Kuzul

The Philadelphia Phillies still need an outfielder. The Boston Red Sox could still use another starting pitcher. 

While those two situations exist during the offseason, those who follow and cover MLB will try to connect dots and speculate that a trade between the Phillies and Red Sox involving Cliff Lee and Jacoby Ellsbury would be a good idea. 

Curt Schilling—who pitched for both teams in his 20-year major league career—is one such person, suggesting on Twitter that the Phillies give the Red Sox a call and try to make this deal happen. As you might imagine, that stirred up Boston sports talk radio. 

Could this trade really happen? At this point, such rumors look like total speculation, trying to play matchmaker between two teams that could seemingly help each other. As the weather gets colder throughout the country, it’s an attempt to keep baseball’s hot stove season burning. 

Neither side seems interested in making such a deal, though general managers could always be posturing for the media, trying to throw reporters off the trail and placate fans starving for any sort of juicy trade rumors. 

CSN Philly’s Jim Salisbury reported that the Red Sox indeed proposed trading Ellsbury to the Phillies for Lee. Boston was told, however, that Lee wasn’t available. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. wants to keep his starting pitching trio of Lee, Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels together. 

Salisbury points out, however, that Amaro‘s stance could change by the July 31 trade deadline if the Phillies aren’t in contention. Reporters like to keep the possibility of juicy trade rumors going too. 

For what it’s worth, Red Sox GM Ben Cherington says he doesn’t want to trade Ellsbury, according to ESPN Boston’s Gordon Edes. Cherington expects the center fielder to be an important contributor for the team next season. 

Of course, if Salisbury’s report is accurate, Cherington might feel that way because the Phillies shot down an Ellsbury-for-Lee proposal. 

Rumors of the Red Sox trading Ellsbury just won’t go away, however. The Boston Globe‘s Nick Cafardo has been working hard at chasing them down.

One American League executive told him that Boston might be trying to trade Ellsbury so that they can re-sign Cody Ross. The Red Sox could then move Shane Victorino to center field. MLB general managers apparently like to play the trade speculation game as well. 

Cafardo also checked on the possibility of the Los Angeles Dodgers trading Andre Ethier to Boston for Ellsbury, which would give them a needed leadoff hitter. But Cafardo‘s source with the Dodgers put that rumor out with a quick denial. 

Maybe reporters and fellow general managers are trying to do Cherington‘s job for him and put together a deal. But if other MLB teams think the Red Sox are eager to trade Ellsbury, Cherington likely isn’t going to find a very good deal. Thus, he’s publicly keeping his arms folded and insisting that Ellsbury won’t be dealt away. 

Trade speculation isn’t going to die down, however.

Ellsbury has one year of arbitration eligibility remaining and, as a Scott Boras client, isn’t going to agree to a new contract without testing out the free-agent market for maximum possible value. That has most people thinking that the Red Sox will try to get something in return for Ellsbury before he skips town for a rich contract elsewhere. 

This is why the Phillies aren’t going to take Ellsbury in a trade for Lee.

Lee still has three years on his contract, with a club option for 2016. Though it would give Philadelphia some payroll flexibility to trade Lee and the $87.5 million remaining on his contract (which would go up to $102.5 million if his option is picked up), Amaro isn’t going to trade one of his best players for someone who will likely leave as a free agent after the season. 

Sure, the Phillies could use Ellsbury. He had an MVP-caliber year in 2011, hitting .321 with a .928 OPS, 46 doubles, 32 home runs, 105 RBI and 39 stolen bases. He was also one of the best defensive center fielders in MLB, according to FanGraphs‘ Ultimate Zone Rating, saving nearly 16 runs more than the average player at that position.

If Ellsbury is capable of putting up that kind of performance again, any team would want him. He would obviously be a tremendous addition to the Phillies outfield. 

Even if Philadelphia already traded for Ben Revere, the team could move him to right field, where he played most of his games last season. Amaro could probably live with Darin Ruf or Domonic Brown in left field with Ellsbury on his roster. 

Again, however, it’s not going to happen. Lee isn’t going to be traded for one year of Ellsbury. He definitely isn’t going to be dealt at the trade deadline for what would amount to a three-month rental of Ellsbury if the Phillies aren’t a contender. And if the Red Sox are in the chase for a playoff spot, they probably wouldn’t want to trade Ellsbury either.

That won’t stop reporters and analysts from trying to connect the dots, of course. Trade speculation will follow Lee and Ellsbury throughout the season. The match between the Phillies and Red Sox is just too enticing to ignore. 

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There is a unique feeling for Philadelphia fans entering the 2013 season.  Much of the talent that helped the team win 102 games in 2011 remains, but the bitter taste of the 2012 season remains strong.  Ruben Amaro has quietly filled the team’s needs, avoiding the flashy free-agent signing or blockbuster trade that has marked seasons past.  The team appears poised to compete, but there is more uncertainty surrounding this team than there has been in many years.

With the competition growing increasingly fierce, the Phillies will need to perform up to potential all season long to have a chance to compete in the NL East.  A lot can happen over the course of 162 games and this slideshow will outline some of the key events that I believe will mark the upcoming season.

So without further ado, here are my 7 bold predictions for the Phillies’ 2013 season.

Begin Slideshow

Most nights, for an inning or so, it all still makes sense—the Philadelphia Phillies still look like the Phillies.

Friday night’s game, for example, saw Roy Halladay take the ball.  He gave up a solo home run to Carlos Beltran in the first inning, but after that he was really excellent and never in any serious trouble.

Just how you remember it. 

The Phillies’ first four batters in the game were Jimmy Rollins, Juan Pierre, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.  Four legitimate major league baseball players, two former National League Most Valuable Players. 

Or to put it another way, an aggregate of over $47 million in salary to four hitters.

Save for the occasions when Jonathan Papelbon ($11 million) comes in at the end of the game (as he did Friday night), that is where the similarities to the Phillies you remember ends.

After Howard on Friday night, the next four hitters in the Phillies’ lineup—the team that led the National League in run differential going away in 2011—were Domonic Brown, Nate Schierholtz, Erik Kratz and Kevin Frandsen.

Or to put it another way, an aggregate of far, far less than $47 million in salary to four hitters.  Actually, far less than $4.7 million, as only Schierholtz is making more than $1 million this season.

Three games out of five, you still get to watch Halladay, Cliff Lee or Cole Hamels pitch.  You are no doubt well aware of their significant contracts.  Hamels is getting by on $15 million this season before his lucrative extension kicks in.  Halladay and Lee are being paid $20 million and $21.5 million, respectively, this season.

Trouble is, once they stop pitching and before (if) Papelbon pitches, the pitching staff, like the back half of the lineup, gets tough to recognize.

Antonio Bastardo is still there, but after him, so many of the names and faces are so hard to place.  Could you pick Josh Lindblom, B.J. Rosenberg or Jeremy Horst out of a lineup?  You might be the only one.

Going back to Friday night, the last four position players in the lineup combined to go 3-for-12, all of the hits singles, with one run batted in (Brown) and no runs scored.

Utley bailed the offense out with a mammoth home run to deep right center field in the bottom of the eighth inning.  Rollins, standing on third base when Utley struck it, simply smiled and pointed skyward.  And again, it felt like old times, if only for a moment.

All the while, an announced crowd of 43,122 (98.8 percent capacity, if you care) did what it has done for the past five successful seasons.  It sat idly when things were going poorly, it roused when the Phillies threatened, it willed some big outs from Halladay.  Then it erupted when Utley played the hero.

This, then, is how the remainder of your 2012 Phillies season is likely to play out.

Even though the team’s playoff hopes are all but dead, the park is going to be plenty full for many of the remaining home dates…because the money is already spent on the tickets.  That money is not coming back, either, at least not on StubHub or eBay.  The tickets have been devalued by the team’s poor play.

In the past, the choice was often just to stay home and eat the tickets.  But when the cheapest seat in the stadium costs $20 (and with so many seats already bought for so much more) it is much harder to justify watching the game on television or, for that matter, going out and doing something else. 

That would mean burning entertainment dollars twice on the same night.

So on the surface, then, the 2012 Phillies continue to look sort of like the Phillies teams of the recent past: plenty of people in the seats, big names in the lineup and for most games, big names on the mound.

Looking closer, though, it does not take long to notice that these Phillies are not the genuine article.

You usually know by the middle of the second inning.

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Cliff Lee has been claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now the Phillies must allow their star lefty to walk for the sake of financial flexibility.  

According to a report from CBS, the Dodgers claimed Lee off of Waivers on Saturday. However, according to Jayson Stark, Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says “he isn’t going anywhere.”

This may sound good to Phillies fans, but it’s terrible for the long term.

A Lee trade would’ve allowed Philadelphia to shed the $95 million remaining on his contract, while also restocking the farm system.

Even if the Dodgers declined to trade for the lefty, just letting him go would’ve allowed the team some much needed financial flexibility—the Phillies have the second highest payroll in MLB.

With the recent re-signing of Cole Hamels, Philadelphia now has four players making over $20 million a season—an outrageous total considering that the Phillies sit 13.5 games behind the first-place Nationals in the NL East.

The Phillies started to reload at the deadline when they dealt the expiring contracts of Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, and it would be in their best interest to continue the firesale.

They are in no position to contend this season, and considering the way their aging high-dollar players are playing on the offensive side of the ball, it’s not likely to get better any time soon.

It may not be the most attractive option, but the Phillies must start to rework their roster to encourage flexibility.

They can’t continue to spend $200 million a year and finish in last place. It’s just not a good business model.

Letting go of a player of Lee’s caliber is tough, but it’s the right move for next season and beyond.  

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According to the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Phillies recently waived starting pitcher Cliff Lee’s contract.

Shortly after these reports were made public, other reports surfaced that Lee had been claimed by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But, what does this mean?

Essentially, Lee was waived to gauge interest from other clubs. In cases like this, the GM who waives a particular player is not necessarily trying to move the player. Rather, he is seeing what he could get for that player if he were to try to move him.

Cliff Lee is owed $85M. From the looks of things, Philadelphia Phillies GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. is selling off high-priced players he doesn’t believe can be the contributors they once were, or contributors that he can use to keep the Phillies in contention.

Reportedly, the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed Cliff Lee. Now, they can work out a trade with the Phillies.

According to ESPNLA, Cliff Lee will not be heading to the Dodgers any time soon.

Reportedly, Amaro is asking too much in return. Amaro probably wants top-tier prospects, and the opposing team to take on the remainder of Lee’s contract. But, what team is simple-minded enough to do that?

What does all of this mean for the Phillies?

It screams that the team is having financial issues. No MLB team has ever had as many starting pitchers as the Phillies making more than $20M (Halladay, Lee and Hamels).

What this also says is that Amaro is probably considering dumping off Lee’s contract so that he can invest that salary into the team’s other needs.

But, Ruben Amaro, Jr. has said that he has no interest in moving Cliff Lee. Truthfully, he probably doesn’t.

This has all been blown out of proportion. Amaro did the right thing. If he wasn’t gauging interest in a 33-year-old starting pitcher with $85M left on his contract, with a record like Lee’s, on a last place team, then fans should call for Amaro’s head.

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It’s time for a crazy trade idea with less than 10 days left until the trade deadline.

We know the New York Yankees and their GM Brian Cashman would prefer not to make a deal between now and July 31.

But, if an opportunity presents itself to Cashman and the Yankees even he knows he would look into it.

There’s been quite a few rumors going around that Cliff Lee of the Phillies could be on the block and could be traded, again.

He was traded twice at the deadline back in 2009 and 2010 in deals that shaped the Phillies and Rangers postseason hopes. With Lee, both teams reached the World Series.

With the Phillies falling slowly out of the playoff race with each loss, they have some nice trade chips on their team that they can shed.

Shane Victorino is likely to be dealt, as could Hunter Pence. Cole Hamels was rumored to be on the block, but the Phillies are working very hard to lock up their lefty before he hits free agency this winter.

Surprisingly, Lee has also been rumored to potentially be on the block as well.

Lee signed a five-year, $125 million deal with the Phillies back in December of 2010, spurning the Yankees offer to re-join the Phillies.

There’s also a vesting option for a sixth year on Lee’s current deal, which makes him a very expensive trade option.

There has been one team rumored to potentially being interested in Lee, the Texas Rangers. The same Rangers who beat the Yankees to the punch two summers ago, and landed the lefty on their ride to the 2010 Fall Classic.

The Yankees had a deal in place with the Mariners to land Lee, but the deal fell apart when the two teams couldn’t agree on the players involved and Lee went to Texas.

After the season, many people felt that Lee would join his long-time friend CC Sabathia in the Bronx, but decided to return to the Phillies in a stunning move.

Lee thought the Phillies would have a better shot of getting to the World Series than the Yankees, but in 2012, that certainly doesn’t seem to be the case.

The Phillies are in last place in the National League East and seem like they could be on the verge of a fire sale; rebuilding the team for the future.

Lee will turn 34 come the end of August, and in his current deal he has 21 teams listed for his no-trade clause. If Lee is traded, he has to approve it before Ruben Amaro, Jr. can unload Lee.

According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Rangers are not one of the 21 teams on the list, and while it’s not been confirmed, there’s a good chance the Yankees may be on the list.

Lee’s window for winning a championship is closing as he gets up in age, and the Phillies may no longer be the contender they once were when he was traded and signed with them.

But the Yankees are. So are the Rangers, who are set up to win now, and win in the future.

The one plus on trading for Lee now over signing him two years ago is his current deal is for another three seasons. If they had signed him back then, it would have been another five years they would have been tied to Lee for over $20 million.

In 2012, Lee doesn’t exactly have the best record with a 1-6 record and a 3.72 ERA. Lee has run into hard luck, with the Phillies offense struggling to give him any run support.

As the Yankees head into the second half of the 2012 season, their rotation is no guarantee of success in the postseason, especially when the ALDS is only five games.

Andy Pettitte is still recovering from a fractured ankle he suffered in late June, and he’s a big piece that is missing in the rotation right now.

When Pettitte got hurt,  the rumors of Matt Garza, Ryan Dempster, Zack Greinke, Cole Hamels and Wandy Rodriguez all started, but they all seem unlikely for the Bombers.

Could the Yankees dare to be bold enough to try and trade for Lee one last time?

You know Amaro will ask for top prospects like Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances in any deal that would involve Lee.

Would Lee be worth it?

The Yankees thought so two years ago when they started a deal surrounding Jesus Montero, and were close to pulling it off.

Would Cashman try again for Lee after missing out on the trade two summers ago, and then again in free agency?

In all honesty, I think it’s worth it for Cashman to pick up the phone and see what Philadelphia’s asking price is for the left-hander, who can be a huge difference maker in the postseason.

In the postseason, Lee has a 7-3 record with a 2.52 ERA, and the Yankees have witnessed first-hand how dominant Lee can be on the big stage.

It’s the reason why they were willing to hand over Montero to Seattle, and if he leaves Philadelphia he could get one more run at a championship.

I know some of you might be hesitant on the idea of chasing after Lee again, but if the Yankees want to beat a team like the Rangers, or even the Tigers in the postseason, they need every advantage possible.

Remember, the Yankees won 97 games a year ago but saw a quick exit in the 2011 ALDS against the Tigers because their rotation didn’t hold up when needed.

If that means adding more quality pitching to ensure they have a chance at a 28th World Series, then I think a trade for Lee is worth exploring.

The only question remains: would Cashman dare explore the trade for Lee one more time?

Stay tuned Yankees Universe.

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The Texas Rangers are already one of the top teams in baseball, but if they can find a way to add Cliff Lee to their rotation before the trade deadline, they will officially become the favorite to win the World Series.

With the Rangers in the market to add another quality starter before the deadline, Lee makes a lot of sense as an addition. And as Jim Salisbury of CSN reported, the Rangers had a scout in attendance for Lee’s last start with the Phillies in Los Angeles.

Top Rangers scout in attendance for Phils-Dodgers (Lee vs. Kershaw) today. Interesting.

— Jim Salisbury (@JSalisburyCSN) July 18, 2012

The Rangers traded for Lee back in 2010, a move that led to a World Series appearance before Lee chose to sign with the Philadelphia Phillies the next season. However, the Phillies have surprisingly tanked this season and should be sellers as the trade deadline approaches. 

Lee has a 1-6 record this season, but that is more of a reflection on the poor run support that he has received from the struggling Phillies offense. Ranger fans would like to see the team go after Lee’s teammate, Cole Hamels, but according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com the Phillies are prepared to offer Hamels a six-year deal worth $130 million.

With Hamels presumably off the market, Lee would make for a great backup plan.

Lee’s 1.16 WHIP and 106 K’s in 111 innings pitched shows that Lee is still capable of putting together great starts. With a much better team surrounding him in Texas, his numbers have no place to go but up.

The Rangers explosive offense has made them one of the best teams in baseball and they should continue to pile up the runs as the season wears on. However, if they want to make a return trip to the World Series they will need proven pitching that can get them there.

Lee may not be the trade target that fans and the front office had in mind, but Lee would undoubtedly give the Rangers the boost they need to make a serious run at winning a championship. 

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Cleveland is a city that is starving for a winner. Unfortunately for Cleveland sports fans the owners of teams are not always on the same page as what the fans would like to see. No team proves this more than the Cleveland Indians.

So far through the 2012 season, the Indians are 44-41 and are dead last in the MLB in attendance. Lately Tribe closer Chris Perez has been spouting off to the Cleveland fans about their lack of loyalty to the team, questioning the city’s blind loyalty to the Browns and lack of support for the Tribe.

Perez makes some good points, but he also needs to realize that his team is just above average right now and are only in the hunt thanks to being in an extremely subpar division. However, that does not explain why Cleveland has not supported the Indians a little bit better this year. In order to better understand what is going on, we must look at the past and see the culture that has led us to this point.

1993 is where we will begin our journey. Jim Thome, Kenny Lofton, and Albert Belle were beginning to enter their primes. Looking back on it now, that is a solid trio that laid the foundation for some of the best seasons in Tribe history. This season saw one of the biggest spikes in Tribe attendance history, it went from 15,000 people per game in 1992 to 26,000 in 1993. This started the year where the Indians became a legitimate interest in Cleveland. From there the numbers continuously climbed over the next several years, reaching a point where they sold out 455 consecutive home games between June 1995 and April of 2001 which averaged around 42,000 fans per night. For a small market club that is quite the streak.

There was one common factor during those years that led to the fan support, the team was winning consistently and making the playoffs five consecutive years between 1995 and 1999. Players that had become faces of the franchise included Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Albert Belle, and Sandy Alomar Jr. That would not be the case for long.

Cleveland had slowly begun to gravitate toward baseball even more in the 1990s in part due to the city losing their beloved Browns in 1995. The Indians had capitalized by building a winner that the city could fall back on and embrace. This was shown by that 455 consecutive game sellout that was notched. However, in 1999 the Browns came back to town and not long after that, the Indians lost sight of their  winning ways.

After the 2000 season, Manny Ramirez and Sandy Alomar Jr. left the club and Larry Dolan bought the club from then current owner Richard Jacobs, for whom the stadium formerly known as “Jacobs Field” was named after. To try and soften the blow of losing those players the Indians signed former MVP Juan Gonzalez and Ellis Burks. These players led the Tribe to another AL Central title, but the offseason would prove to be one of the worst in team history.

GM John Hart resigned and his assistant Mark Shapiro took over. In the process of his take over, the club lost Juan Gonzalez and traded away Roberto Alomar. Attendance dropped over 7000 people in 2002 and has since created the losing culture associated around the Cleveland Indians. Then following the 2002 season ,Jim Thome left the team and attendance plummeted as one of Cleveland’s heroes was no longer a part of the city. In less than five years (2000-2004), attendance average dropped over 20,000 people per game.

Between 2002 and 2006 the Indians had their struggles, but their young core of players was on the rise thanks to some savvy trade packages that brought back players like Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner, Cliff Lee and Coco Crisp. 

In 2007, the young guns finally put it all together and were able to make it to the ALCS, but fell to the Boston Red Sox.  Fans, however, were finally thinking a winning team was back. CC Sabbathia, Cliff Lee, and Fausto Carmona looked like a legitimate rotation and the offense looked like it was for real, causing fans to be cautiously optimistic—raising attendance to 28,000.  Fans were quickly disappointed over the next two years as the team dealt CC, Cliff Lee, and Victor Martinez. Attendance again fell reaching its low point in 2010 with attendance averaging less than 20,000 fans per game.

All in all, the Indians have lost over 20,000 fans per game and have not been over 30,000 fans (over 10,000 less than full capacity) since 2002. For a once dominate and lively stadium, it is a shame to see so few people there on a nightly basis.

The Dolans’ excuse has always been they have been losing money. My question is how much money would they have gotten back if they had only been willing to invest money in their current stars that they have? If they had done that since 2001, they would have, for hypothetical purposes, had roughly 20,000 more fans per game over that 10-year stretch.

If my math is correct, then they would have made—on the low-end—an extra revenue of $16.2 million each season, not including playoff revenue. That, keep in mind, is estimating each ticket at $10 which is extremely low. That in itself would be enough to justify signing many of the core players we had let leave over the years.

For example Jim Thome made $8 million a year in 2002 with Cleveland. He signed a deal with Philly the following year worth $13 million a year. The extra revenue (assuming his previous salary amount, $8 million, would be carried over and then take the additional pay increase from the increased revenue) more than covers the salary and also lets the Dolans profit an extra $11 million—at the same time saving attendance from dropping over 10,000 fans per night.

CC Sabbathia made $11 million in 2008, according to Baseball Reference, and then with the deal he signed with the Yankees he maxes out around $24 million a year. If my math is correct the extra $16.2 milion a year would cover that extra $13 million a year and also would have allowed the Dolans to enjoy an extra $3 million in profit.  

Now these numbers are extremely simplified and I also let the ticket price low to compensate any major differences. If the Dolans would have invested in the team properly they would still be competing with the Browns for dominance in the Cleveland sports heart (Though they will never totally dominate as Cleveland is football first, everything else second city).

Maybe Chris Perez is right, maybe Cleveland does blindly follow the Browns. However, until the Indians become a perennial contender again, there will be no jump in attendance. Cleveland has a cult following to the Browns because it is a football city, and it was deprived of that sport for multiple years. The Indians and ownership must realize that until they invest properly in the team, the attendance will not follow.

Recently, with the acquisitions of Ubaldo Jiminez and re-signing of Carlos Santana, it seems that this current front office understands this concept. Let’s hope that they continue to build on that and see attendance, revenues, and the City of Cleveland rise.

All attendance numbers are courtesy of Baseball Almanac

Follow me on twitter @andrewj2010

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This season has been extremely frustrating for the Phillies and their fans.  The team that has won five straight National League East titles now sits in last place in the division and continues to find new ways to lose games.  

The Phillies are 28th in the league in runners left in scoring position per game.  Not only can the team not drive in runs, but their pitching staff hasn’t been as dominant as expected.  

Roy Halladay is on the DL, but even before that he was struggling.  Cliff Lee is still winless and has struggled to locate his pitches.  The man who used to go games without walking a batter now has put too many runners on base and then has allowed them to score.

The bullpen has been horrendous, ranking 25th in the league in bullpen ERA.  The team finally designated Chad Qualls for assignment, but he isn’t the only problem in that pen.  

In order to put together this team, general manager, Ruben Amaro, Jr., traded away the team’s future.  The team is getting older and doesn’t appear to have many players in the farm system who are anywhere near ready to come up and make an impact.  

It’s time to sell in Philadelphia.

Shane Victorino should be the first to go.  Victorino is a solid defensive center fielder, but he is a terrible baserunner and isn’t worth keeping for his hitting.

After dealing Victorino, the Phillies need to seriously consider trading either Cliff Lee or Roy Halladay.  By getting rid of one of these guys, they will be able to re-sign Cole Hamels after this season.

Roy Halladay’s injury and age could prevent teams from pursuing him, but you have to think that Cliff Lee is still a coveted player.  The only problem is, do the Phillies have the heart to trade the guy who turned down more money to play for them?

Let’s say the Phillies decide to trade Lee. Where could he go?  

Well, look at potential playoff teams that need pitching.  Let’s start in the American League.  The Yankees have pitching troubles as it is, but now CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte are injured.  Lee turned down the Yankees before signing with the Phillies, but he would greatly improve that team.  In return, the Phillies could receive outfield prospect, Mason Williams, and third base prospect, Dante Bichette, Jr.  

The Red Sox are another team that could use Lee’s services.  The Sox have the offense to make the playoffs, but they’re at least a pitcher away from being serious contenders.  In return, the Phillies could get outfield prospects, Bryce Brentz and Jackie Bradley.

The Detroit Tigers have a World Series-caliber offense as well, but a pitcher like Lee would give them a dangerous pitching staff.  Verlander and Lee would create an incredible one-two punch.  And how about third base prospect, Nick Castellanos, coming back to Philly along with another prospect?

In the National League, Cliff Lee would make the Reds the team to beat.  Cincinnati has a great offense, and if they added Lee, a rotation of Lee, Cueto and Latos in the postseason would be brutal for opposing offenses.  Pitching prospect, Robert Stephenson, and outfield prospect, Ryan LaMarre, would be great pieces for the Phillies to get in return.

It’s time for the Phillies to start preparing for the future, and it starts by being able to re-sign Hamels.  If the team trades Victorino and Lee, they’ll get pieces in return that will allow Philadelphia to have a playoff-caliber team sooner rather than later. 

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With the Philadelphia Phillies looking up at the rest of the National League East in the standings, they may make the decision to be sellers at the trade deadline this year. If this is the route that they choose to take, then the questions become which players would be willing to move.

One of the players that the Phillies may consider dealing this winter is Cole Hamels. He is going to become a free agent after the year, and one agent believes that Hamels will be able to get a deal with a higher annual value than CC Sabathia’s contract if he hits the open market (via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports).

Buster Olney of ESPN has noted that there are a number of pros and cons to both trading Hamels and to keeping him. Trading away a player of Hamels’ caliber would bring back a few elite prospects, but the Phillies would lose almost any chance they had to re-sign him.

There is a way that the Phillies could free up some money that they could use to sign Hamels this winter. Joel Sherman of the New York Post has suggested that the Phillies could trade Cliff Lee and then choose to build around Hamels.

Lee has $75 million left on his contract for the next three seasons as well as a $27.5 million option with a $12.5 million buyout for the 2016 season. If Lee is dealt, that money could be shifted towards a new contract for Hamels.

There are other benefits of trading Lee. Dealing Lee would allow the Philadelphia Phillies to restock their farm system. The team has a farm system that ranks near the bottom of the MLB and the prospects acquired in any deal involving Lee would be the type of players that could make an impact in the major leagues sooner rather than later.

A potential issue arises if the Phillies try to trade Lee. He has a no-trade clause that includes nine teams (via NY Post). This could really limit the teams that the Phillies can try to negotiate with since some big market clubs that can afford Lee may actually be on the list.

Philadelphia is currently in a situation where they need to get younger. Their average age is 31.5 years old, and they need to focus on keeping their younger players and bringing in new talent.

Trading Lee will allow the Phillies to do this because they can go all out offer Hamels the money that he wants. Hamels will be in a position to serve an ace on the Phillies staff for years to come, and he will be a piece to build around.

There is also the chance that the Phillies trade Lee and then are unable to sign Hamels. The Los Angeles Dodgers could have Hamels at the top of their list this offseason and may be willing spend whatever it takes to sign him (via Twitter).

Philadelphia should try to sign Hamels to an extension in season if they deal Lee because there is a legitimate chance that the will lose Hamels if he hits the market. The Phillies would be in a very rough spot if they lost both Lee and Hamels.

Championship teams are ones that are not afraid to take risks. Without risks there are no rewards. If the Phillies want set themselves up for the future, they should deal Lee and then put all their effort into bringing Hamels back.

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