Update: game over. Phillies it is!
For the longest time, it looked like this was coming down to a battle between the Rangers and Yankees. Either Lee would take the giant contract and go to New York in search of a title, or he'd take a little less - and lesser odds of winning - to stay closer to his Arkansas home.
But tonight, out of nowhere, it seems the Phillies have emerged as a surprise and hilarious suitor. And that could change everything. So I want to know: where do Mariners fans want to see Lee wind up? Keep the contracts in mind. Do you want to see Lee sign a giant six-year deal with Texas, a gianter seven-year deal with New York, or whatever the hell the Phillies have put on the table?
0 recs | 147 comments
Philly of course.
Patrick Stites - December 13, 2010
Just in terms of the destinations, I'd expect Philly to be unanimous
but Lee’s 32, so the contract matters.
Jeff Sullivan - December 13, 2010
Oh, thats true, misread your intent of the poll.
So I shall say, Philly of course, assuming they offer up a competitive contract.
Patrick Stites - December 13, 2010
You're missing the "Who the hell knows" option.
c_dowley - December 13, 2010
Get him out of the AL West and away from the Yankees.
And rub Jack Z’s trade victory in the face of the Phillies for every game he starts in the duration of the contract while we’re at it.
thehemogoblin - December 13, 2010
Long live Zduriencik.
thehemogoblin - December 13, 2010
HAIL TO THE Z
This is a happy day for Mariners fans :)
Matt Erickson - December 13, 2010
I don't want Cliff Lee kicking our ass for a few years before he turns into a bad contract (if he even does) for the Rangers.
So I voted Philly.
lailaihei - December 13, 2010
I voted Phillies. I want to cheer for him next year, but not as a Yankee or a Ranger.
You deserve the payday, Cliff, might as well have the Phillies sign the checks and pitch against the NL.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
Philly
Not only does he stay away from both the Yankees and Rangers, he gets to torment them should either ever make a WS against the Phillies.
surfmonkey89 - December 13, 2010
Huh. I misread the question like an idiot and voted for the wrong one.
This is why I tend to not respond to polls =(. My answer should be Phillies.
Although I’ll pretend like I meant my answer and justify it thusly:
Definitely Texas. For one, Fuck Cliff Lee. He was a Mariner for 2 months. For two, the longer he’s on the contract the more likely he gets injured. We’re not competing this year, I don’t mind him being good next year, and hopefully he’ll collapse Texas’s payroll afterward. He probably won’t be as good in Texas anyway since his pitching style involves more contact. Also, it would be nice to have the Yankees not get what they want and I hate Philadelphia.
Yep, let’s say that’s my reasoning. Woo reasoning!
CapSea - December 13, 2010
But really Phillies since I'd prefer not to think about him or care.
CapSea - December 13, 2010
Phillies
Because he’ll never play against us again, so we can root for him unashamedly while holy s*** he turned Tyson Gillies into Justin Smoak!!!
KingCorran - December 13, 2010
This is really the important part.
Phillippe Aumont, J.C. Ramirez, Tyson Gillies, Mark Lowe → Justin Smoak, Josh Lueke, Matt Lawson, Blake Beavan
JY - December 13, 2010
And the Rangers gambled on Lee wanting to re-sign and lost.
Meanwhile, they get to face Justin Smoak for years and years in our lineup.
eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
JY - December 13, 2010
As soon as I saw the headline that Ron thought Cliff would re-sign, I was afeard he'd go to NY
msb - December 13, 2010
They get a first rounder and sandwich though.
Mariner John - December 14, 2010
Acceptable loss.
JY - December 14, 2010
Phillies.
You said it best yourself: Hilarious.
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
Are the Phillies morans?
I can imagine trading away one ace for another. “We’re going a different direction with the top of our rotation.”
But to give him away for 3 prospects with pulses, give up his last cost controlled year, and then decide that you want him enough to back up dump truck of Sacajawea dollar coins to his house, that’s pretty stupid.
doublemazaa - December 13, 2010
Seriously, they need to get a brain.
CapSea - December 13, 2010
;)
CapSea - December 13, 2010
.
JY - December 13, 2010
Rec'd on the assumption that that person's surname is Moran.
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
Brian Moran, LHP
7th round draft pick out of UNC in 2009, which you would know if you read my posts you whore.
Graham MacAree - December 13, 2010
It's weird that we not only drafted three players from UNC in the first ten rounds, but that they all have a legitimate shot to contribute in the big leagues.
We also had one North Carolina State guy. He’s all right.
JY - December 13, 2010
Your post was written 18 months ago and contained a far different picture of Brian Moran
Jeff Sullivan - December 13, 2010
Plus my memory is fucking awful at the best of times.
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
Because even when it comes to you in a dream, you forget it in another dream.
CapSea - December 13, 2010
If I had remembered it, I would have used that picture.
JY - December 13, 2010
Have you taken an econ class?
It’s a sunk cost, it was a stupid decision but there is no point in them worrying about it now when it’s in the past. Halladay Lee Hamels Oswalt starting four, good god.
cedarA - December 13, 2010
No, that's ridiculous
They already have a #1 in Halladay, so they should trade Oswalt and Hamels for a #2 and a #3, and then find a #4 instead of signing Cliff Lee. Philadelphia just doesn’t understand how a rotation should be built.
nathaniel dawson - December 13, 2010
I love it if GMZ didn't understand, only for cheaper.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
Of course they're smart for signing him.
They were idiots for letting him go in the first place, and this just underscores that mistake a whole lot.
doublemazaa - December 13, 2010
Ballgame
Phillies it is.
Jeff Sullivan - December 13, 2010
Gahahahahaha
Wonderful
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
Wow.
CapSea - December 13, 2010
Who was it mentioned Lee going back to a place he'd loved?
msb - December 13, 2010
jon heyman has been saying it.
Hilarious-he was getting blown up about the mystery team this am. So happy he was right.
wazzu93 - December 13, 2010 via mobile
Only reason that guy's employed is because Scott Boras talks to him before anyone else.
thehemogoblin - December 13, 2010
hahahahaha fuck you Texas.
MT Olson - December 13, 2010
I searched for this on Twitter.
5 seconds later there were 1,012 Tweets I missed. 10 seconds later, 1,372. Apparently this is big news. Who knew?
CapSea - December 13, 2010
I love this
Poochie - December 13, 2010 via mobile
HAPPY DANCE!
doublemazaa - December 13, 2010
Looks like the ump is spanking himself.
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
I love the fan on the right side bobbing his head.
doublemazaa - December 13, 2010
Ala Stewart, "Look at what I can do!"
wazzu93 - December 13, 2010 via mobile
Give them Fister and Vargas for Oswalt and Hamels. Should fix that problem.
thehemogoblin - December 13, 2010
Reply fail.
thehemogoblin - December 13, 2010
WOO
Griffin Cooper - December 13, 2010
So now the Rangers get to throw gobs of money at Adrian Beltre, who they have no place for.
Fuckmikereilly - December 13, 2010
Geez.
The Angels and Rangers both have a whole lot of money and nowhere to put it.
Fuckmikereilly - December 13, 2010
That's why strippers wear shoes...
thehemogoblin - December 13, 2010
No, they can give it to Beltre. Texas needs to replace the face, and the Angels need
some option at 3B. If Beltre’s smart he waits for a seriously long and very lucrative contract. Who’s his agent again…nevermind.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
The Rangers biggest contract is at third base.
The Angels make too much sense though…
Fuckmikereilly - December 13, 2010
But they've got all that money and Michael Young is awful at 3B.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
Wow
Sherman says it’s in the 5 year, $100 million range. He must have left a ton of money on the table.
Griffin Cooper - December 13, 2010
Which makes me like him THAT much more now!
truemsfan - December 13, 2010
Huh. Going to the NL, to where he enjoyed himself, closer to home, and his wife was treated with respect :)
msb - December 13, 2010
Cliff Fucking Lee you did right.
You will have a hard time spending 100 million. Obviously you don’t want to make it any harder on yourself. Well played.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
Guess spitting on Cliff Lee's wife was a bad idea after all.
JAH - December 13, 2010
Cue New Yorker singing "I gotta be me."
Droid Rage - December 13, 2010
Dear Rangers and Yankees,
Neener, neener, neener!!!
truemsfan - December 13, 2010
Bigger news story: Cliff Lee signing with Phillies or outrage by Yankee fans that they don't get everything they want?
CapSea - December 13, 2010
Outraged Yankee fans at number two
behind Brett Favre’s streak ending.
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
Holy shit. Way to go Philly!
there will be so much pants shitting in NYC tomorrow over missing out on all the big guys.
Bearskin Rugburn - December 13, 2010
The subways will be smellier than usual!
JY - December 13, 2010
So can we go in and try to help the Phillies shave some payroll?
kentroyals5 - December 13, 2010
WHEEEEEEE! PHILLIES!
royalcurve - December 13, 2010
This makes me absurdly happy.
msb - December 13, 2010
I thank God almighty the Mariners don't play in the National League.
Craig341 - December 13, 2010
Odds on us getting the Phillies in interleague?
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
WE DO! WE DO!
O HAPPY DAY!
truemsfan - December 13, 2010
June 17-19 at Safeco.
drblacknwhite - December 13, 2010
I'll be going to Cliff's start and cheering him the whole game
Man’s given Mariner fans so much joy in the past year.
MT Olson - December 13, 2010
Phili is going to be so bad in four years :)
cedarA - December 13, 2010
Still, those four World Series trophies will be nice consolation.
Eyeball Kid - December 13, 2010
Aw crap
Now we have to listen to Yankee fans get bent out of shape for the next 5 years.
AnotherAaron - December 13, 2010
Who gives a shit?
royalcurve - December 13, 2010
Bless your heart.
kentroyals5 - December 13, 2010
Not us, also we will be ignoring their whining.
Sec 108 - December 13, 2010
You are a treasure.
JAH - December 13, 2010
It'll be about Felix by then
Bearskin Rugburn - December 13, 2010
Oh, that conversation has already begun.
msb - December 13, 2010
They'll only be bent out of shape for a year. AND I WANT TO HEAR ALL OF THEIR WAILING.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
That would involve listening to Yankee fans
but as RC said, who really gives a shit what they think or say?
pdb - December 13, 2010
Some of them are already floating retarded Felix trades
bluemax - December 13, 2010
I'll take their entire farm system.
Save Jack the time rebuilding.
Matt Erickson - December 13, 2010
This is entertaining
in retrospect
msb - December 13, 2010
Very entertaining.
quacker27 - December 13, 2010
Yeah, this is very entertaining.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
Look forward to the New York press tomorrow
Cliff Lee is a jerk
We don’t want him anyway
We weren’t wiling to bow to his extortionist demands
It’s gonna be awesome. They might be ready to start now on ESPN if they could stop blowing Brett Favre for five minutes.
surfmonkey89 - December 13, 2010
Cliff Lee is awesome. I'm irrationally taking this move as evidence he clearly loves us.
He can’t stand to play against us.
SethGrandpa - December 13, 2010
I'm a little sad he's in the NL
I won’t see him as much any more.
Edgar for Pres - December 13, 2010
heh.
“It wasn’t about the $ or winning. If it was the Yankees would’ve been his pick. The $ and a chance to win. He wanted to be back in Philly. Good for him.”
msb - December 13, 2010
This is my favorite thing ever.
joof - December 13, 2010
Truly great news.
sanford_and_son - December 13, 2010
Wonder what we're gonna have to give Philadelphia to get him this time.
We don’t have Maikel Cleto anymore. Maybe Josh Fields, Rich Poythress, and the recently DFAed Rob Johnson for good measure?
DAMellen - December 13, 2010
Now we know
why Rob was DFAed. That Jack is a crafty one, he is.
Bart's Evil Twin - December 13, 2010
Serious question
Shouldn’t the ridiculous American League be a selling point to get great free agents in the NL, at least in the short term?
You can tell the guy, look, you can go sign for a ton of money with Texas, Anaheim, New York or Boston. Great, you’ll never get to a World Series though, because in order to do so you’ll have to go through three of: Texas, Anaheim, New York and Boston. Or you could come join us, coast to the World Series and only have to face one of them. Your choice.
surfmonkey89 - December 13, 2010
Thanks for Justin Smoak!!
Patton - December 13, 2010
So
the Phillies have Leee, Halladay, Oswalt and Hamels and the Mariners have Felix, Fister, Vargas, maybe Bedard, and David Pauley and/or Luke French. We’re going to lose 150 games next season.
Coach Owens - December 13, 2010
The Phillies rotation has no bearing on how many games we win, and you've conveinently neglected to mention Michael Pineda in your argument.
Fuckmikereilly - December 13, 2010
Like Jeff said, I doubt Pineda makes the opening day roster due to the whole service time issues.
And I was really saying how our rotation looks so much worse without Lee in it this year.
Coach Owens - December 13, 2010
So Lee was worth 50 wins in 2 months?
Man, with a full season, we wouldn’t have lost a single game. A SINGLE GAME!
joof - December 13, 2010
Obviously.
Coach Owens - December 13, 2010
Philly's rotation is 'eh'
I’ll be impressed with the Phils when they acquire Greinke to round out the back end of the rotation.
doublemazaa - December 13, 2010
I expect the Yankees to have him by Christmas. Maybe Soria, too.
yuniform - December 13, 2010
Surprising and Awesome news.
Now I can continue to root for Cliff Lee!
ARock - December 13, 2010
Hallday-Lee-Oswalt-Hamels-Whoever
Also, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA TEXAS! And HAHAHAHAHAHA Yankees!
If Lee wasn’t signing with us, this was the best case scenario.
Goose - December 13, 2010
There is something terribly wrong with that mans head.
It looks kind of like a pinto bean
beastwarking - December 13, 2010
Is that James Cromwell?
It is best to stay away from a man when his blood is up, Edmund.
His blood is always up.
Perhaps you should stay away from him altogether then.
RustyJohn - December 13, 2010
It is indeed. Playing Dr. Zefram Cochrane from Star Trek: First Contact
Goose - December 13, 2010
Nice- last week Babe was on followed by LA Confidential...it was a nice juxtaposition. A. Hoggett v. Capt. Dudley Smith.
RustyJohn - December 13, 2010
He's great in LA Confidential.
One of my favorite movies.
quacker27 - December 13, 2010
I just realized that was him before I saw this comment.
Aaron Campeau - December 13, 2010
Joe Blanton...
Yes, No, Maybe?
Word is they’re looking to ship him off on the cheap to make room for Lee.
PLU Tim - December 13, 2010
I still wish Joe Blanton's fat whale ass would spontaneously combust for pushing Ichiro
Joe Blanton is a fat disgusting pig who sweats when he eats. I want him no where near the Mariners.
RustyJohn - December 13, 2010
Seconded. Fuck that guy. If we traded for him, we should sign Jason Ellison just for the sole purpose of kicking his ass.
Goose - December 13, 2010
Can the Mariners afford him?
He makes $8.5 million in 2011 and 2012.
Coach Owens - December 13, 2010
Renegotiate his contract and pay him in Crisco and Orca fat. If he played for the M's I'd defecate in my hands and throw it at him every game he pitched.
“Fuck?!?! Where’s that shit coming from? Maybe I’ll eat it.”
RustyJohn - December 13, 2010
That's a waste of a perfectly good orca.
JAH - December 13, 2010
Perhaps then the Husband Orca could track down Joe Blanton and kill him...
like they did to Richard Harris in “Orca: The Killer Whale.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4d74eYeyww
RustyJohn - December 13, 2010
Only if they send us a bunch of cash
Which would kind of defeat the purpose of trading Joe Blanton to clear payroll for Lee…
tait644 - December 13, 2010
Cupcakes can sit on a tack.
royalcurve - December 14, 2010
That starting rotation is officially crazy town
JLC - December 13, 2010
I hope they make Moyer the #5.
doublemazaa - December 13, 2010
I'd just say fuck it and have the "5th starter" just be a collection of relievers every time out.
Because yeah gotta find some way to get those guys some work now.
Goose - December 13, 2010
John Smoltz should come out of retirement to be their #5.
RustyJohn - December 13, 2010
The only thing missing is an ESPN special where Cliff announces that he's taking his talents to Paddy's Pub,
Patton - December 13, 2010
That would be the day.
Cliff Lee is way too humble for that.
cfred - December 13, 2010
Also, last year to the day we were the ones celebrating getting Lee from the Phillies.
weird.
Patton - December 13, 2010
So the Yankees lost out on Cliff Lee TWICE....
Bwhahahahahahaha!
ThundaPC - December 13, 2010
Yea, and
I’m sure some of them will blame us for “backing out” on the NYY deal.
I’m so glad NY and Texas lost out.
surfmonkey89 - December 13, 2010
Exactly, Merry Cliffmas to us. They must be pagans in NY and Texas.
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
Not one of the prospects dealt for Cliff Lee made BA's top 10 Phillies prospect list
jackyz - December 13, 2010
Suck on it, Yankees.
Here’s a great takedown Matt Taibbi did on Yankee fans/Cliff Lee after the World Series ended. All the more enjoyable now that they got deservedly and richly screwed like the losers they are.
lyleleander - December 13, 2010
Late to the party...
YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!
zeeehjee - December 13, 2010
Rubén Amaro sure does seem like he wants to follow in Gillicks footsteps and makes sure that none of his teams ever make the playoffs again,
Robert - December 13, 2010
Does anybody here remember how Felix was just voted the best pitcher in the American League?
Over Cliff Lee.
Robert - December 13, 2010
And?
Goose - December 13, 2010
Don't you have falling down or exploding to do somewhere?
royalcurve - December 14, 2010
Or poor decisions to make involving WD-40.
JY - December 14, 2010
Cliff Lee can even throw an impressive curveball in the offseason.
This turned out way better than I thought it was going to.
mont_mariner - December 13, 2010
This turned out perfectly, except not for the Yankee$ or the Ranger$. Thank you Cliff Fucking Lee.
I’ve got your M’s jersey and I will wear it proudly, especially now that you’ve turned down the money and will play where you want to play for the next 5 years. I wish you the very best .
TrustBaseball - December 13, 2010
Mystery Team!!
Apparently Philly woke up the morning after the Cliff Lee trade and realized “Hey…we could have more than one awesome starter at the same time.”
short - December 13, 2010
Oh this is so great!
I think I will worship Cliff Lee forever. I already did because of his pitching. But now… he fucked the Yankees big-time! What an awesome human being!
ignacio - December 14, 2010
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