A re-New Phil-Lee

So, I was listening to the radio this morning. The station I was on went to commercial, so I flipped over to the EEIdiots. The reception was full of static. But, I was able to make out, “(static) signed a deal with the Phillies worth (static)” and thought to myself, which free agent is still out there worth announcing to lead the sports flash? Then I heard, “(static) won two games for the Phils in the 2008 World Series” and started laughing. The Phillies had gotten Cliff Lee. The Yankees had not gotten Cliff Lee. The one free agent that the Yankees absolutely needed to sign went to the Phillies. Cliff Lee was in the NL. What could be better?
Oh wait. This could be better. Apparently, the Red Sox are/were in talks with the Phillies about trading for Joe Blanton. Huh? Why would the Sox want Joe Blanton? Well, they don’t. But, the Phillies need to move salary in order to afford Lee, and the Sox were more than willing to help out. How perfect is that? The Sox were basically willing to money launder Joe Blanton for the Phillies so that Cliff Lee would end up in Philadelphia instead of NY (or even Texas). That’s about as much fun as you can have watching a front office do its job. Well done.

So, that pretty much sets up the Red Sox-Phillies World Series in October. Probably not even worth playing the regular season. It certainly does make the path easier for the Red Sox. I’m still not sure that Lee is the stud pitcher that he’s made out to be. But, he’s a very good left-handed former Cy Young winner. Not too shabby. And, with the Red Sox line-up being so lefty-heavy, the thought of having to face Sabathia, Lee, and Pettitte a million times during the season was a bit annoying. Add in David Price from Tampa, and the Sox were facing very good lefties way too often. But, now Lee is in the NL, and the Sox would face him once at the most. What else does Lee’s new deal do for the Red Sox? It makes the Yankees have to beg Pettitte to come back even more than ever. Think Brett Favre level of begging. Like Jeter Rivera, and Posada may already be on a plane to ask Pettitte if he’d “like to come play some baseball.”

So, to recap. The Yankees have to overpay their captain to come play for them. Each side looked a bit foolish in the process, and Jeter’s “team-first” image is tarnished. The Red Sox trade for an elite first baseman in Adrian Gonzalez. The Red Sox mess around with the Yankees Cliff Lee deal, allowing the Sox to sign Carl Crawford. The Yankees lose out on Cliff Lee as he goes to the NL. The Yankees now have to get on their knees in front of Andy Pettitte.

Is this the best off-season ever?