Phillies Get Lee
Philadelphia, PA – Looking for an ace to bolster their so-so rotation, the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Cliff Lee on Wednesday from the Cleveland Indians
who traded the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner for the second straight season.
The defending World Series champion Phillies gave Cleveland four minor league prospects for Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco.
The NL East-leading Phillies sent Triple-A pitcher Carlos Carrasco, infielder Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson along with Single-A pitcher Jason Knapp to Cleveland.
into the postseason before signing a $161 million, seven-year contract with the New York Yankees.
Lee turns 31 next month and his contract includes an $8 million club option for next season.
Philadelphia pursued Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, but shifted its attention to Lee because Toronto’s asking price for the six-time All-Star is high. The Phillies balked at trading top pitching prospect Kyle Drabek, who was the 18th overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft.
Philadelphia acquired Lee without giving up Drabek, rookie left-hander J.A. Happ, who was 7-1 going into his start at Arizona, or highly touted minor-league outfielders Michael Taylor and Dominic Brown.
Lee gives the Phillies another top starter to join Cole Hamels. The left-hander is 7-9 with a 3.14 ERA in 22 starts this season after going 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA last year. Hamels, the MVP of the World Series and NLCS last fall, has been inconsistent this season. He’s 7-5 with a 4.42 ERA, though he pitched well in a victory at Arizona on Tuesday.
The Phillies have a comfortable lead in the division – seven games ahead of second-place Florida going into Wednesday’s games. They’ve sought pitching help since No. 2 starter Brett Myers had hip surgery in June. Jamie Moyer leads the staff with 10 wins, but he is 46 and has a 5.32 ERA.
adelphia has to drop someone – possibly Rodrigo Lopez – from its starting rotation. Lopez, though, is 3-0 with a 3.09 ERA in four starts. The Phillies also have Pedro Martinez rehabbing in the minors. The three-time Cy Young Award winner signed a $1 million, one-year contract during the All-Star break.
Francisco, who is batting .250 with 10 homers and 33 RBIs, upgrades Philadelphia’s bench, which has lacked a solid, right-handed hitter.
The Indians have been a disappointment this season and their decision to deal Lee for prospects is another blow for Cleveland fans, who have seen stars like Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome and Sabathia leave via free agency or trade.
The club had hoped to sign Lee to an extension but talks broke off during spring training. A succession of injuries and dismal relief pitching dropped the Indians out of contention and forced general manager Mark Shapiro to begin rebuilding.
The Indians traded infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa to St. Louis last month, sent reliever Rafael Betancourt to Colorado last week and dealt first baseman Ryan Garko to San Francisco on Monday.
uts in 114 2-3 innings.
The 18-year-old Knapp was Philadelphia’s second-round pick in last year’s draft. He’s 6-foot-5, 215 pounds and possesses an overpowering fastball, with 111 strikeouts in 85 1-3 innings. But he hasn’t pitched since July 11 because of right shoulder soreness.
Marson, 23, was hitting .294 with one homer and 24 RBIs in 63 games at Lehigh Valley. He was 4 for 17 in seven games with the Phillies. Donald, 24, recently returned from knee surgery and was batting .236 with one homer and 16 RBIs in 51 games at Lehigh Valley.
Posted: 7/29/09 8:40PM ET