Yankees have made the call

[A.E]

NEW YORK (AP)—The Yankees called Cliff Lee’s agent Sunday on the first day of the free-agent negotiating period to say they will be back in touch with an offer for the top pitcher on the market, a baseball official familiar with the conversation told The Associated Press.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the contact with agent Darek Braunecker.

Texas hopes to re-sign the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner, who led the Rangers to their first World Series after he was acquired from Seattle in July. The Yankees have made signing Lee the top priority among free agents, in addition to re-signing their own players.

Lee, a 32-year-old left-hander, was a combined 12-9 with a 3.18 ERA for the Mariners and Rangers, striking out 185 and walking 18 in 212 1-3 innings. He was 7-0 with a 1.26 ERA in eight career postseason starts before losing to San Francisco in Games 1 and 5 of the World Series.

New York also hopes to re-sign shortstop Derek Jeter, closer Mariano Rivera and pitcher Andy Pettitte, who hasn’t decided whether to play next season or retire. -Yahoo!

It's only a matter of time. I'll give Cliff Lee about a week to listen to all offers and then he's wearing pinstripes.

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Can't wait until Yankee fans wake up disappointed

 

[Elite]

Kinda like the Red Sox were this year when they missed the playoffs right?

 

[A.E]

Can't wait until Yankee fans wake up disappointed

You really think he's gonna turn down the kinda money the Yankees are going to throw at him? Nobody in their right mind would and I don't care how "magical" the Rangers season was, how "comfortable" Lee apparently is in Texas, or even how mean the fans in New York are to his family.

 

[Rios15]

Can't wait until Yankee fans wake up disappointed

It would be hard for someone like Cliff Lee to pass up a chance to win and get a lot of money.

 

[snipezo]

Not a surprise to me at all.

 

[elcheato]

And this is exactly why the MLB is terrible..

 

[Elite]

If your millionaire owners weren't so damn cheap you wouldn't have had to trade away V-Mart, CC, and Cliff Lee.

 

[elcheato]

Can't out-spend the Yankees so it's a moot point. V-Mart was traded because he was standing in the way of our best player.

 

[Elite]

Shin-Soo Choo and Grady Sizemore (when healthy) are your best players. V-Mart doesn't play OF.

 

[elcheato]

Grady Sizemore is pathetic, he's a shell of his former self. Carlos Santana is our best player. But it doesn't matter, we still suck.

 

[Elite]

Shin-Soo Choo is your best player and it's pretty sad that even an Indians fan underrates him, I figured you all knew how great of a player he is. V-Mart can play 1st base, you certainly don't have that position locked up by anyone. Matt LaPorta blows and you could move him to LF if he ever turns it around at the dish.

 

[elcheato]

I know what player Choo is.. He's my favorite player, but in terms of upside, and pure talent, Carlos Santana is better. V-Mart's stats as a first baseman are just boarder line good, the reason he's considered so good is because he put up his numbers at catcher, so at first base he's just an above average first baseman.

 

[Rios15]

If your millionaire owners weren't so damn cheap you wouldn't have had to trade away V-Mart, CC, and Cliff Lee.

If there was a salary cap, we wouldn't have to worry about owners being cheap lol. I don't think its fair. The MLB sucks that way. You're acting like it's the fan's fault that the owners don't want to spend more. But the reason your owners are spending so much is because they have enough to spend, while they still make a profit.

 

[Elite]

I know what player Choo is.. He's my favorite player, but in terms of upside, and pure talent, Carlos Santana is better. V-Mart's stats as a first baseman are just boarder line good, the reason he's considered so good is because he put up his numbers at catcher, so at first base he's just an above average first baseman.

Well obviously Carlos Santana is the future of your team, but at the moment, Choo is your best player. .300 average, .370 OBP, .838 OPS, 20 homers, and 100 RBIs is an above-average first baseman if you ask me and I'd love him on the Yankees if we didn't already have Tex.

 

[elcheato]

He had only 79 RBIs and a lower OBP then that

 

[Elite]

He had only 79 RBIs and a lower OBP then that

Those are his career averages over 162 games.

 

[A.E]

If there was a salary cap, we wouldn't have to worry about owners being cheap lol. I don't think its fair. The MLB sucks that way. You're acting like it's the fan's fault that the owners don't want to spend more. But the reason your owners are spending so much is because they have enough to spend, while they still make a profit.

Go look at your average attendance ratings and then you tell me if you're ownership is in any position to spend money on players. Again, capping what the Yankees can spend on talent isn't going to pack everyone else's ballparks, reign in all this profit, and put small market teams in a position to spend.

Fans of trash teams are basically calling for MLB to force the Yankees to have to compile a trash team in order to level the playing field.

 

[Rios15]

Go look at your average attendance ratings and then you tell me if you're ownership is in any position to spend money on players. Again, capping what the Yankees can spend on talent isn't going to pack everyone else's ballparks, reign in all this profit, and put small market teams in a position to spend.

Fans of trash teams are basically calling for MLB to force the Yankees to have to compile a trash team in order to level the playing field.

We probably aren't and that's why the MLB should have a salary cap, but it may not even be possible at all. Especially with the big contracts already given out and the fact that people are greedy for money, and we'll see a lockout, which could ruin the league. If a league like the NHL or NBA didn't have a salary cap, the league would be so unfair. We see the same teams making the playoffs every year and it's what is losing money for smaller market teams.

 

[A.E]

We probably aren't and that's why the MLB should have a salary cap, but it may not even be possible at all. Especially with the big contracts already given out and the fact that people are greedy for money, and we'll see a lockout, which could ruin the league. If a league like the NHL or NBA didn't have a salary cap, the league would be so unfair.

You are aware that the Yankees will only go spend so much at the risk of paying out a ridiculous luxury tax? The Yankees paid a luxury tax in 2008 that was was about $140K less than the Marlins entire payroll. Yes, you couldn't just implement a salary cap today and strip away what has already been given out. You could grandfather contracts that came before such a cap was imposed...however teams who are over wouldn't be able to sustain a full roster until those big deals are up. Alot of owners complain about no salary cap but most will also admit that teams like the Yankees and Red Sox keep the money machine alive for all. Shared revenue is taken in by small market teams every year, freaking free money, and rather than spend it on players, they pay bills and/or take it in as profit. Implement a salary cap and the shared revenue system goes away...and teams like the Kansas City Royals fall even further into the red. Do you also think the Player's Association would go for a salary cap? When Gil Meche can land a $55 million contract...what would lead anyone to believe that baseball players are willing to make less money?

We see the same teams making the playoffs every year and it's what is losing money for smaller market teams.

Wrong. The post-season is a small fraction of the entire season. We're talking about attendance at 80 games being garbage and that hurts. Rays were a top team in the AL all season long and nobody showed up to games. People show up during post-season games but that playoff attendance doesn't do sh*t for the money lost or unearned during the regular season.

The issues goes well beyond just who is and isn't making the playoffs.