Last week we told you the Nats were in real need of Cliff Lee and that they should make sure he comes to Washington.
Well, now that the Rangers and Yankees will face off in the American League Championship Series, it becomes a real possibility Lee could be pitching against his future teammates.
The Yankees have seemingly bottomless pockets, and they generally tend to get their man. A fantastic ALCS, win or lose, could see Lee gaining some major dollars in the offseason and wearing pinstripes.
Andy Pettitte has been contemplating retirement for a while and could step away after this season. If that were to happen, the Yankees would lose one of their most prolific postseason hurlers and a lefty to boot.
Enter Lee, who provides the same credentials and is six years younger.
Even if Pettitte doesn’t step down this season, Lee would replace the weak link — Javier Vazquez — in a rotation that won 70 games. Lee started the year with Seattle, where he went 8-3 in 13 starts — giving up just 31 runs (27 earned). That’s 2.38 runs a start. Imagine what his record might’ve been had he been backed by the Yankees’ offense and its 5.30 runs a game?
Lee’s age could work against him this offseason. He was a late bloomer and is now 32 years old.
But we doubt that will matter to a team like the Yankees. They didn’t earn the nickname the “Evil Empire” by sitting by and letting impact players go elsewhere.
