Cliff Lee

Cliff Lee is undoubtedly the biggest free agent name on the market this offseason, and with good reason. The 32-year old hits almost every key point on the checklist for a must-have pitcher: He's a dominant, left-handed starting pitcher, who's capable of striking guys out or getting players to ground out and is in the midst of his prime.

Reports are coming in that Lee has been offered a six-year, $140 million contract by the New York Yankees, who covet his services to an almost obsessive degree.

Cliff Lee is a free agent, and that means the team that flashes the most cash will have the advantage in the arms race.

Lee most likely enjoys Texas, unfortunately, us fans don't really get a lot of the Rangers during the typical MLB season.

As a casual observer of the game, I choose to take a glance at the 10 places in which Lee would look best. Of course, we are taking into account exposure, market and fan base.

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As the MLB rumor mill continues to churn, many fans are beginning to show a disdain towards the carousel-style news surrounding their favorite players.

Just ask Philadelphia Phillies’ fans about Jayson Werth updates.

This week—particularly the past 48 hours—there is even more confusing media frenzied news to keep fans on the edge of their seat, as they wait with baited breath to find out the latest whispers.

In the beginning of November, the Yankees made getting Cliff Lee to New York a major priority.

First, they contacted his agent Darek Braunecker the very first day possible.

A couple weeks later, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman flew down to Arkansas to meet with Lee, his wife Kristen and Braunecker, mostly as a formal meet and greet.

Cliff Lee of the Texas Rangers (at least for now) is the prized free agent pitcher heading into the 2011 season.

And perhaps the biggest prize of all free agents.

Where will he wind up and, presumably, pitch for the next five or so years? It appears to be a two-horse race between the Rangers and the favored New York Yankees.

Cliff Lee is a phenom on the mound.  With the ball in hand and the crowd going bananas, Lee oftentimes shines.  His prowess as a big-game pitcher is no longer questioned, despite another World Series loss for his team, this time the Texas Rangers.  

The one team that has long coveted this stud lefty is the money-powered New York Yankees.  Why not? Unlike most teams, they can afford Lee's services, and they're looking for another arm in their rotation right now—or at least they should be.  

It has been some time since the New York Yankees weren't involved with an offseason's top free agents. This year—to the chagrin of many baseball fans—is no different.  The most prized member of this year's free agent class, lefty Cliff Lee, tops just about every team's free agent priority list. For the Yankees, Lee could quite possibly be the piece that seemed to be missing down the stretch in their 2010 campaign. 

While 2009 ended with a World Series championship, 2010 ended in disappointment.

While the Texas Rangers celebrated in front of their home crowd and were heading to their first World Series championship in franchise history, the 2010 offseason was beginning for the New York Yankees.

The Yankees and their 200 million dollar payroll, began their offseason earlier than expected.  Now multiple uncertainties surround this team, with some of the greatest players in franchise history becoming free agents.

Most of the Hot Stove headlines in Major League Baseball will go to the big-ticket free agents that have landed on the open market. Prudent teams, however, can often make major improvements to their rosters by targeting less-heralded players in free agency.

Given the big-money nature of MLB salaries in the 21st century, it's hard to argue that any free agent signing is a true bargain, but when looking at players from a cost-to-production perspective, second-tier free agents can frequently pay big dividends.

Nobody doubts the power of Cliff Lee. In nine postseason starts in his career, he has an ERA below two and a SO/BB ratio of above nine. After winning the Cy Young in 2008, Lee has blown away hitters in both leagues, recording earned-run averages below 3.50 for three different teams in two seasons. Toward the end of 2010, he helped the Rangers get to the World Series, mowing down all opposition in between.