With The Cliff Lee Trade, Yankees Get Stronger for Championship Run
July 9, 2010 · Doug Rush · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
After months of speculation, rumors and debates, it looks like the Yankees may be landing the most prized pitcher on the trade market.
In what was reported first this morning by Joel Sherman ,of the New York Post, the Yankees and Seattle Mariners are on the verge of completing a deal that would bring Cliff Lee to the Yankees for prospects.
The main prospect who will headline the package going to Seattle was Jesus Montero, the Yankees top catching prospect and also one of the top prospects in the country.
It’s also been reported that second basemen David Adams might be in the deal, but hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports said starting pitcher Zach McAllister will likely be a part of the deal and head to the Mariners.
If and when the Yankees and Mariners complete this deal, the Yankees might have just pulled off the biggest blockbuster of the summer by landing another top-tier pitcher.
Lee is currently 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA with 89 strikeouts and just six walks. All of New York is aware of what Lee can bring to the Bronx.
He defeated the Yankees in Games 1 and 5 of the 2009 World Series when he was the ace of the Philadelphia Phillies. He also defeated the Yankees again just a few weeks ago in a complete game victory for the Mariners.
His best season may have been 2008 with the Cleveland Indians where he went 22-3 and won the American League’s Cy Young Award. During that season is when the world of baseball took note of Lee.
In 2009, Lee was then traded to the Phillies where he went 7-4 down the stretch and then earned his reputation for being a top pitcher by going 4-0 in the 2009 playoffs for Philadelphia. After the postseason, Lee was then sent to Seattle in the three-team deal involving Roy Halladay.
Many felt that with an expiring contract and if Seattle faltered, Lee was instant trade bait for a contender in July. Now, it looks like he’ll join his fourth team in just two seasons.
A lot of people felt that Lee would get traded, it would have been elsewhere and then the Yankees would sign Lee in the winter after the 2010 season.
But whether it was the Tampa Bay Rays interest of getting Lee and involving B.J. Upton and Wade Davis in a deal that made the Yankees move, or if the Yankees just felt like they absolutely had to have Lee to increase their chances for the 2010 season, the deal looks to be just about done.
So, what does this do for the Yankees in the second half?
Adding Lee to a rotation with CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Phil Hughes and Javier Vazquez just took a great rotation and made it perhaps the best rotation in all of baseball.
With the addition of Lee, it looks like Vazquez may be the odd man out and could get traded this month. According to the story done earlier by Bronx Baseball Daily, the Phillies and Padres could be interested for Vazquez.
This trade for Lee will instantly make the Yankees the favorites again in 2010 to not only win the American League East, but for the World Series as well.
If and when this trade does go down, Brian Cashman has struck gold and this may be by far his biggest deal done at the trading deadline since becoming the Yankees general manager.
Personally, I’ve wanted Lee in New York since last season, I advocated for him to come to the Yankees all along and was even on board of making the trade to get him now over waiting until free agency.
All we can do now is wait and watch to see the deal unfold and become official.
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