly $46 million per year.

      Wowzers.

      That said, the Rangers are expected to match the Yankees’ offers, at least initially. But it’s hard to imagine that a team that had to be saved by Major League Baseball (financially, that is) would be able to come up with that kind of money for one player. At some point, the Rangers will have to bow out and hope that Lee bypasses more money for the opportunity to return to Texas.

      The Nationals are also reportedly interested in Lee and there are sure to be other suitors as well. But as I’ve written for the past couple of months, no team will be able to match what the Yankees offer. Thus, one would think that it’ll be between the Yankees and Rangers in the end. Why would he go anywhere else? He can either cash in a big payday and have an opportunity to win a ring every year, or take less and hope that the Rangers’ run in 2010 was no fluke.

      External Sports, MLB

      Roy Halladay wins NL Cy Young Award

      November 16, 2010 /
      Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Roy Halladay delivers a pitch to the Cincinnatiti Reds during the third inning in Game 1 of the MLB National League Division Series baseball playoffs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 6, 2010. REUTERS/Tim Shaffer (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      After cruising through his first season in the National League, Roy Halladay was given the 2010 National League Cy Young Award.

      Halladay was the unanimous choice after posting a 21-10 record with a 2.44 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP over 33 starts. He also struck out 219 batters while walking only 30, and finished with two no-hitters (one of which came in his first ever postseason appearance).

      Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals finished second in the voting and the Rockies’ Ubaldo Jimenz finished third despite being the unanimous choice early in the year. Tim Lincecum, who won the past two NL Cy Young awards, finished 11th despite beating Halladay, Roy Oswalt, Derek Lowe and Cliff Lee (twice) in the postseason.

      While Cardinal fans are still crying about how Wainwright didn’t win the award in 2009, they have nothing to say this year. Halladay was the clear-cut choice while receiving all 32 first-place votes. The award caps off an amazing year.

      External Sports, MLB

      The Yankees’ pursuit of Cliff Lee begins

      November 10, 2010 /
      Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cliff Lee pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Arlington, Texas July 10, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Stone (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      And so it begins.

      Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors (one of the greatest websites known to man) is reporting that the Yankees are flying into Arkansas on Wednesday to meet with Cliff Lee. After dinner, a movie and some not-so-harmless flirting, the Bombers hope to be doing the horizontal polka with Lee within the month.

      According to Rotoworld.com, Lee’s agent told the New York Daily News on Monday that he doesn’t anticipate his client signing quickly. Of course, he said this without seeing how many zeros will be attached to the Yankees’ offer, so things could change quickly.

      The Rangers still have a great shot to retain Lee, but as I’ve written several times before: they better pony up. That’s not to say that they have to match the Yankees’ asking price (they won’t, and neither will any other team), but they still have to make it worth Lee’s while to stay. He’s going to have another shot at a World Series title whether he stays with Texas or goes to New York, so money will certainly be a factor.

      Of course, the one thing the Yankees don’t have is the quiet lifestyle that Lee enjoys. He’s a great guy from the small town of Benton, Arkansas, so the big city lights of the Big Apple won’t to appeal to him like they would another free agent (or so one would think). Still, the opportunity to win a championship and become a gazillionaire may win out in the end.

      External Sports, MLB

      A very early look at the top 5 free agents in baseball

      November 2, 2010 /
      August 10, 2010: Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Carl Crawford ( ) during game action between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan. The Rays defeated the Tigers 8-0.

      The Giants haven’t been World Series Champions for 24 hours yet, but it’s never too early to take a look at which names will dominate the headlines this winter.

      Here’s a very preliminary look at the top-5 free agents in baseball for 2011.

      1. Carl Crawford, OF, Rays
      Mark my words: The Yankees and Red Sox will be battling over this guy for the next couple of months. The Bombers could fall behind as they focus their attention on Cliff Lee, but you know their wallets are deep enough to best any offer that teams come to the table with for Crawford. There’s little to no chance he returns to Tampa next year and I fully expect him to man one of the outfields in either New York or Boston next season.

      2. Cliff Lee, SP, Rangers
      He probably cost himself a couple of million by throwing a 2-0 cutter in the zone to Edgar Renteria (who put it over the wall) in Game 5 of the World Series, but every team knows Lee is one of the best. And he’s certainly the best free agent pitcher on the market this offseason. Will he take the money and head up to the Big Apple or will he stay with the Rangers? Texas probably has a leg up, but it needs to put together a decent offer because in the end, money talks. The Yankees will do everything they can to get Lee in pinstripes next season.

      3. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Red Sox
      Beltre continues to be one of the best defensive third basemen in the league and he’s coming off a solid season in Boston. He has a player option for the 2011 season, but chances are he’ll move on and try to sign a multi-year deal elsewhere.

      4. Jayson Werth, OF, Phillies
      Personally, I think Werth is a tad overrated. I think he’s Aaron Rowand re-born and some team will foolishly overpay for his services. But he’s a middle-of-the-order power threat, so he’s worth the shot. The question is whether or not the Phillies pony up to retain him or if he heads off to greener pastures. Call it a hunch, but I think he stays in the NL.

      5. Victor Martinez, C, Red Sox
      The Tigers have already been linked to V-Mart, but the Red Sox could wind up re-signing him when it’s all said and done. At 32 his skills are declining but he’s a .300 lifetime hitter with a little pop, which is always big from the catcher’s position.

      Other names to keep an eye on: Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Aubrey Huff, Paul Konerko, Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Derrek Lee, Adam Dunn.

      External Sports, MLB

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