cliff lee

Cliff Lee Traded to Texas Rangers

cliff lee

The Texas Rangers were bystanders for the playoffs in the first decade of the 2000s, but they are intent on returning this season, bankruptcy court or not. That became apparent on Friday, when the Rangers traded for the All-Star left-hander Cliff Lee, who had seemed to be headed to the Yankees.

The Mariners had coveted first baseman Justin Smoak for weeks, but until Friday, the A.L. West-leading Rangers would not part with him. Seattle turned to the Yankees, and according to an official involved in the talks, the teams had all but agreed on a package of catcher Jesus Montero and infielder David Adams for Lee. The official was granted anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about internal trade talks.

When the Mariners raised concerns about Adams’s ankle injury, the Yankees agreed to include a minor league pitcher. At that point, it was up to the Mariners to agree to the trade, and the Yankees were privately optimistic. The Rangers then agreed to include Smoak, a switch-hitter with power, and the Mariners jumped at him.

“Cliff was the No. 1 guy on our board that we wanted to acquire,” Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said at a news conference in Arlington, Tex. “There was a lot of dialogue the last few weeks. There’s been a sense of urgency all along. Cliff adds an element to our club we haven’t had in some time.”

The Mariners will also receive the minor leaguers Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson, while the Rangers will also receive reliever Mark Lowe. Chris Davis will be called up from the minors to play first base for the Rangers.

Because Lee is owed about $4 million for the rest of this season, the Rangers are believed to have received $2.5 million from Seattle. The Rangers are in bankruptcy court, and the portion of Lee’s salary they will pay had to fall within their existing budget.

“We were not in a position where we had to exceed budget, so it wasn’t an issue,” Daniels said.

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blake beavan

Hello Cliff Lee; goodbye Justin Smoak & Blake Beavan

 

blake beavan

What an emotional day in my baseball world.  This morning, it looked like Cliff Lee was surely headed to New York.  I already had visions of another Yankees World Series. Commence nausea.  Then, out of nowhere, that deal fell apart, and "another team" had jumped in.  I suspected that "other team" was my team, but I was afraid to think about what they had offered to make a strong case for Lee.  My fears came true, so I have mixed (but mostly happy) feelings about the trade.

To sum up the terms -- Rangers get Cliff Lee, Mark Lowe and cash.  Seattle gets Justin Smoak, Blake Beavan, Josh Lueke and Matt Lawson.

The pros

Cliff Lee is an innings-eater and a proven winner. Heck, the guy has a Cy Young somewhere in his house, and he's one of the most coveted pitchers in MLB.  That is evident by his recent resume -- Texas is his fourth team in just two years.  I am excited to see him in a Rangers uniform, and I really do think he is the piece that could put another division championship flag up in Arlington.  Mark Lowe is also a decent arm, even though he's on the DL.  He was off to a decent start prior to his injury, appearing in 11 games in the first month and working to a 1-3 record and 3.48 ERA.  He has Texas roots too, raised in Houston and went to college at UT-Arlington. 

Although it's not a popular opinion, I'm also ready to see Chris Davis in Arlington again.  Defensively, he's an upgrade from Justin Smoak.  Offensively, it's almost a wash.  I do believe this is his last chance to show he can hit major league pitching though.  If he doesn't prove himself, I see the Rangers scrambling for another 1B before September.

Also, the Rangers were able to make this trade happen without including Tanner Scheppers, Martin Perez or Derek Holland.  That's a huge sigh of relief. 

The Cons

Justin Smoak has a lot of potential.  While his offensive numbers weren't inspiring, I think it's only a matter of time before he becomes an absolute beast at the plate.  He's probably the new Ranger Killer in the AL West.  That will probably sting.  Maybe even burn a little.  I wish Smoak all the best, no matter what uniform he's in. 

I'm also sad to see Blake Beavan leave.  I have been following his career pretty closely (thanks to his wonderful cousin, Megan Nemec), and I was looking forward to maybe seeing him in Des Moines in a few weeks (he had recently been promoted to AAA Oklahoma City).  Alas, that won't happen. It's a good move for Blake though, as it sounds like he could be making his major league debut in the next few weeks. Again, I'll be rooting for Blake for a long time.

The Inbetween

I don't see Cliff Lee signing with the Rangers when the 2010 season is over.  He'll likely be a Yankee, which makes him a half-season rental.  This looks bad when you look at the loss of Smoak. On the other hand, if he does sign elsewhere, the Rangers will pick up some first round draft picks.  

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