Kuzul

Free-agent ace Cliff Lee is burning his talents right through the MLB winter meetings this week.

Just a week ago Lee was on his way to New York, unless the Rangers could convince the southpaw he had good reasons to stay in Texas.

Well things have certainly changed, as rumors that the Nationals, Angels, Phillies and two unknown suitors want a piece of Lee.

Is the New York motto, what the Yankees want, the Yankees usually can bankroll still in tact?

Yankee fans sure hope so, but the hourly Lee updates are starting to cause some concern.

Especially now with the Boston Red Sox, who finally acquired their version of Teixeira in Adrian Gonzalez.

Add that fact to the seeming retirement of Andy Pettitte and the possibility Carl Crawford heads west to the Halos.

Yankee Universe doesn’t just want Cliff Lee—they need him—at least for next season. That would be plenty enough if the Boss was still in charge.

Now, the question remains does GM Cashman and Baby Hal Steinbrenner want to win in 2011, enough so that Lee can stay six years after that?

Yankee fans sure hope things haven’t changed this much.

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While the baseball world is transfixed on free agent pitcher Cliff Lee, everyone has an opinion on where he’ll sign.

Most people say the New York Yankees because they can offer the most money. Others say he might stay in Arlington with the Texas Rangers. Maybe the Angels or Red Sox will get it on the fun. Will the Washington Nationals sneak their foot in the door?

No one knows for sure, but everyone has an idea.

Cliff Lee is by far the most sought after free agent on the market and at a time when starting pitching is at a premium, no player’s services are more coveted.

Last season, Lee, 32, went 12-9 with a 3.18 ERA for the Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.

Widely considered the most dominant postseason pitcher of the era, Lee is a career 7-2 with three complete games and a 2.13 ERA in 10 postseason starts.

While most Yankee fans are waiting for Cliff Lee jerseys to go on sale, there is a mystery team at the Winter Meetings, reportedly with a seven-year deal waiting for Lee.

The Yankees have already said they don’t want to go past six years with Lee, which would keep the lefty under contract through age 38.

Let’s face it, Lee has his choice of teams; any team that can offer him the kind of money he’s looking for has a chance.

But does the opportunity to play for a team that is always in contention matter most?

The Yankees are only considered the front-runner for Lee because not only can they offer the most money, but they’re always built for October, and if Lee wants to solidify his position as a great postseason pitcher, that’s where he belongs.

But Lee has also made it clear that duration means just as much, if not more, than dollars.

So if this mystery team will guarantee Lee seven years, while the Yankees are only willing to give him six, will Lee choose the years?

General consensus says that Lee is going to command a contract of around six years at $23 million per.

But if he’ll go for a seven year deal for less money per season, the Yankees might find themselves scrambling for another pitcher.

So who is this mystery team? No one has been able to confirm exactly which team it is, but there is definitely a team. John Heyman of SI.com has said there is a team with a seven-year deal for Lee, and it is not the Washington Nationals.

If it’s not the Nationals, and it’s definitely not the Yankees, my money is on the Angels.

The Angels were supposed to be big players this offseason, but haven’t made a move yet. Jayson Werth was a potential target, but he’s gone to the Nationals. They have interest in third baseman Adrian Beltre, but his price tag might scare some teams off and he may have to wait until January for an offer.

Carl Crawford is still available, and he’s an excellent fit for the Angels.

Of course, there haven’t been any confirmed offers yet for Cliff Lee and he and his agent, Darek Braunecker, may be taking their time to feel out what teams are going to be offering.

But if there is a seven-year offer on the table from this mystery team, Lee might take the deal fast and end all the speculation.

Like Braunecker said on the first day of the Winter Meetings, “It’s good to be Cliff Lee.”

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The Texas Rangers have always hoped that when they acquired Cliff Lee last year, that it wouldn’t just be for the remainder of the season.  They were hoping that they would be able to sign him this offseason despite him becoming a free agent. 

Whether they can or not depends heavily on what other teams are willing to offer.  Sources say that both the Yankees and the Rangers don’t want to offer more than six years, but that there is a mystery team (or teams) willing to go to seven.  

It would also be in the $20 million-per-year salary range, which on most teams would take up a great deal of their budget.  The Yankees can always seem to afford it, but the Rangers might have to move salary to make room to sign Lee.  

Which brings us to Michael Young.  Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports tweeted that the Rangers were taking offers, and owner Nolan Ryan later said that they were not shopping Young, but would listen.

The Toronto Blue Jays originally drafted Young in the fifth round of the 1997 draft, but he never actually played a game with them, as he was traded to Texas while still in the minors.

At 34, the six-time all-star and 2008 Gold Glove winner is somewhat injury prone and coming down from his peak, but he is still a superb, contact hitting third baseman.  

One of the things that the Jays were lacking last year were players who could consistently put the ball into play, as they struggled to score runs by any other means than the long ball.  

Young is one of those hitters who has always hit for average and sprays singles and doubles all over the field.  He would also be a veteran presence who has had recent playoff experience.

After letting Edwin Encarnacion to a waiver claim, the Jays are looking for options at the hot corner.  Jose Bautista both played at third and in right field in 2010, but is more valuable in the outfield because of his strong throwing arm.

Young is still under contract for three more years at $16 million per season, which makes him an expensive option.  The Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos seems to favor young and inexpensive options, who can turn into All-Stars, but that doesn’t necessarily rule Young out.  

The benefits he could bring to the club could outweigh the risks, if Anthopoulos believes the team is close enough to contending.

This is, of course, still all speculation since the Rangers have not said they are actively shopping Young, and there have been no reports that the Blue Jays are interested in acquiring their former draft pick.

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You can never have too much pitching. Pitching wins championships. Momentum is only as good as your next day’s starting pitcher. General managers, broadcasters and baseball columnists tell us as much each and every year, and each and every year these beliefs are reinforced when the biggest Free Agent starter on the market is signed to a massive contract that takes him into his late 30s.

No player on the field can have more impact on a game than a dominant starting pitcher. It’s no surprise then that over the past 35 years, pitchers have consistently ranked as some of the most highly paid players in the game.

This offseason, former Ranger Cliff Lee, perhaps the second best pitcher in the game, is a free agent. The Rangers want Lee back and are willing to pay. The Yankees, a team Lee helped knock out of the playoffs, also want his services and a mystery team has supposedly stepped up with a seven-year offer for $20-$25 million a year.

We all know about Lee. He’s undeniably one of the best free agent pitchers in the history of baseball, but his situation is far from unique. Let’s take a trip back in time, starting in 1975, to look at a time-line of the most coveted free agent pitchers ever.

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The most prized free agent player on the market this season, Cliff Lee, has reportedly been offered a seven year deal by an unknown team.

The New York Yankees have been reported to have offered Lee a six year contract averaging $23 million annually.

The Texas Rangers are known to have offered a five year deal. 

The Washington Nationals probably don’t have enough money after signing Jayson Werth to a $126 million contract.

So, who is this mystery team?

One possible answer is the Los Angeles Angels, who seem to be strong runners for big time free agents this offseason. 

And who knows, the Boston Red Sox are always in the mix when the Yankees are.

All in all, we do not know who the team is, but it is the longest contract offer.

This team might have just raised the price tag on maybe the best pitcher in the league today.

Lee is 32 years old, so his age is a factor, but his most recent stats do not show it:

1. W-L: 12-9
2. ERA: 3.18
3. BB Allowed: 18
4. IP: 212.1

One thing is for certain here: This isn’t going to be a quick negotiation.

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Cliff Lee is one of the bigger stories coming out of the baseball winter meetings. The word is that he wants a ton of cash as well as the security of a lengthy contract. 

The cash is one thing. Teams have shown they don’t mind throwing money at the problem, just as long as they can guarantee that their prized athlete is at or near their top of their game for the duration of the contract.

The latest word is the the Nationals are prepared to offer the pitcher the seven year contract he craves at $20-25 million a year. Can the left handed hurler be considered a value at such a lengthy and expensive contract? Let’s take a look. 

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If you’ve been watching and listening to all the coverage on Major League Baseball’s winter meetings, or maybe following along on Twitter, you’ve seen a lot of news surrounding left-hander Cliff Lee.

We know the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees are in, but we found out earlier this morning that the Washington Nationals had apparently jumped into the running. Surprising, seeing as they already threw $126 million at outfielder Jayson Werth.

Nationals’ general manager Mike Rizzo is trying to load up his team for a run at the playoffs for the 2011 season and beyond. I have to give him credit, just one day after taking shots at him, for at least giving his fans a reason to believe that contending isn’t years away, but maybe just months away.

So we know there are at least three teams holding discussions with Lee and his agent, but apparently there is a mystery team that is involved as well. One that apparently, according to Jon Heyman of SI.com, has already given the free agent pitcher a seven-year offer.

Who is that mystery team? We know the Yankees are not willing to give Lee more than six years and though there’s been no official word from the Rangers on how long of a deal they’re willing to give, I don’t believe they are willing to give him more than five or six.

So who does that leave? If all three of the teams we know about aren’t willing to give seven, who is?

Here are a few teams to think about. I’m not saying they are the mystery team we’re talking about, but I’m just giving out names to think about.

Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Those are the four teams who could get involved. The Cubs desperately need to give their fans a ray of hope and you know the White Sox and manager Ozzie Guillen would love to return to the World Series. Adding Adam Dunn was a good start for them.

As for the Dodgers and the Angels, both have young pitching and both have the money to throw at Lee.

The Dodgers just finished the court proceedings with the divorce of the McCourts. Now that that’s out of the way, they can focus on the players they need to bring in. While I don’t believe the Dodgers will give seven years, they have a manager in Don Mattingly that would love to have a guy like Lee.

Now to the Angels. Owner Artie Moreno is not a guy that’s going to throw money around blindly, unless it’s for a guy he feels is worth it. Cliff Lee is certainly a guy that can be a huge addition to an already talented rotation that boasts Jered Weaver.

So, with all that being said, I’m curious to hear your guesses on who you believe the mystery team is. And, while we’re at it, how much do you think Lee is going to command to get a deal done?

There is going to be speculation, rumors, maneuvering, and gesturing in the media to make one team think one thing while making another team think something else.

This is going to be a fun ride to the finish. It’s why, to me, the winter meetings are one of the most exciting times of the off season.

Cliff Lee is going somewhere. Will he go to whomever gives him the most money? Or is there a tie to the Rangers that will bring him back as long as the contract offer is reasonable?

There are a lot of questions yet to be answered, but only when answers come will we know how this will play out.

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It’s been rumored that the Yankees are hot on his tail.

Lee reportedly told a Texas teammate that if the Rangers guaranteed him a seventh year, he’d be back.

If the Nationals throw $25 million (or more) per season at him, how can he say no?

While it certainly seems like a three-team race for the 32-year-old Lee at the moment, things can change at the blink of a lash on the MLB Hot Stove. Having said that, let’s take a look at how his addition would impact the three teams mentioned above.

New York Yankees

The odds-on favorite to land his services, it’s not like another team can actually outspend the Yankees. Proving to be the only pitcher in the postseason that the Yankees couldn’t beat, it only makes sense that they’d try to lure him to the Bronx on a lucrative free-agent contract.

Already with several massive long-term investments, Lee would form an insane duo with CC Sabathia atop the New York rotation that would undoubtedly be the best in baseball.

If Phil Hughes can repeat his 2010 success and/or AJ Burnett proves to be worth anything at all, the Yankees will have one of the most formidable rosters in MLB History. 

Texas Rangers

After acquiring Lee from the Mariners, he was invaluable to the rotation.

Posting a sparkling 1.00 WHIP and a K:BB ratio that would make just about anyone drop their jaw, his importance to the team cannot be understated. Should they fail to re-sign Lee, it’s probable that the team will turn their attention toward acquiring Zack Greinke from Kansas City via trade.

Frankly, that might be the better scenario.

Stocked with prospect depth in the minors, the Rangers have all of the tools necessary to pull the trigger on a mega-deal that would bring in Greinke. While he might not be quite the same pitcher that Lee is, the Rangers can save themselves a boatload of money and several years of commitment by going with the cheaper option in the talented Greinke. 

Washington Nationals

Did you really think any free agent would willingly go play for the lowly Nats? They had to give Jayson Werth that ridiculous mega-deal to put themselves at least on the radar.

Backed by a billionaire owner, the Nationals have far more to spend than most might think. Very serious about acquiring a front-line starter to give a face to the rotation, a seven-year offer worth upward of $25 million per season may be too attractive to turn down.

While he won’t single-handedly bring success to the Washington franchise, it’ll be a very positive step in the right direction.

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — With the Jayson Werth deal signed, sealed and delivered, and the Adrian Gonzalez trade done with the extension to be announced later, the entire baseball world is wondering where Cliff Lee will sign.

On Monday, Lee’s agent, Derek Braunecker, met with the various teams interested in his free-agent left-hander. Braunecker met with New York Yankees and Texas Rangers officials. There was even talk the Boston Red Sox met briefly with Lee’s agent, probably just to keep tabs on what the Yankees are up to.

Anyway, the domino theory is very much in play. Unless guys are being given what are now called “Jayson Werth”-type deals (that means out-of-their-mind contracts in terms of years and money), lots of people are going to decide after Lee signs.

Lee has a guaranteed deal with the Texas Rangers, on the financial side only. The years have not been determined. There are reports that Lee wants seven years and the Rangers have offered four, then five years guaranteed.

That is where it stands now. Lee has a five-year offer from the Rangers (presumably $23-25 million per season) to continue pitching in the Lone Star State.

Word is that if the Rangers move up to a sixth year guaranteed, and then Lee would be 80-90 percent sure he would go to Texas.

I believe that Cliff Lee WANTS to go back and pitch for the Texas Rangers, and that he is trying to find a way to do that. Lee likes the fact he is THE MAN in Texas and relishes the role of mentoring young pitchers C.J. Wilson and Derek Holland.

What can bring Lee to New York is if the Yankees top the Rangers and go for a seventh year guaranteed. If that’s the case, Lee may essentially have no other option but to take the money and come to New York.

I believe the Yankees don’t want to go for that seventh year, but they will do it kicking and screaming.

The Yankees are secondary for Lee, and he would only come for the money, as he feels he can win a title with either club. The Lee camp could be putting out that “will go to Texas for a sixth year” talk just to get the Yankees to also go a guaranteed sixth year.

Then if two teams are guaranteeing six years, it is only a matter of time before one goes that seventh year. The key in his camp is to get both teams already committing to six.

Braunecker putting out the word that Lee is a lock for Texas at six years is a good play on his part. The agent is doing everything he can to get the most money from a World Series-contending team.

However, an unexpected suitor for Lee has emerged—the Washington Nationals.

Talks were rampant early this morning that the Nats were going to offer Lee a seven-year deal, the amount of years Lee desires, but for less money per season.

No one here at the meetings thinks that the Nationals will land Lee, but the Lerner ownership group, likely the richest in the majors, is tired of all the losing.

Majority owner Ted Lerner is 85 years old and “desperately” would like to see a winner in Washington. This scenario is similar to how Detroit Tigers owner Mike Ilitch is trying to buy a World Series winner in the Motor City by signing free agents Victor Martinez and Joaquin Benoit.

But there is absolutely no way Cliff Lee ends up in Washington. The Nationals will throw a whole lot of money at Lee, but like Mark Teixeira did two years ago, Lee will reject the most money and sign with one of the contending teams.

My guess is Texas.

The Rangers will eventually go for that sixth year to get the guy they want, just like the Red Sox went a seventh year with Adrian Gonzalez. Whether the Yankees offer Lee his desired seventh year will decide whether or not he goes to New York. But Yankees GM Brian Cashman has a solid history of convincing free agents to come play in New York, most notably CC Sabathia. 

But it is tough to see that happening right now for Cliff Lee, especially if the contract offered by Texas is the same.

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Hasn’t the New York Yankees brass put us fans through enough already?

So far, the 2010 offseason has been emotionally draining for those loyal to the pinstripes.

To be fair, we were warned the moment owner Hal Steinbrenner uttered the word “messy” pre-captain Derek Jeter’s negotiations.

After weeks of vandalizing Jeter, one of the most luminous Yankees ever, and seemingly giving Mariano Rivera the silent treatment, Yankee fans have had about 24 hours of peace.

That was Saturday, today is Tuesday and the Winter Meetings are in full swing.

The MLB Network has around-the-clock coverage, filled with interviews and introductions. The first 24 hours a majority of teams’ GMs and owners sat down to give their respective clubs plan for 2011. I learned a lot:

• The West Coast, NL version of Yankees Mark Teixeira has left San Diego for Beantown, as Adrian Gonzalez is now with the Boston Red Sox. During his press conference, Gonzalez said he couldn’t wait to beat the Yankees. Boston gave up three coveted prospects and one player to be named later to the Padres for the All-Star. GM Theo Epstein said Kevin Youkilis would move to third-base, so Gonzalez can play at first. Gonzalez is described as a left-handed Manny Ramirez and hit .337 in 2010. Merry Christmas Red Sox fans!
• Jayson Werth signed a monster contract for seven years and $126 million with the Washington Nationals. So, now you know Scott Boras is in attendance. As for Werth, he better hope rolling around in dollar bills will ease the pain of losing. Not to worry as no one watched the Nationals games and Stephen Strasburg won’t be back till 2012 so stash some of the green in your locker, too.
• My love affair continues to grow stronger with White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, as he once again told it like it is and it is so refreshing. Ozzie was elated about his team’s new addition of Adam Dunn from the Nationals. Ozzie said his White Sox are AL Central’s team to beat. Ozzie ended his talk by stating he wished he was Jayson Werth’s wife.
• Also, heard from higher-ups of the Rangers, Mets, Braves, Padres, Phillies, Angels and others who took the time to inform us what they are up too. Also, the Red Sox have officially been labeled the favorites to win the 2011 World Series.

So, what news came out of Yankees camp?

Well, we were told that Andy Pettitte is leaning towards retiring, according to a friend of a friend. That is very reliable reporting.

Has anyone found the guy who heard this news from Pettitte’s buddy?

Obviously the answer is no, as no one even knows the “mole’s” name.

On to the Cliff Lee front, all I picked up from listening to this banter is that the Yankees are not the only club Lee’s camp is taking to.

This felt like some kind of polite warning.

Fact remains, sans the two southpaws spells trouble for Yankee universe.

One of the hosts said if this becomes the Yankees’ reality, that for sure the Royals’ Zach Greinke would be in pinstripes. I think this is a baaadddd idea.

I mean what’s next a press conference reintroducing Carl Pavano to New York?

I will happily put my foot in my mouth if GM Brian Cashman comes on TV with both Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee.

Only because that is the Yankees way….still?

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