Cliff Lee signs with the Phillies

[KGambler]

New claim is $115M for 5 years, plus a 6th year which will automatically vest if goals are met.

http://twitter.com/SI_JonHeyman/stat...59849404698624#

I would still like to see what those "makeable incentives" are. If the Phillies protected themselves against a long term injury, then it makes the contract less bad.

And now it's up to $120M for 5 years, plus a 6th year which vests if certain goals are reached. How much higher will it turn out to be? Yeah, just another bad baseball contract. Can't believe people were naive enough to think he signed for 5 years, $100M. Guess you forgot how ridiculous MLB is and how greedy the MLBPA is.

[Killer_Demo]

yep, and still won't beat the Giants, have fun jerking to that national league east pennant, will be all they get.

im with this guy

[sundin4prez]

dam thats a killer rotation.....funny how the talking heads gave the phillies no chance....

[gryfyn1]

From Fangraphs"

If there’s a four-man rotation that has ever looked this dominant heading into a new year, I can’t find it. It is almost certainly in the discussion for the greatest four-man rotation of all time.



There is one big asterisk on all this, though: as those great Braves teams show, a ridiculously great rotation is not enough to start planning a parade. The Phillies are certainly contenders, but they’re going to need more than just their Big Four to win it all. It will be interesting to see what the rest of their off-season looks like now that Lee is back in Philadelphia.

[Cap dat 4ss]

Maybe it has something to do with the Yankees fans spitting on his wife during the playoffs

[Rollins08]

Best 4 man rotation in history. There offense is pretty good also.

[todd24kb]

I am also speechless on how the Phillies pulled this off.

[MartinBlank]

That's the crazy part, Lee left almost 35 million guaranteed money on the table to sign with the Phillies.

[Brewers in 7]

Doesnt matter who their rotation is if they hit they way they did last postseason...

[ryanspeer2001]

I woke up to this news and was damn near in tears. So happy.

[beach nut]

Way to stick it to the Yanks!

[Outlawdino]

Wow...what a rotation !

[whatsgood5]

I think I speak for all Braves fans when I say "FUK"

[Wiggums5]

The Phils are going to be awesome this year now Im excited to see another Champoinship parade in Philly

You have a better shot with the Flyers than the Phillies.

Anyway, as a Red Sox fan i'm glad to see Lee outta the AL but I don't understand how the Phillies now have the money tos ign Lee but they didn't before so they traded him? Also, I think it's funny how all Phillies fans are calling WS already, prepare to be dissapointed...your team can't hit.

[WeinketoWarrick]

greatest staff in history assuming no one dies between now and next spring

[Living The Dream]

I love how all the Yankee fans are comforting themselves now by saying they dodged a bullet by not signing him when Lee screwed both the Yanks and the Rangers over by signing for 5 years worth 100m. Less than they had to offer. Every phillie bat was down last year besides Ruiz. The bats will be back and theres no rotation like this in history

LOL, no rotation in history!! How about those Atlanta Braves rotations?? Just go back a little in history.. Give me a break.. Lee will be a very good pitcher 3 years and a completely over paid aging pitcher for 2-3 years...

Yanks have experience with overpaying aging pitchers, now the Phillies get their experience

[mvp123]

This is the best news i heard in a bit my team my city i love them both

[jagaf22]

Sic rotation! I think the biggest news of the off season is the Yankees failure to sign anyone significant.

[floridagolfer]

So, where do you figure Vegas puts the total on wins for the season? I'd guess it's in the area of 98-100.

[jbrent95]

There is going to be alot of bettors losing their add when Philadelphia goes on a 4 game losing streak. I see chasers.

[unusialsusp5]

how can these teams afford to pay these players. the money well has to run dry soon. are they borrowing money from china too. the bubble will soon burst and every player will be making scale. maybe 50k-100k range and if they don't like it they will be replaced by minor leaguers and sanity will be restored to the game.

[Ninersnut]

No reason why they shouldn't walk right to the WS. Only thing stopping them is Howard swinging at balls in the dirt.

[BRAVES1985]

as a braves fan this is hard to believe but i still laughed that the yanks got turned down.

[MTek]

Have youe ever been to Philly??? If so then you wouldnt have posted this.. LMAO!!

Philly is the best, most hard core sports city in the United States..... we don't band wagon jump ... and we DESPISE all NY teams and DALLAS

[konck]

Unreal starting 4 give them the ring

[Ninersnut]

Glad I got my tickets earlier this month.

[SBR Lou]

One of the darkest days in Major League Baseball history for sure.

[robert_wrath]

Adding Cliff Lee to the lineup reassures the Phillies into NLCS.

[Pharieswheel]

Phillies sign cliff lee

bOY teams a bolstering up, how did the yankees lose him to philly! alwell, the Phillies just won the national league again.

[Stinger]

Thanks, we all know.

[oiler]

got to love it.glad to see the yankees didnt get him.love the fact that someone else beat yankees at their own game.kudos phillies

[EaglesPhan36]

They still won't match the 1971 Orioles who had four 20 game winners. Maybe two of them get there, but injuries and such won't allow. Damn scary staff. What's funny is half of the media had dogged this one writer who kept touting a "mystery" team in the mix for Lee ... look who is laughing now.

[rick50time]

yank me

[JJV]

That's one scary looking rotation.

[Willie Bee]

So, where do you figure Vegas puts the total on wins for the season? I'd guess it's in the area of 98-100.

I'll bet the 'under' on any team listed above 98 wins.

They still won't match the 1971 Orioles who had four 20 game winners. Maybe two of them get there, but injuries and such won't allow. Damn scary staff. What's funny is half of the media had dogged this one writer who kept touting a "mystery" team in the mix for Lee ... look who is laughing now.

They should just get rid of the W/L column for pitchers, either that or start adding W/L columns for position players.

Lee's agent, Darek Braunecker, did more to fan the rumor flames than anyone. Always so difficult to guage what's really true at this time of the offseason. Id' bet a fiver to a penny that Braunecker contacted Ruben Amaro last week to get this deal done after Texas and New York made their offers. Braunecker told Nolan Ryan and the Rangers earlier that it was up to them to make offers, not the player and his agent. I'm quite confident Braunecker then turned on his own statement and made the first offer to the Phillies.