Opinion

Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee, Cliff Lee. Did I mention Cliff Lee?

If you're Brian Cashman, a Yankee fan or anyone living in or near New York, you are probably beginning to get tired of hearing the name of someone who, as of right now, has nothing to do with the New York Yankees.

After it was announced that Carl Crawford will play the next seven years in Boston, every Sox fan had the same thought: "Yes!  Suck it, New York!!!!"  Five seconds later, every Boston fan shared this thought as well: "Well, I guess that's it for either Ellsbury or Cameron in Beantown." The third thought that popped into every Boston fan's head was, "Oh S---!! Now the Yanks will get Lee for sure!!"

The New York Yankees have made an offer to free agent catcher Russell Martin. They have made it clear to Martin and his agent that they view him as a "starting catcher."

New York Mets pitching prospect Jenrry Mejia scattered two hits while walking one and striking out four over three shutout innings for the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Winter League on Friday.

The 21-year-old, making his second start of the fall, fanned three Aguilas batters in the first inning, working around a one-out double followed by a walk, and he recorded three ground ball outs in the second frame to set down the side despite an error by veteran first baseman Wily Mo Pena.

It wasn’t a dream. Carl Crawford, who reached an agreement with the Boston Red Sox late Wednesday night, officially signed a seven-year, $142 million deal on Friday, making him the highest-paid outfielder in baseball, and was formally introduced Saturday morning.

With the MLB winter meetings well under way, many trades and signings have already happened. The Boston Red Sox have been particularly active, trading for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and signing outfielder Carl Crawford.

The biggest prize on the market remains Cliff Lee, but it seems like a two-team race between the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees to get his services.

But, there are still plenty of free agents out there who could benefit from a change of scenery. Then, there are those who have already signed deals this offseason who shouldn't have.

The waiting game continues as the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers hold their collective breaths in the wake of Cliff Lee’s looming decision over where he will play for the next six or seven years.

Both teams know that Lee is a difference maker and will be paid accordingly.

The Mariners were bad behind the plate in 2010. In fact, they were sub-par in every position except right field. Miguel Olivo was recently signed to a two-year deal by the team to be their everyday catcher. The deal is worth $7,000,000—a reasonable figure considering his ability to call a game. Offensively, however, he is barely an upgrade over the trio of backstops who butchered the position for most of Seattle’s 2010 season.

As the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers battle for position in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes, reports have swirled of offers from both teams offering up to seven years in length for the 32-year-old Arkansas native.

One of the orchestrators of the biggest deal of both the 2007 and 2009 winter meetings, many were shocked not to hear from Dave Dombrowski and the Detroit Tigers at the meetings this past week.