Sounds like Cliff Lee was really excited about joining the New York Yankees. He'll get his chance soon.
Before the proposed trade from the Seattle Mariners to the Yankees fell apart, Lee and his wife were talking to his good pal CC Sabathia and his wife about the best neighborhoods in the metropolitan area. Maybe it was just the excitement of leaving a losing team for a major playoff contender. But it sounds like Lee thought he got his wish a few months early, not having to wait until he hit free agency to come to New York.
There's no question the ace lefty will be the Yankees top free-agent target this offseason, even with Carl Crawford on the market too. Javier Vazquez's contract is expiring and the Yankees can put his $11.5 million toward the much more reliable Lee’s salary. If Andy Pettitte actually does retire, the Yankees could use another lefty in the rotation. Brian Cashman’s eagerness to go after Lee now, even though the Yankees don't need him at the moment, means Hal Steinbrenner is perfectly willing to loosen the purse strings for a player of Lee's caliber despite all the talk about the Yankees budget.
For Lee, coming to New York is all upside. He will get more money from the Yankees than any other team in baseball and can insist on a no-trade clause to put an end to all the disruption in his life caused by being traded three times in less than a year. He’ll get to pitch alongside Sabathia again and won’t be expected to carry the team. And he will be with a playoff contender every year. New York can be a rough town, but Yankee fans will love Lee because they know he’s not afraid of the big stage, as he’s proven against the Yankees time and time again.
So Cliff Lee can be a Yankee if he really wants to be. All he has to do is wait a few months.
Thanks to Galaksiafervojo via Wikipedia for the photo.
Before the proposed trade from the Seattle Mariners to the Yankees fell apart, Lee and his wife were talking to his good pal CC Sabathia and his wife about the best neighborhoods in the metropolitan area. Maybe it was just the excitement of leaving a losing team for a major playoff contender. But it sounds like Lee thought he got his wish a few months early, not having to wait until he hit free agency to come to New York.
There's no question the ace lefty will be the Yankees top free-agent target this offseason, even with Carl Crawford on the market too. Javier Vazquez's contract is expiring and the Yankees can put his $11.5 million toward the much more reliable Lee’s salary. If Andy Pettitte actually does retire, the Yankees could use another lefty in the rotation. Brian Cashman’s eagerness to go after Lee now, even though the Yankees don't need him at the moment, means Hal Steinbrenner is perfectly willing to loosen the purse strings for a player of Lee's caliber despite all the talk about the Yankees budget.
For Lee, coming to New York is all upside. He will get more money from the Yankees than any other team in baseball and can insist on a no-trade clause to put an end to all the disruption in his life caused by being traded three times in less than a year. He’ll get to pitch alongside Sabathia again and won’t be expected to carry the team. And he will be with a playoff contender every year. New York can be a rough town, but Yankee fans will love Lee because they know he’s not afraid of the big stage, as he’s proven against the Yankees time and time again.
So Cliff Lee can be a Yankee if he really wants to be. All he has to do is wait a few months.
Thanks to Galaksiafervojo via Wikipedia for the photo.
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