Cliff Lee said yesterday that he wouldn't be surprised if he was dealt between now and the deadline, but he stated today that his first choice is to remain in Philadelphia, write Bob Brookover and Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The hurler also noted his desire to win, which is part of what drew him to Philadelphia in the first place as a free agent.
"Yeah, this is where I signed as a free agent and this is where I want to be," said Lee. "But I definitely want to win, there's no doubt about that. That's the main thing…I don't think anyone could have expected the way we played last year and being under .500 this year. I think it's a surprise to a lot of people, myself included. But there is still a lot of season left."
Lee, of course, has a no-trade clause that can allow him to block deals to 20 teams. While the Yankees, Orioles, and Rangers are among the clubs that are on his no-trade list, that doesn't necessarily mean that he won't OK a deal to those teams. The full list is not known, but the Cardinals are not among the clubs that the left-hander can turn down. While St. Louis wouldn't appear to be in need of pitching, it's not out of the question that they could get in the mix.
