If you thought the 2010 season was exciting, you ain't seen nothing yet.
Now that free agents are hitting the market, there's one player who everyone is watching. Wherever he ends up, that team is going to pay out the nose for him. And he'll be worth every cent.
The Texas Rangers made their first World Series appearance ever this year, and while the acquisition of Cliff Lee was supposed to provide a boost (and a little insurance in the postseason), the lefty was just a shade less than his usual complete domination of opposing hitters (4-6, 3.98), he is still, without question, the crown jewel for any team shooting for a ring, this year's World Series performance notwithstanding.
The Rangers, for their part, would love to have him back, although team president Nolan Ryan has made some rather ambiguous comments concerning the signing of Lee.
"You know, it's hard for me to speculate because I don't know where this is gonna go," said Ryan. And then he drops this rather nebulous line on us: "What some people think is realistic another person might not think is realistic."
There you go. Read between the lines, folks.
While Ryan made it clear that the team hasn't entered into negotiations with Lee, he also gives the impression that the Rangers would be hard-pressed to match or exceed another team's offer. And when I say "another team," I really mean the New York Yankees. And so does Ryan.
After all, this is a team that nearly went completely down the tubes until Ryan and Co. took over. And while the team thought to be at the forefront of the chase (the Yankees, of course) is carrying a massive payroll already, they've proven time and again that they have no problem whatsoever with expanding that payroll a great deal.
With the lackluster performance of Yankees starters this postseason, bringing Lee to the Big Apple is the paramount issue for New York's front office. On top of that, CC Sabathia's ever-expanding waistline as he enters his 30s in 2011 will likely bring his stats back down to Earth very quickly. With all due respect to Mr. Sabathia, he's about one Big Mac away from 300.
While Lee has remained close-mouthed about his foray into free agency, a fan sighting of Lee buying a couple pairs of boots stirred debate as to whether Lee might be staying with the team, after all. Surely, everything he does from now until he signs a contract will be analyzed and scrutinized. But as for the boots, when you crush the opposition on a regular basis, you can pretty much wear anything you want.
Knowing now that the Rangers and Yankees are at the forefront of the bidding war, Jerry Crasnick of ESPN has the Nationals (!) as a potential candidate to snag Lee:
As reported on ESPN.com:
"The Nationals are looking for a top-end veteran starter, and Lee would help sell some tickets and fill the enthusiasm void in Washington while Stephen Strasburg recovers from Tommy John surgery. If the Nationals fail to land Lee, they'll look for pitching elsewhere on the free agent market or try to swing a deal for a James Shields, Matt Garza, or another starter who might be available in trade. One problem is, the Nats have no interest in parting with young middle infielders Ian Desmond and Danny Espinosa, so GM Mike Rizzo's trade chips are limited."
This becomes a bit more important when you take into account Texas starter Scott Feldman's knee surgery, effects of which could alter his mechanics significantly entering Spring Training in 2011. Going 7-11 with a 5.48 ERA in the regular season doesn't help him, either.
With Stephen Strasburg out of commission for next year, and the Nats struggling to fill seats as it is, landing a top-notch starter is a must. As for the Yankees, they have a lot on their hands already with Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera entering free agency, as well. Jeter finishing his career and reaching 3,000 hits with another team would be pure sacrilege in the eyes of Yankees fans.
A word for Hal Steinbrenner: riots have started over less than this kind of issue.
On top of that, the Yankees front office has had its hands full with the back-and-forth bickering between manager Joe Girardi and now former pitching coach Dave Eiland, who was fired soon after their disappointing postseason performance. On October 30th, an anonymous source stated that there was friction between Girardi and Eiland as early as May, when Eiland took a 30-day leave of absence from the team, citing "personal reasons." No question as to who would win that little tug-of-war; Girardi is reaching the same level of respect and admiration that former manager Joe Torre possessed in his best years as Yankees manager.
As for Derek Jeter, Steinbrenner has been at war with Jeter's agent, Casey Close, who said that Jeter's value to the Yankees "cannot be overstated." Once cooler heads prevail, the Yankees are essentially obligated to re-sign him, lest he move on and reach 3,000 in another uniform. God forbid.
With Jeter and Rivera in the free agent mix, signing Lee is not going to be easy. Lee turned 32 this year, so it's doubtful that he will be offered a long-term contract. The Yanks have Alex Rodriguez's gargantuan albatross of a contract around their necks until 2017, unless they find another team ignorant enough to take him, his humongous ego, and that God-awful contract on.
Hal Steinbrenner is going to have to walk carefully though this mess, or else he risks the ire of Yankee fans everywhere. As for Lee, it's very doubtful that the little tête-à-tête between Rangers CEO Chuck Greenburg and Steinbrenner will have any effect on the Lee sweepstakes. With such a player as Cliff Lee on the table, things can get nasty, very quickly, especially when you consider the garbage his wife Kristin had to tolerate from Yankee fans.
As for Lee, he had only this to say concerning Yankees fans:
"I brush that off as fans being fans. You can't control 50,000 people and what they're going to do," Lee said Tuesday, the day before pitching Game 1 of the World Series for Texas. "There were some people that were spitting off the balcony on the family section and things like that, and that's kind of weak, but what can you do?"
I can't say I would be so understanding about that. And apparently, neither was she: "The fans did not do good things in my heart ... When people are staring at you, and saying horrible things, it's hard not to take it personal."
Even after Kristin Lee dealt with some of the worst treatment Yankees fans have to offer, she is (allegedly) still high on New York. Considering the money that's going to be thrown at Lee's feet, a little rowdiness in the stands is a non-issue.
However, if Lee goes to the Yankees, there are still a few quality hurlers in the mix. Andy Pettitte (11-3, 3.28 ERA in 2010) could end up back in the Lone Star State, and even at 38, he's a strong presence in the rotation and in the clubhouse. Jorge De La Rosa would be a great addition, as he is only recently beginning to harness his exceptional talent. Problem is, nearly every free agent starting pitcher is either in his early 30s or well past that, and as we all know, signing a pitcher to a long-term contract has been less than ideal for many teams.
What this all boils down to is this: Cliff Lee is easily one of the best lefties in the majors since the heyday of Randy Johnson, and maybe the best in the game. Any other pitcher, comparably, is the consolation prize. Expect massive fallout in NY if Steinbrenner fails to sign Lee, especially with A.J. Burnett malfunctioning and Javier Vazquez completely losing his focus, not to mention the shaky bullpen, which will likely be without Kerry Wood, who recorded a stellar 0.69 ERA in 24 appearances (26 innings) with New York, but likely will be moving on as his option was declined.
Wherever he goes, his presence makes a good team great, and a great team outstanding. Texas has the potential to be a much better team, especially with the continuing growth and development of SS Elvis Andrus, who could conceivably become one of the greatest shortstops of our time. But everything hinges on Cliff Lee's decision.
For a while, it will probably be all you hear about, as well it should be. And in a time of massive overspending on free agents, Cliff Lee is worth whatever he gets. And for those of you who disagree, when the postseason hits, you'll understand.
Leave a Comment