Author: Zach Menchel
Found in section: Sports
Cliff Lee is 6-3 w/a 2.39 ERA 11 starts Photo Courtesy of Gail Burton / AP
As the dog days of summer begin and Major League baseball approaches its annual halfway point (All-Star Game), the Mariners find themselves in both familiar and unfamiliar territory. Familiar being the fact that the M’s are sitting 14 games back and in last place in the A.L. West; their playoff hopes appeared to be dashed. Unfamiliar is the notion that these same Mariners have the crown jewel of this year’s trade market in LHP Cliff Lee.
Lee, 2008’s A.L. Cy Young award winner, was acquired by Seattle on December 15, 2009 as part of a blockbuster four team trade in which one of the other pieces changing squads was Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay.
The trade came as a surprise to many in Mariners nation including Lee himself. He won both of his starts for the Phillies in their World Series loss to the Yankees just a few months prior to the trade and was seeking a long-term contract to remain in Philadelphia.
Lee, 31, missed four starts at the beginning of his tenure in Seattle this season due to a strained oblique muscle. Since his return on April 30, he has gone 6–3 with a 2.39 ERA atop the Mariners rotation. He has pitched four complete games.
For the stat-geeks, Lee leads all major league pitchers in FIP at 1.98 and in WHIP at 0.91. He has struck out 76 batters and walked just four in 86.2 innings pitched for an astounding 19.0 K/BB ratio. He also tops the majors in WAR at 3.7.
Despite the fact that the Lee has been a bonafide ace for the Mariners this season, outperforming 2009 A.L. Cy Young runner-up and teammate Felix Hernandez, the popular conception is that he will be moved prior to the July 31 trade deadline.
Lee will be a free agent at season’s end and will undoubtedly command a real hefty price tag on the open market. The Mariners have that kind of money but no advanced contractual negotiations between the team and Lee have taken place. His agent has made it clear that he seeks to test free agency.
This is where GM Jack Zduriencik and the Mariners need to play it cool. Lee’s trade value is sky high right now and will continue to peak as he dominates opposing lineups. His last two starts were complete game victories, surrendering one run while striking out 16 and walking none.
Although any of the contending teams would love to add him to their rotation right now, likely just a select few of them are willing to part with top prospects in exchange for what will equate to a summer (and perhaps fall) rental of Lee.
The two teams making the rounds of the rumor mill relating to Lee are the Minnesota Twins and the New York Mets but it is unclear whom the Mariners would be looking to receive in exchange for the American League’s best pitcher. Seattle is in desperate need of catchers and Minnesota’s Wilson Ramos makes a lot of sense for both teams. If the rumors of the Mets offering Jennry Mejia, their top pitching prospect come to fruition however, the Mariners might have to stray in that direction.
It will be interesting to see how the market plays out for Lee in the coming weeks. The Mariners might wish to hold on to Lee to see if they can’t get back in the playoff hunt. If they hold him past the trade deadline however, they stand to lose him via free agency but will receive two compensatory selections in the 2011 draft. It seems to me that the M’s stand to obtain the best value by shipping Lee to a contender but don’t expect a deal until we get closer to the deadline as teams try to call Seattle’s bluff.
