The Philadelphia Phillies are currently flirting with a .500 record and after entering June in the middle of the pack of the National League East behind the Braves and Nationals, the team could be sellers again at the trading deadline and that means Cliff Lee could be on the move.
According to the Sporting News, Lee could be trade bait for the Philadelphia Phillies as they go through another mediocre season and with money tied up in Ryan Howard and others, he could be one to go, but that won't be easy though. The report says that Lee has a no-trade clause in his contract with tames like the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles on it (per Fox Sports). Lee has a big contract and while that also could be an issue, certain teams may overlook that to get a top of the line starter for their team.
Lee has $25 million per year left guaranteed over the next two years of his contract and on top of that there is also a $27.5 million team option with a $12.5 million buyout for the 2016 season, which also could come up in a trade. Lee has been much better than he was at the start of last season after going 7-2 with a sub-3.00 ERA, but some teams may not want to pay that much money for a pitcher that is 34-years-old. Lee is a dependable starter and since he has a number of teams on his no-trade list, he holds some power in the process.
Lee said to reporters that he knows he will be mentioned in trade talks yet again, and while the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers and Baltimore Orioles are all teams that are on his list, he could decide to waive that or go somewhere else like the Giants or Angels or another team like that if they are not on his list. Lee previously went to the World Series with Texas and even though Matt Harrison, Alexi Ogando and Colby Lewis are on the DL, there is no indication that he would lift his clause for them and go there again.
The Yankees are always an intriguing option, but their farm system has proven to be razor thin after losing a number of players and they may not want to take on another big contract after already dealing with Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. The Orioles may want to jump in a be one of the big boys with a deal, but chances are their owner will not want a contract that big for what they will have to give up to get him.
Things could change if the Phillies get back on track, but sitting over seven games out of first place as the schedule hits June could end up being too much to overcome for the team. The Phillies will have the chance to be big spenders in the future, as Roy Halladay, Chase Utley, Michael Young, Delmon Young and Carlos Ruiz all will be off the payroll next year and that will leave the team with a number of options whether they trade Lee or not.
