There are rumors that the New York Mets and the Seattle Mariners have been in discussions regarding pitcher Cliff Lee.
Lee obviously will not bring back the package he did the past two times he was traded. He will be a half season rental and has stated that he wants to test the waters of free agency after the year. This is a smart move by Lee as he is likely to get more money on the open market with this winter's weak free agent class.
The Mariners would most likely be able to bring in one or two young players or big league ready prospects plus a mid-level prospect for Lee. There is one player in particular on the Mets that has caught the Mariners eye: pitcher Jon Niese.
It has been reported that the Mariners have lots of interest in Niese. He has been a solid starter this year and appears to have a bright future ahead of him. So far New York has been reluctant to include Niese in a deal for Lee.
It appears that the Lee's price will drop the longer the Mariners hold on to him. The Mets can attempt to play hardball, wait it out until the deadline and then put together a package for Lee that does not include Niese. This may work, but New York will be bidding against more teams who want Lee's services.
With all that being said, Lee would be... (to read the rest of the article click on the link below)
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