Cliff Lee Speculation

[Piston Pete]

WT says a team will offer a 7-year deal to Lee.

It also says it won't be the Yankees.

I wonder what the chances are that its the Tigers who might be offering the 7-year deal to Lee.

Instead of offering the HUGE contract to Crawford, it would be HUGE to get Lee in here long-term. Imagine a long-term rotation of:

Lee
Verlander
Sherzer
Porcello
Turner or Oliver

Signing Lee moves Coke back to the bullpen, which makes it VERY good as well (Coke, Benoit, Valverde) and makes other guys (Armando and probably Oliver) expendable for trade.

Cheap OFers we could target via free agency if we got Lee include Melky Cabrera, Fred Lewis, or Rick Ankiel.

[cochiseuofm]

Cliff Lee is also going to get a HUGE contract....and he is 32.5 years old already. He'll be 40 by the time a 7 year deal runs up.

I also think we do still need another bat. And Crawford does it all very well. He is still the guy I want the most.

[RustInPeace]

I'm almost 100% sure it's not us. MLBTR says we're going after Crawford hard but when it comes to Lee rumors we're not even discussed. I don't want him on a 7 year deal anyway unless we have a team option for the 5th year and beyond or something. The only way the contract he'll get is going to be worth it is if he pitches like he did this year for 7 years straight... and that is not going to happen.

[TSE]

Cliff Lee is also going to get a HUGE contract....and he is 32.5 years old already. He'll be 40 by the time a 7 year deal runs up.

I also think we do still need another bat. And Crawford does it all very well. He is still the guy I want the most.

But Crawford's best year at the plate was last year, the rest of his history doesn't suggest he's worth the kind of money that he'll probably get. He hat a .307 batting average last year up from his career average of .296, not much difference, but his slugging was .495 up from his average of .444. I dont want to pay 20 mil to a guy that hits .444. i dont even want to pay for a guy that can't hit .500 consistently, which is something Crawford has never done. Granted he has defense and SB value, but our money could be spent more efficiently elsewhere. We need to find ways to lower our payroll and reduce salary risk rather than take it on. It's not the right time for us to be spending all the big FA dollars we have been spending; we need to make TRADES first to set up the openings to top off the team with a giant FA to then put us over the top.

[cochiseuofm]

But Crawford's best year at the plate was last year, the rest of his history doesn't suggest he's worth the kind of money that he'll probably get. He hat a .307 batting average last year up from his career average of .296, not much difference, but his slugging was .495 up from his average of .444. I dont want to pay 20 mil to a guy that hits .444. i dont even want to pay for a guy that can't hit .500 consistently, which is something Crawford has never done. Granted he has defense and SB value, but our money could be spent more efficiently elsewhere. We need to find ways to lower our payroll and reduce salary risk rather than take it on. It's not the right time for us to be spending all the big FA dollars we have been spending; we need to make TRADES first to set up the openings to top off the team with a giant FA to then put us over the top.

All good points, but also remember that Tampa was a bad team without many other good players around Crawford until very recently. They had one of the worst offenses in the MLB during a lot of those years. Hard to sustain great numbers when you are the main guy each team has to get out.

I think his numbers over the last four years are a better indication of what kind of player he can be with our lineup. He batted over .300 three of the last four years, the only one where he came under was his injury-filled 2008.

And I do think his speed, which we very much need BTW, and defensive ability make up for the inconsistent power. I also think if they add him, they'll at the very least have the best team in the division on paper.

[kellmellus50]

baseball source told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick the chances of Lee signing a contract before the end of the winter meetings is "doubtful."

In an effort to explore other options, Cashman said he has met with an unnamed player and might meet with two others. The Yankees have interest in Carl Crawford as a fallback option if Lee falls through.

The Texas Rangers also continued their pursuit of Lee on Tuesday. Team president Nolan Ryan said that he's more encouraged now than he was a week ago about the prospect of his club landing the pitcher.

http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/ ... BHeadlines

[cochiseuofm]

WT says that the Nationals are one of the two teams that have offered seven years thus far. I don't think it'll be long before the Yankees or Rangers come around to that sort of deal.

[ajaX82]

the freakin Phillies got him

Halladay/Lee/Oswalt/Hamels is their 1-4. That playoff rotation is absolutely nuts

[Piston Pete]

Can't believe he took less money to go there over staying in Texas or going to the Yanks. Wonder if we could get Blanton from them on the cheap.

Anyone else find it funny that the Yanks missed out on BOTH Lee and Crawford? Hahahaha.

I hope the Tigers don't make a knee-jerk signing like Maggs. I think its time for us to focus on getting some younger players in here. Rick Ankiel or Fred Lewis would be my main targets.

[ajaX82]

Rick Ankiel and Fred Lewis are not young....both are at least 30.

I wouldnt mind Lewis for cheap

[RustInPeace]

Rick Ankiel and Fred Lewis are not young....both are at least 30.

I wouldnt mind Lewis for cheap

they're both not that good either.

Lewis would be a fine bench player for cheap and that's it. Ankiel is garbage.

[ajaX82]

^ im not huge fans either

Ryan Ludwick is a guy i hope we look at