Phillies Make Cliff Lee Auction Interesting

While the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees wait around for Cliff Lee to either accept or reject their handsome multi-million, multi-year contracts, there's one more team who wants in on the sweepstakes.

An old flame: the Philadelphia Phillies.

Word has it, Lee's former team wants to reunite with the All-Star. However, an anonymous source close to negotiations has made it clear the Phillies will never give him seven years, and aren't likely to offer even six. Smart folks.

Last Wednesday, the Yankees handed Lee a juicy proposal worth up to $140 million over seven years. A day later, the Rangers horned in on New York's cross hairs with a similar deal.

Lee, who had a big hand in Philadelphia's 2009 World Series championship and was under the impression he was spending the rest of his illustrious career there, was traded away to the Seattle Mariners in a four-team, nine-player swap before heading to Arlington mid-season.

See, they Phillies had Roy Halladay at that point, in addition to Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton. Apparently they felt as though they didn't need Clifton anymore... but imagine if he'd join that rotation now.

Holy crap.

[Sporting News]