[新聞] Yankees will be 'in early' on Cliff Lee, source says, will face competition
Yankees will be 'in early' on Cliff Lee, source says, will face competition
from Angels and Rangers
BY Anthony Mccarron
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Two years ago, the Yankees started the free agency period with a blockbuster
offer to CC Sabathia that helped pave the way to signing the big lefty.
After the clock strikes midnight Saturday night, they could take a similar
approach with another alluring lefthander - Cliff Lee.
But while the Yankees believed there were multiple serious suitors for
Sabathia and they wanted to wow their competition with a $140 million offer
that was then the biggest-ever for a pitcher, they now believe the Texas
Rangers are their only real rivals for Lee. There is, perhaps, less urgency
to make a preemptive strike.
Still, the Yankees "will be in early with Lee," said a baseball official with
knowledge of their plans. "I don't know if they'll make an offer right away,
but they'll be in quickly."
Players can negotiate with every team in baseball beginning late Saturday,
which means that Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera, free agents most in baseball
believe will return to the Yankees, can be courted by rivals, too. Lee is the
Yankees' most important outside target of the offseason, but just as
intriguing is their attempt to re-sign both Jeter and Rivera. Those
negotiations are expected to begin in earnest soon, although it's unlikely
either player would be signed before the Yanks' exclusive negotiating window
with both ends Saturday night.
One wild card who could join the Lee sweepstakes? The Angels. Their owner,
Arte Moreno, has made it clear he will spend big this winter after his team
stumbled in 2010 and the Angels are a potential landing spot for speedy
outfielder Carl Crawford, at least.
After offering Sabathia $140 million for six years, the Yankees signed him
for $161 million over seven, the highest contract ever given to a pitcher.
The 32-year-old Lee could command the same type of cash in terms of average
annual value, although perhaps for fewer years because he is four years older
than Sabathia was when the 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner signed with the
Yanks.
Beyond his contract, Sabathia is likely to figure into the Yankees' pursuit
of Lee. The two are close friends from their days together in the Indians'
organization and Lee has been a guest at Sabathia's Alpine, N.J., home.
Sabathia's wife, Amber, scouted out a rental house for the Lee family when it
appeared the Yankees would trade for the ex-Phillie last July.
Lee could make an appearance in New York at some point during the process,
if, like some free agents of the past, he wants a tour of the area, which
could include surrounding suburbs and the home clubhouse at the Stadium. The
Yankees might want to show Lee's wife, Kristen, that not all Yankee fans are
as boorish as the louts who heaped abuse on the Rangers' wives' section
during the playoffs.
Before Lee's Rangers met Sabathia's Yankees in the ALCS, Sabathia said of his
free-agent-to-be friend, "I know he has a tough decision to make at the end
of this year. I'll be here for any advice he wants to talk about."
http://goo.gl/lKYqN
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 114.137.201.2
NY-Yankees 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章
12
18
25
37
30
31
11
17