Yankees trap Lee in Arkansas

[BlueBandit]

Yankees visiting Lee in Arkansas today
By Joe Pawlikowski in Hot Stove League. Tags: Cliff Lee · Comments (98) ·
The Yankees are learning from past successes. Two winters ago the team made a splash on the first day of free agency, offering CC Sabathia the largest contract ever for a pitcher. Yet for the next three or four weeks we heard next to nothing. Sabathia and his agent acknowledged the offer, but after that they played the silent game. The two parties met on the eve of the Winter Meetings, but it didn’t appear to further the Yankees’ cause. A few days later, Sabathia left Las Vegas and returned home.

The next day or so was filled with uncertainty. Did Sabathia’s departure mean that he wasn’t interested in pitching for the Yankees? Had another team even made an offer? There was actually a report that Sabathia had rejected the Yankees offer upon leaving Vegas. Little did we know what was going on behind the scenes. Sabathia went home so he could discuss the situation with his wife. That led to the infamous phone call in which Sabathia requested that Cashman come to Vallejo and meet the family. A few hours later they were putting together a seven-year, $161 million contract.

Today it appears the Yankees will try something similar. MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Yankees are flying to Arkansas for a face-to-face meeting with Cliff Lee. While there’s little chance that Cashman walks away with a signed contract, I have to think this bodes well for the team’s chances.

Money played the biggest role in Sabathia’s decision. It plays an enormous role in nearly every free agent decision. Players know that they’re getting ready for their one big pay day, and they want to make the most out of it. The Yankees, as we know, do not take kindly to getting outbid for a player they desire. We saw this as well two winters ago, when the Braves aggressively pursued A.J. Burnett. The bidding increased until the Yankees finally hit that $82.5 million mark. Contract signed. We saw it again a few weeks later, when the Yankees outbid the Red Sox for Mark Teixeira. I doubt they’ll let another team offer Lee more money.

What the Yankees should accomplish with this trip is what they accomplished by flying to Vallejo in 2008. That is, the purpose is to make Lee know that he’s the Yankees’ guy. After signing his contract, Sabathia said that what swayed him was his central role in the Yankees’ plans. Once Cashman revealed that they didn’t trade for Johan Santana because they wanted CC instead, the big man said he felt wanted. Again, money certainly played a bigger role. But there are certainly other factors to consider, and the feeling of being wanted — being needed, even — plays a part in that.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/new_york_yankees/

 

[BlueBandit]

New York Yankees Rumors

Heyman On Cliff Lee, Mets, Penny
By Tim Dierkes [November 10, 2010 at 12:06pm CST]
SI's Jon Heyman dishes the latest on the hot stove...

Heyman provides reasons why he sees the Yankees as the favorite to sign Cliff Lee: their revenue, rotation question marks, and lack of a backup plan chief among them. He also talked to Lee's agent Darek Braunecker about the story about Lee's wife being harassed by Yankees fans at a game. Braunecker said, "That story was blown out of proportion. It's not like she's hypersensitive. She's been with him in Philadelphia and all over, been with him from the get-go. It really was that one time, just a couple clowns...probably intoxicated. I don't know if that will have any bearing on (the decision)."
Heyman pr

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/new_york_yankees/

 

[YosemiteSam]

This just in, Lee sends Cashman packing saying, "better added a few more zeros if you want me to play for that cesspool of a team punk."

 

[YosemiteSam]

Today it appears the Yankees will try something similar. MLB Trade Rumors reports that the Yankees are flying to Arkansas for a face-to-face meeting with Cliff Lee. While there’s little chance that Cashman walks away with a signed contract, I have to think this bodes well for the team’s chances.

Flying to Arkansas bodes well for the Yankees? Is this guy an idiot or what? Every single team that is going to offer Lee a contract is going to fly into Little Rock. This dude needs to back away from the weed.

 

[BlueBandit]

NOBODY has the ZERO's we can add.

Merry X-Mas NY , your new ACE; The Rebel Yell! Wooo!

 

[YosemiteSam]

NOBODY has the ZERO's we can add.

Merry X-Mas NY , your new ACE; The Rebel Yell! Wooo!

ZEROS is right.

 

[basstapp]

his contract will be 5 years 125 million. Yankees will sign him and have

CC
LEE
Andy
Hughes
AJ

 

[Yeagermeister]

his contract will be 5 years 125 million. Yankees will sign him and have

CC
LEE
Andy
Hughes
AJ

And still lose

 

[tomson75]

And still lose

Yep.

I wish MLB would do something about the Yankees, or the system that allows them to do what they do. That team represents everything that is wrong with sport.

Anyone that doesn't see the negative impact they have on the GAME is blind. Ratings be damned....the Yankees are ruining baseball, and any chance it has of becoming as relevant as it once was.

 

[The Horned Frog]

Yep.

I wish MLB would do something about the Yankees, or the system that allows them to do what they do. That team represents everything that is wrong with sport.

Anyone that doesn't see the negative impact they have on the GAME is blind. Ratings be damned....the Yankees are ruining baseball, and any chance it has of becoming as relevant as it once was.

It isn't the Yankees.. It's the system.

Listen, can you honestly fault the team itself for having the resources that allow them to go out and get whatever the hell they want, whenever the hell they want? Truthfully, every team in baseball should be so lucky.

Problem is, this does not offer a competitive balance. In baseball, you have the HAVES, the HAVE NOTS and then you have the Yankees and Red Sox who are on their own financial planet.

Is it fair that the Yankees and Red Sox can pay their fifth starter more than the Pirates and Twins can pay their ACE? Is it fair that the Rays have to let the best player that franchise has ever had walk because they can't afford to pay him his asking price of 13-15 million a season, while for a team like the Sox, that's a drop in the bucket?

No.

Is it the fault of the Yankees and Red Sox that the system is set that way?

No.

Until baseball gets a salary cap in place, this game will continue. Unfortunately, they won't because they fear they'll lose their *** with ratings if other teams compete outside of their Big 2.

What they fail to realize is it's HARDLY caused football to sink in ratings, having competitive balance, and teams in these "small markets" might actually support their teams if they know there's a competitive chance..

Just my .002.

 

[Baileyneverfailey]

Yep.

I wish MLB would do something about the Yankees, or the system that allows them to do what they do. That team represents everything that is wrong with sport.

Anyone that doesn't see the negative impact they have on the GAME is blind. Ratings be damned....the Yankees are ruining baseball, and any chance it has of becoming as relevant as it once was.

I don't like the Yankees, but the Yankees are one of the only things that keeps MLB interesting. If the players want to go for the top money and play there that is their decision. It's not like the Yankees win the world series every year, or even get there every year.

Unless one of the teams playing in the WS has a young player I really like or some other good story, I don't even watch. If the Yankees and Red Sox are playing in the ALCS, I'm watching. Big teams who play the bad guy are good for sports.

 

[Stautner]

I don't like the Yankees, but the Yankees are one of the only things that keeps MLB interesting. If the players want to go for the top money and play there that is their decision. It's not like the Yankees win the world series every year, or even get there every year.

Unless one of the teams playing in the WS has a young player I really like or some other good story, I don't even watch. If the Yankees and Red Sox are playing in the ALCS, I'm watching. Big teams who play the bad guy are good for sports.

This is exactly right. The big name, big time, big spending, marketing giant teams are good for the game because they generate interest.

That's why I always crack up when I hear Cowboy fans talk about all these conspiracies among the NFL Administration and the referees to bring the Cowboys down. The league would be spiting itself if they did that. The Cowboys generate interest and revenue for the NFL.

Teams like these are fun for fans to either love or hate.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I'm hoping the Yankees get him, because I believe he's got 2 good years left in him and then he's a Carlos Zambrano/Barry Zito bad contract.

 

[YosemiteSam]

I'm hoping the Yankees get him, because I believe he's got 2 good years left in him and then he's a Carlos Zambrano/Barry Zito bad contract.

I disagree that he is Zembrano or Zito. Lee's pitching style is closer to Greg Maddox than either of those. While he can throw in the low 90s, that isn't his bread and butter. His bread and butter is control. Control pitcher tend to have longer careers than flame throwers. (The Big Unit and Nolan Ryan being exceptions)

Now, will Cliff Lee live out a 6 year deal? I don't know. Thats a mightly long time, but I would be willing to sign him for five years. I think he has shown me enough to do that. 6-7 years, I just don't think I could do that. The money per year is just far to large to go that far. If I go 6-7 years, the last two years would have to have buyout options for much much less on them.

 

[Stautner]

I'm hoping the Yankees get him, because I believe he's got 2 good years left in him and then he's a Carlos Zambrano/Barry Zito bad contract.

You do have to worry about signing a pitcher who is getting older to a long term deal, but nyc makes a good point below as well.

I disagree that he is Zembrano or Zito. Lee's pitching style is closer to Greg Maddox than either of those. While he can throw in the low 90s, that isn't his bread and butter. His bread and butter is control. Control pitcher tend to have longer careers than flame throwers. (The Big Unit and Nolan Ryan being exceptions)

Now, will Cliff Lee live out a 6 year deal? I don't know. Thats a mightly long time, but I would be willing to sign him for five years. I think he has shown me enough to do that. 6-7 years, I just don't think I could do that. The money per year is just far to large to go that far. If I go 6-7 years, the last two years would have to have buyout options for much much less on them.

 

[InmanRoshi]

I disagree that he is Zembrano or Zito. Lee's pitching style is closer to Greg Maddox than either of those. While he can throw in the low 90s, that isn't his bread and butter. His bread and butter is control. Control pitcher tend to have longer careers than flame throwers. (The Big Unit and Nolan Ryan being exceptions)

Now, will Cliff Lee live out a 6 year deal? I don't know. Thats a mightly long time, but I would be willing to sign him for five years. I think he has shown me enough to do that. 6-7 years, I just don't think I could do that. The money per year is just far to large to go that far. If I go 6-7 years, the last two years would have to have buyout options for much much less on them.

Zito wasn't a flame thrower either.

Lee isn't a true Nolan Ryan caliber pitcher, but he does throws that cutter with some pretty good low-mid 90's speed, and it runs up the right hand hitters hands with really good velocity.

 

[Stautner]

Zito wasn't a flame thrower either.

Lee isn't a true Nolan Ryan caliber pitcher, but he does throws that cutter with some pretty good low-mid 90's speed, and it runs up the right hand hitters hands with really good velocity.

Like nyc said, he does have a decent fastball, but the real key to his success is more like Maddux than Ryan. He wins with location and consistency. He only walked something like 11-12 batters all year, which is phenominal for a guy who has a good strikeout rate. It's because he knows how to pitch, and isn't just trying to overwhelm people with his stuff. That kind of pitcher typically more likely to continue doing well as he gets older than one who gets by on arm strength.