Philadelphia Phillies

Throughout the entire hot stove season, all that people heard about Cliff Lee was the Yankees and Rangers.

Lee will go to New York because of the money; Lee will stay in Texas because of the familiarity with the organization and how close the state is to Little Rock, AR.

But what about returning to the Phillies?

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.

As The New York Times‘ Ben Shpigel wrote two days ago, a 26-year-old pitcher by the name of Greg Maddux received a lucrative contract offer from the New York Yankees in 1992. The deal spanned five years and was worth $34 million, which was tremendous amount of money then.

Since his acquisition from the Houston Astros in 2008, Brad Lidge has been like a roller-coaster ride for the Phillies and their fans, and we've all just been along for the ride.

From the highs of his perfect season in 2008, to the lows of his league leading 11 blown saves in 2009, Lidge has become one of the most unpredictable closers in all of baseball, forcing fans to hold their breath as the ball leaves his hand.

The Philadelphia Phillies are a great team with very little flaws.

After losing to the San Francisco Giants in the 2010 NLCS, Phillies fans were devastated on what happened.

They sat in the stands, at their homes, or at the local bar in shock and could not believe the defeat they faced.

Well, now we are entering the 2011 MLB season and we as Phillies fans must put the past behind us. We must try and make ourselves a better team for the near future.

The Phillies made some progress in their offseason crusade to revamp their bullpen today by signing left-hander Dennys Reyes to a one year contract worth $1.1 million, with a mutual option for 2012 worth $1.35 million, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes.

Since Jayson Werth's surprise signing with the Washington Nationals on Sunday, Philadelphia has been left with a giant void to fill in the outfield. 

Yesterday, conjecture became reality.

After months of speculation that Jayson Werth would leave the Phillies when his contract expired, it became official when the Washington Nationals signed him to a mega-deal.

With the Jayson Werth Sweepstakes closed, the Philadelphia Phillies now set their sights on other matters this winter.  The Winter Meetings just commenced today and Ruben Amaro Jr. has been relatively quiet since the Phillies' stunning playoff exit in late October.

What the Phillies will be looking to do from here on out is anyone's guess.  RAJ hasn't made any noise so far this off-season, expect that to change soon.  The Phillies ought to be looking to fill a few voids this winter in order to re-claim their stake in the NL.  

Jayson Werth became a fan favorite in his four seasons with the Phillies, be it because of his great production on the field, his blue-collar attitude and hard work, or his beard.

Werth his 95 home runs, batted in 300 runs, and stole 60 bases. He was the power right-handed bat that balanced a lefty-dominated middle of the lineup. He also was very good defensively, both with his fielding and his arm.

He was very productive for the Phillies. So productive, in fact, he became too pricey to keep.