I touched on Cliff Lee in today’s Beacon-Journal, and his name continues to surface in trade rumors. The Indians are in a challenging spot. Trade Lee and they make history by trading reigning Cy Young winners two years in a row. Keep him and he leaves as a 
free agent after 2010. Trade him and the starting pitching is a deeper black hole. Trade him and get young players in return. Bottom line: The deal has to be one that’s too good to pass up.
Yahoo’s Gordon Edes reported that the Phillies had their scouts watching Lee’s complete-game win last night. There still is no indication the Indians want to trade Lee, but they will always listen to offers. A blockbuster offer might compel them to make a deal, and that’s the operative word. The Indians have to feel compelled to trade their No. 1 starter (geez … how bad will the rest of this season be with Lee on another team?), but at the same time his trade value may never be higher.
Writes Edes: From a baseball standpoint, trading Lee a year after trading CC Sabathia to the Brewers makes sense, especially if the return rivals that of the deal Shapiro made for Bartolo Colon in 2002, when he got Brandon Phillips, Grady Sizemore, Lee Stevens and a pitcher named Cliff Lee in return.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox correctly writes that the Indians would have to get a blockbuster group of players in return for Lee, adding: "Such a proposal would need to start with a major-league ready starting pitcher such as the Red Sox's Clay Buchholz or Braves' Tommy Hanson. The Phillies have such a pitcher — left-hander J.A. Happ, who is 7-0 with a 2.68 ERA. Adding Class AAA right-hander Carlos Carrasco and Class A outfielder Dominic Brown to the package surely would get the Indians' attention."
There’s also a chance the Indians keep Lee and trade Carl Pavano, who might bring a couple young players in return. In fact, there might be a better chance of that trade happening than of Lee being dealt.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
As much as I hate to see a good man like Cliff Lee suffer under the current conditions: Losing record, No run support, Bad management, and low attendance because of it all, the only way this franchise's pitching is going to improve is with an ace to build around. With the very rare exception of a Dwight Gooden, or someone who comes out of nowhere to assume the staff ace role, the # 1 pitcher has earned his spurs through experience. Cleveland needs Cliff Lee.
I was extremely uncomfortable reading that first sentence. That's how Big Ben got into trouble, somebody touched on his Cliff Lee.
Anyhoo, it doesn't matter if he's traded this year or next, he's gone. All that's left is the PR and the spin. They aren't going to pay him what his agent is eventually going to demand, so what's the difference.
Might as well trade Lee and Pavano. Shapiro is turning the franchise into another Pittsburgh Pirates.
Let's only hope we can players the caliber of LaPorta and Brantley in return. 'Cause, ya know, when ya trade a Cy Young winner and the ace of your staff, you sure better get someone who can displace, say, Ben Francisco in the outfield. Right?
i love gordon edes' optimism that shapiro can pull off another colon swindle. there aren't any teams currently looking to contract or move in the next few months that i know of. maybe gordon knows something i don't.
it's funny looking at those names. they p—ed away phillips. lee is currently being wasted and sizemore has mind control of the manager and forces him to stick him at leadoff when he's a #6 hitter at best.
yea shapiro! yea wedge! thanks for killing off hope for cleveland baseball!
Peter Gammons says the Red Sox just rejected a Shapiro offer of Martinez for Clay Bucholtz. What in the hell is Shapiro thinking? No, let me rephrase that. What in the hell are the Red Sox thinking?
Did I spell that Clay guy's name right? Oh, who cares. Stupid deal for Shapiro, but I guess they don't care. Salary Dump City.
I'd take Bucholtz for Victor, our 1/2-catcher who disappears for a month at a time at the plate. We've got Carlos Santana ready to rock in Cleveland, and wayyyyy too many first-basemen. Victor is plenty expendable. Will the BoSox take Shoppach in the same deal? Please??