The New York Yankees may want a pitching upgrade, but it might not come in the form of Cliff Lee. General manager Brian Cashman made note that prior to the MLB trade deadline, getting another pitch was the team's top priority after losing four starters since the beginning of the season. The Philadelphia Phillies are shopping essentially the entire roster, but two of their aces might not be available.
The Yankees have had Lee on their radar since they lost Masahiro Tanaka for the foreseeable future. The Philadelphia Phillies pitcher has been on the disabled list since May after suffering elbow discomfort, but made his first start on Monday. The Yankees had scouts present at his rehab games and his start on Monday in hopes of seeing enough to escalate a trade before the July 31 deadline.
However, according to Joe Morosi of FOX Sports, the Yankees are one of the teams list on Lee's no-trade clause, meaning the pitcher can block a deal if he so chooses. Morosi reports that Lee has never wanted to play for the Yankees ever since his wife was spit on by fans some years ago. It left a bad taste in the pitcher's mouth so fans should not expect him to change his mind. However, Lee was down-right awful in his first start back from injury so the Yankees might not have returned the interest if there was some.
Could this shift the Yankees' interest towards Cole Hamels, another Phillies pitcher that is reportedly available? ESPN's Buster Olney is reporting that the Phillies are not sold on getting rid of Hamels and are currently telling teams he is not available for deals. Hamels' contract is out of control and does not expire until 2020 so he is a big commitment for any team to take on. There has been some interest in Hamels, but the Phillies do not appear to want to sell the house this trade deadline and will keep the pitcher.
So where does that leave the Yankees? They could look to bringing AJ Burnett back. According to FOX Sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been considering a deal for Burnett, but the Yankees could join the discussions and bring their long-time veteran back. There is also a chance they towards a player like Ian Kennedy and Jon Lester who are available.
On player that might also be off the market is David Price. If the Yankees wanted to a World Series star, they would try and trade for Price, someone currently reaching the end of his one-year contract. However, the Tampa Bay Rays have turned down every off that has come their way for the pitcher and now ESPN.com is reporting he might not be available altogether.