How Far Will The Rangers Go to Acquire Cliff Lee?

Cliff Lee had a spectacular season this past year, despite being traded between teams and ending up in the Lone Star State with the Texas Rangers.  He helped the Rangers make it to their first-ever World Series and although they lost, they put up a hell of a fight.

As soon as the World Series was over, Cliff Lee became a free agent – available to any team on the market.  Bidding has begun with not only the Rangers interested but also the New York Yankees, who the Rangers were able to defeat in the 2010 ALCS to advance to the 2010 Fall Classic, as well as the Washington Nationals.

While Texas does have a bigger salary to mess with this year, are they going to have enough to sustain Lee?  It’s possible, believe it or not.  The Yankees plan to pay whatever it takes to get Lee to come to New York; however, the Rangers plan to pay whatever it is the Yankees are willing to pay.  Then, there is the Washington Nationals.  They are very aggressive in their hunt to secure Lee as well.

In the end, it’s probably going to come down to a decision of who offers the most money.  Right now, there are various reported stating that the bidding for the pitcher is going to start around $120 million or so for five years.  There have been a number of reports claiming that the New York Yankees are going to offer Lee a five-year contract worth between about $115 and $120 million.  However, other reports say they are going to offer him $140 million for six years.

However, looking at other factors that may tempt Lee to stay in Texas is his wife as well as his newly purchased home.  First, his wife made comments about the Yankees’ fans while they were playing in New York for the ALCS and she was not the least bit impressed – actually, she was offended.  Second, Lee and his family just purchased a new home in Arkansas, which is closest to the Rangers than the other two teams fighting for him.

My personal opinion is that if Texas can offer the 32-year-old starting pitcher enough money then he’s going to stick around.  If he does, I think the Rangers will definitely be a contender for the 2011 World Series.

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