The Yankees haven’t started talking with the Mariners about Cliff Lee yet, but they will have interest if Jack Zduriencik makes him available and so will the Mets. Several executives tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Mariners have pro scouts eyeing rival teams’ minor league prospects, even though they haven’t decided to deal Lee at this point. But unless the M's go on a major hot streak, it looks like Lee will be traded for the third time since last summer.
"I would expect to see Lee traded barring a 20 out of the next 30 run by the Mariners,” an AL personnel man told Sherman. “I would not think he'd be traded this month, but if Seattle wants the best return, it would be better off doing it now."
Many teams will have interest in Lee, including the Yankees and the Mets. The Yankees believe the Mariners would ask for Jesus Montero or Austin Romine in a trade for Lee and they would prefer to hold onto their top prospects as long as the price is that steep. Mets officials tell Sherman that they’ll acquire a starter, possibly Lee, if they remain contenders.
Lee currently ranks as a Type A free agent, so his team will have the chance to obtain two top draft picks for him by offering arbitration this winter. Barring the unexpected, Lee's team will offer arbitration and he will turn it down.
Again, where’s the credible source saying the Yanks will have interest? “Do you think Seattle officials actually have to call their Yankees counterparts to know the Yankees will be interested when they make Lee available? File that under doh.”Guess what, idiot. If the Yanks have zero need to address their rotation (and right now, that’s the case), then the Yanks would have zero interest in Lee. Allow me to file your above line under “retarded.”
As a Mets fan, I don’t want Omar playing poker with Jack Z.
It’s not Omar – anymore. It’s Jeff behind Omar calling the shots. Within that context your point is still completely valid. NO Mets fan should want Jeff Wilpon at the wheel where it comes to player transactions. He makes Steve Phillips look like a genius.
Unless an injury occurs, there’s no way they’re getting Jesus or Romine for 3 months of Lee.
Like everyone else here I agree that there is no need for Lee, I would be very disappointed if we gave up Montero, Romine, Nunez, Nova, McAllister, etc. for a 3 month rental that we don’t need.
The Mets on the other hand would be better served getting Lee, but even they don’t really NEED him, Pelfrey has been a great #2 this year and I think the Mets would be better served getting an innings eater with a respectable ERA, maybe Millwood or Guthrie from the O’s, or possibly Westbrook, although he has an injury history.
If the Yankees did make a play for Lee, it should be on some sort of trade-and-extend terms. You may not need him this year, but keeping in from hitting free agency for next year could be worth something.
But there are a bunch of reports saying that Lee really wants to test FA, so why not just keep the prospects and sign him in the offseason if they want him that badly. Plus there really isn’t a big need for Lee, sure he’d be nice in the rotation but 1-5 is good now that Vazquez is pitching better.
I read somewere that in order to give up Montero or maybe Romine that they would have to extend Lee at the time of the trade…Like the Phillies did with Halladay..If this happens I could very easily see them giving up Montero…If I was in their shoes I might do it too since I normally have the best scouts internationally(were they got Montero) and if I really needed a catcher or wherever Montero will play in the future I could always trade again or buy one
Except the Yankees can keep Montero and sign Lee in the offseason when he is available to everyone, 1-5 in the rotation is fine for the Yankees, they don’t need another SP right now.
^This sums up the whole thing. IF they Yankees were hurting for pitching, it might be a sacrifice worth making. They aren’t, though, so it just plain isn’t.
Seriously, who are they going to bump from the rotation- CC, AJ, Andy, Hughes and Javy.
And where are all the people who said cut/trade Javy after his first 5 starts and put Mitre in the rotation? Haven’t seen a John Harper article saying how he was wrong, although I’m not shocked, media members have zero accountability.
But don’t the Mariners have some leverage in that they could do a trade-and-extend deal shipping Lee elsewhere, thereby making him unavailable to NYY this winter?
I’m not saying he’s worth Montero, but he certainly has some value even if the rotation is currently in fine shape.
The Mariners can’t force Lee to sign an extension.
They were only willing to offer Montero for Halladay straight up. I think its pretty safe to say they wouldn’t deal him for 3 months of Lee.
Of course, the entire conversation is pointless until someone in the rotation gets hurt.
Yankes DO NOT need him
Why is everyone so adamant about the Yankees wanting Lee? Seriously, if we want him that bad, we can just wait unti the offseason and sign him for nothing other than money. And saying that the Ms want Montero/Romine? Really? We were reluctant to give them up for ROY HALLADAY (the best pitcher in baseball right now). Plus, why would we need another starter? We have CC AJ Andy Hughes and Javy, and I know that Javy hadn’t pitched well, but he seems to have straightened things out and has been pitching pretty darn well recently, so again why a starter? If anything we need a reliever (not so much, but it wouldn’t hurt with Aceves gone for a long time), or an OF/DH type bat because of Johnson’s injury.
This is just a bunch of idiot “analysts” and “experts” trying to make some noise and sell some subscriptions/get some web hits. (Note, I’m not saying the MLBTR is wrong, as they only report what others say, but the sources are just idiots if they really think this).
/rant
“the best pitcher in baseball right now” Ubaldo Jimenez would like to talk to you about this statement.
Oops, you’re right-ish, I’d say that they’re both the best pitcher in baseball.
Haha, it’s all good, don’t get me wrong Halladay is right there with him, I’d just say that Jimenez has had the better year so far. (Although Halladay’s year has been exceptional and he’s been keeping my fantasy pitching staff alive.)
Btw, I don’t expect Jimenez to keep up these numbers all year, 92.4 LOB% and a .229 BABIP aren’t really sustainable. I’d still pick Halladay to win the Cy, unless somehow Ubaldo can be this lucky all year.
What would it take for the Mets to get him? Mejia and a couple B-list prospects? Mejia, Thole, Tejada?
I would say do it…if they sign him in the offseason they will lose their first round pick. The NL is extremely weak and adding Lee gives a legitimate shot at reaching the World Series this season.
I don’t know the Mets system that well, but I would think that that is a bit of an overpay for a half season rental.
yea…I wasn’t sure. I guess it’s a bit of an overpay, especially if the Yankees will only give up Romine. The problem with the Mets system is that they don’t have many GOOD prospects, only a couple of top talents (Martinez, Mejia, Flores) and a bunch of mediocre players…I guess Martinez could be included in place of Mejia, but whether or not the Mariners want him is a big question.
That “rental” also has Type-A status. So if you can’t bring him back, you’re still likely to recover players in the draft who aren’t any worse than B-list prospects.
Agreed…basically the Matt Holliday strategy of last year.
But you also have to wait till next year to even pick those players and then probably another couple of years for them to be close to MLB ready, I know that Type A has its value, but it still has its downsides.
Although that strategy requires your team to draft/develop well, as well as invest another ~3-5m in signing bonuses. And realistically wait 2-3 years for those 2 picks to have an impact on your ML club.
A team like Oakland can take that chance, if you’re the Mets with 120m+ payroll and out of the playoffs for the last 3 years, you’re not in the business of renting players.
Yanks don’t need starting pitching and can sign Lee after the season.
This assumes Lee doesn’t get traded to someone interested in extending him before he hits the open market, as the Phillies did with Halladay.
if that’s the case, we’ll make due with the lesser options/try out McAllister in the rotation.
Or nova.
Or nova.
True. But they dont NEED Lee, like how they needed CC before the 2009 season. They still have CC, AJ, Hughes under contract. If Andy stays healthy it’s going to be tough for him to walk away from ~10m. So is it smart to trade top prospects and give a guy 100m, when it’s really not a huge need?
Plus Lee isnt going to their biggest competition either- Rays dont have the payroll or need, Phillies dont have room in their payroll, and doubt Theo will give him 100m after giving Beckett and Lackey big contracts. So its not like if the Yankees miss out on him then the balance of power changes or whatever (like how some argued Mark Texeira did last year)
the yankees dont need lee until their rotation is a problem. They need a bullpen arm if anything.
Yanks need bullpen help and another bat. They’ll be fine with the current rotation. Maybe they could try to get a decent power hitter and just release Johnson cause that was a terrible signing from the beginning. Lee will be a Yankee next year once the season’s over cause Javy will be gone and Pettitte’s return/retirement will be up in the air so we will only really have CC, AJ and Phil
Yankees are 4th in SLG, 1st in AVG, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and runs scored. They don’t really NEED another bat, plus Granderson’s back, Posada’s gonna be the primary DH, and A-Rod’s injury isn’t serious.
And CC, AJ, and Hughes are a solid top 3, there isn’t a huge need for Lee regardless of what Pettitte does, Lee would be nice, but I don’t want him at 20+MM over 6 years.
I’d argue that you should write it as CC, Pettitte, and Hughes as the solid top 3 right now.
I’m talking about next season, those 3 are the only SP’s under contract.
I’m talking about next season, those 3 are the only SP’s under contract.
I’d argue that you should write it as CC, Pettitte, and Hughes as the solid top 3 right now.
Yankees are 4th in SLG, 1st in AVG, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and runs scored. They don’t really NEED another bat, plus Granderson’s back, Posada’s gonna be the primary DH, and A-Rod’s injury isn’t serious.
And CC, AJ, and Hughes are a solid top 3, there isn’t a huge need for Lee regardless of what Pettitte does, Lee would be nice, but I don’t want him at 20+MM over 6 years.
We don’t need Lee right now. In the offseason we’ll get him because of the contracts that are coming off the books after this season. Right now we need Bullpen help and or a DH. I heard that yankee scouts are looking at Lance Berkman.
We don’t need Lee right now. In the offseason we’ll get him because of the contracts that are coming off the books after this season. Right now we need Bullpen help and or a DH. I heard that yankee scouts are looking at Lance Berkman.
the yankees should wait it out and sign him in the offseason the mets i cant really see them getting but i can see them trading for one of the orioles pitchers or something like that the only pitcher the yankees should even think of trading for would be Ubaldo Jimenez but clearly hes not available
is this THE Martin dara??? t
and the mets should definitely try to get Lee because even though Big Pelf has been a good number 2 this year, the mets need a player who has proven him self as a number 2.
the yankees should wait it out and sign him in the offseason the mets i cant really see them getting but i can see them trading for one of the orioles pitchers or something like that the only pitcher the yankees should even think of trading for would be Ubaldo Jimenez but clearly hes not available
Not happening with the Yanks. Period.
Not happening with the Yanks. Period.
I was thinking something like Fernando Martinez, Ruben Tejada, and Nick Evans for a half a year of lee, then try to re-sign him in the offseason. If they don’t re-sign him then pick up the 2 picks to replace Fernando and Ruben
I think they would want a pitcher back in return for Lee. Even if it was Dillon Gee or Bobby Parnell but I don’t think they would want 3 position players, that’s just my opinion. I would be willing to give up F-Mart, Thole (they reportely are looking for a catcher) & Dillon Gee. It’s too bad Murphy got hurt because he was a decent trading prospect.
After the Mets trade for Lee, I would offer him Lackey type money and try and resign him, despite him saying he wants to hit free agency. If he decides not to resign with us, we still net a 1st round pick and a sandwich pick. I know the draft is a crapshoot but atleast 1 out of the 2 picks might work out to be a good player.
You never can have too much starting pitching.
Santana, Pelfrey, Lee, Niese, Dickey
Maine goes to the bullpen when he gets back healthy and you leave Ollie Perez in the minor leagues until next year.
Sounds like an incredible starting rotation to me…..