Cliff Lee is back in Philadelphia. With his acquisition, the Phillies rotation for 2011 is regarded as one of the best ever. His Phillies contract is approximately for 30 million less than what he was offered by the Yankees, but Lee wanted to play in Philly.The Phillies rotation now features Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt. With this rotation, three game losing losing streaks will almost disappear entirely, regardless of offensive slumps. The Phillies have turned into most people's pick to win the Series.
I know I was one of those fans who, when the Phillies traded away Lee in order to acquire Halladay, with wishful thinking thought of how awesome it'd be for the Phillies to keep both. Now the dream of many fans in Philly has come true. Lee, from day one, was a fan favorite over here, and him taking a 30 mil pay cut will only endear him to Phils fan even further.
With now sky-high expectations in Philly, what does this mean for the Yankees, whose 7-year offer for Lee didn't happen? Well, now they go into the spring with only two definite starters, C.C. Sabathia and Phil Hughes. It does free up more space in terms of signing other players, but the depth of 2011's free agent class is especially weak.
Lee's deal surprised almost everyone in the baseball world, and the Phillies couldn't be happier with the return, this time for five long years.
Sabathia, the most consistent Yankees starter of 2010, will likely have to shoulder a great deal of work and responsibility. Hughes had a solid season, but needs to prove he can be reliable for an entire season, not just the first half. Hopefully Larry Rothschild will have a positive effect on Burnett, who struggled mightily. Nova looks like he may get a shot to be in the rotation. If Pettitte were to return, there would be a bit less ambiguity regarding the rotation.
ReplyDeleteThe Phillies are going to be very, very good. The revamped rotation ought to makeup for a possible offensive drop-off due to Werth's departure.
Pettitte is really the key to this. With him, like you said, the only guy in the rotation who hasn't really started before would be, like you said, Ivan Nova, that's if he makes it. Then there's always the chance for Zack Greinke or Felix Hernandez, but I don't think the Yankees would be willing to give up what's asked.
ReplyDeleteI agree - the Yankees will not be willing to strike a deal with the Mariners in exchange for Hernandez. The Yankees consider a number of their top-tier prospects, most notably Montero, to be a major part of their future. Zack Greinke does not seem to be an option. Many have spoken about his social anxiety disorder, which could potentially surface while pitching under the scrutiny of the Yankees and their fans. It is a lot to handle, even for the most seasoned pitcher.
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