Cliff Lee Signs With the Phillies, So Now What for the Yankees?
Around 12:30 this morning, my phone buzzed with an e-mail alert, one I was not ready for or expecting.
According to T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, Cliff Lee has just agreed to sign a five-year deal for about $115 million with the Philadelphia Phillies.
The deal, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, has a vesting option for a sixth year in Philadelphia.
Lee turned down offers from both the Texas Rangers, who had offered five-year and six-year deals to stay with the 2010 American League champions, and the New York Yankees, who had offered a seven-year deal worth about $155 million.
First, let me admit, I got it all wrong with Lee. Really wrong.
I was convinced that Lee was going to come to the Bronx this winter because of the desperate need the Yankees had for starting pitching and because of the Yankees offering the most money.
Usually, the New York Yankees don’t get turned down very often when they offer the most money, like the case two years ago when the Yankees offered seven years and $161 million to get CC Sabathia.
But if you want to look really hard at it, Lee turned down two guaranteed years and $40 million more to go back to Philadelphia. Why?
Does the Game 3 of the ALCS at Yankee Stadium stick in the minds of Lee and his wife Kristen, when she and along with other wives of the Rangers had beer and spit thrown into their direction while sitting in the visiting players’ seats?
Lee said that the incidents of that night would not play into his decision. I beg to differ here, because if he wanted to come to New York, he should have done so, say…Thursday?
Read more at bleacherreport.com
