Cliff Lee will sign with the Philadelphia Phillies, rejecting offers from the New York Yankees, the Texas Rangers, and the long-shot Washington Nationals, according to ESPN.
Lee, who led the Rangers to the World Series last season, agreed to a five-year, about $120 million contract with Philadelphia and has an option for a sixth season, said ESPN. The news agency did not name a source for the information.
Most news reports up until Monday reported that Lee was being pursued by only the Yankees, Texas, and Washington, with Philadelphia staying under the radar.
It wasn’t until Monday afternoon that reports about a “mystery team” pursuing Lee came out.
Both the Rangers and the Yankees offered the southpaw ace more money, with the Yankees guaranteeing at least $132 million.
About the Phillies last-minute pursuit of Lee, a source told ESPN that “it happened in a hurry.”
With their acquisition of the 32-year-old, the Phillies have arguably the most stacked bullpen in all of MLB with Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt.
“You hear about a deal like this and you’re kind of shocked,” Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino told MLB.com. “But this shows how much Cliff loved Philly. He turned down money to come back. That says a lot about him.”
The Rangers management said that they did not feel burned by Lee’s decision.
“He was very classy. He was very appreciative of the time he was here and how he was treated. He and his family enjoyed his time here,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told MLB. “He also enjoyed his time in Philadelphia and liked some of the things that opportunity had to offer.”
Daniels added that even though Texas would have been enthusiastic about keeping Lee, it would have been unrealistic due to the terms and conditions.
“Cliff will always be a part of the most exciting and special year in Rangers history,” he told MLB. “It’s time to move on and look at a variety of ways to improve the club.”
Lee, who led the Rangers to the World Series last season, agreed to a five-year, about $120 million contract with Philadelphia and has an option for a sixth season, said ESPN. The news agency did not name a source for the information.
Most news reports up until Monday reported that Lee was being pursued by only the Yankees, Texas, and Washington, with Philadelphia staying under the radar.
It wasn’t until Monday afternoon that reports about a “mystery team” pursuing Lee came out.
Both the Rangers and the Yankees offered the southpaw ace more money, with the Yankees guaranteeing at least $132 million.
About the Phillies last-minute pursuit of Lee, a source told ESPN that “it happened in a hurry.”
With their acquisition of the 32-year-old, the Phillies have arguably the most stacked bullpen in all of MLB with Lee, Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt.
“You hear about a deal like this and you’re kind of shocked,” Phillies center fielder Shane Victorino told MLB.com. “But this shows how much Cliff loved Philly. He turned down money to come back. That says a lot about him.”
The Rangers management said that they did not feel burned by Lee’s decision.
“He was very classy. He was very appreciative of the time he was here and how he was treated. He and his family enjoyed his time here,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told MLB. “He also enjoyed his time in Philadelphia and liked some of the things that opportunity had to offer.”
Daniels added that even though Texas would have been enthusiastic about keeping Lee, it would have been unrealistic due to the terms and conditions.
“Cliff will always be a part of the most exciting and special year in Rangers history,” he told MLB. “It’s time to move on and look at a variety of ways to improve the club.”
