Free Agency

The New York Yankees have an abundant amount of money to spend after losing out on signing Cliff Lee, who went to the Philadelphia Phillies.

All possible options will be tried, as cash is never short in New York and especially when the team is in need. Nobody puts Baby in the corner; not the Phillies, not Lee and certainly not a lack of free agents.

The Cliff Lee signing has put together one of the greatest pitching staffs in recent memory.

Many Phillies fan's rolled out of bed this morning and had to pinch themselves to make sure they were not dreaming. 

Next, came a glance at the calendar to verify that they had not time travelled to April Fool's Day. 

And when all that was done, the reality hit like a freight train, only in a good way.  Sleepy eyes widened and fans began to jump for joy! 

Cliff Lee is back!

Surprise, surprise...coveted free-agent ace Cliff Lee has signed with his former club the Philadelphia Phillies.  According to multiple media outlets, the 32 year-old All-Star hurler will make a return to the team who he helped lead to the 2009 World Series and reportedly has agreed to a five-year, $120 million deal with a vesting option for a sixth year.

The five teams in the National League East, the Phillies, Braves,  Marlins, Mets and Nationals, have all had busy off-seasons trying to improve their clubs. Some have been more successful than others. And some, like the Phillies and Mets, are moving very slowly through the free agent and trade possibilities.

Here is a countdown of the top 10 moves so far within the division and a breakdown of potential future moves for each team.

The New York Yankees fan base was in a state of bedlam yesterday afternoon, when there were reports on Twitter circulating and stating that Cliff Lee had rejected the Yankees offer. Immediately, the reaction was that Brian Cashman should throw more money in the deal. But later on, the rumors settled down as many did not know what to believe. Beat writers told fans to be careful what was out there and what they read. 

The rumour mill has been working extra hard this past week and is expected to gain more steam as Cliff Lee has apparently said he will make his decision within the next 48 hours. 

In my opinion I hope that he chooses to stick with the Texas Rangers.

Why? 

If Cliff Lee signs with the Yankees the focus will largely be on him, as he will be crowned the saviour of this aging Yankee team. 

After Carl Crawford's surprise signing by the Boston Red Sox, MLB's free agent pool is slowly starting to dwindle down.

Cliff Lee is still out there for the New York Yankees' or Texas Rangers' taking, but there aren't a whole lot of other marquee names left.

As for free agent relievers, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim—not to be confused with all of the other Los Angeles residing in MLB—scooped up Scott Downs, the Philadelphia Phillies re-signed Jose Contreras, Joaquin Benoit went to the Detriot Tigers, and the Bronx Bombers kept Mariano Rivera.

Wondering where ace Cliff Lee will be bring his talents in 2011?

Here is the latest news.

Last night while attending a Christmas party, I happen to be introduced to a man who went to college with Lee’s Arkansas neighbor and happens to be one of his closet friends.

In asking what he had heard, the response was that Lee had not made a decision as of Friday afternoon.

The past two days were extremely busy at the winter meetings, highlighted by some shocking developments.  Let’s take a look at everything that happened (for my thoughts on Days 1 & 2, click here and here): 

The Boston Red Sox Signed OF Carl Crawford