Phillies Considering Locking Up Clifton Phifer Lee Long Term

Yes! This is the best news I have heard all day. Please do it, Phillies, please do it!!! Andy Martino of the Inquirer reports

The Phillies have not yet decided whether to offer a contract extension to pitcher Cliff Lee this off-season, but they have discussed the possibility internally.

"Clearly, it's on our minds, but we haven't made a decision if we will yet," general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. "Naturally you have to think about it, but we're more focused on him pitching in this series."

The club holds a $9 million option on Lee for 2010, after which the 31-year-old lefthander will become a free agent - unless he and the Phillies agree on an extension.

Since the Phils acquired Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco from Cleveland in July for a package of minor-league players, the pitcher has become the team's ace. During the regular season, he was 7-4, with a 3.39 earned run average with the Phils. In the postseason, he is 4-0, with a 1.56 ERA.

Variables for the team to consider: Lee's age, the Phils' already-high payroll, and the potential that Lee could seek a contract comparable to the seven year, $161 million deal the New York Yankees lavished on CC Sabathia last winter.

Look, there's a lot of give and take here and the Phillies can't and won't have it all.

This year the Phillies are good. Lee has one more year on this current contract and no one in the starting offensive line up is a free agent. The only that may not be back is Pete Happy who has a 5-million dollar option on his contract this coming off-season. The Phillies have to decide if his age and deplorable, un-clutch batting is worth his very solid, above average defense. Buster Olney speculates that the Phillies might go after Adrian Beltre, citing that he would fit in well with the Phillies. All things considered, that would definitley be an upgrade to Pete Happy, that is, of course, his decision to not wear a cup does not result in another broken testicle.

Brett Myers is a free agent, he can say goodbye to Philly. Pedro Martinez is a free agent and while I love Pedro, I doubt that the Phillies will re-sign him just due to the on and off nature of his performances nowadays. He does not have what he used and his consistency from start to start is definitley a huge question mark on him, and that was without going through the rigors of a whole season.

The way it shapes up now, the Phillies starting rotation will look a little something like Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, and perhaps Jamie Moyer if he returns, although I think I agree with Dan Levy who suggests he would be better off as a coach of some sort with the team, especially as he will be coming off surgery this year and may not even be ready for spring training. Thus the Phillies are left with the same problem they had going into last year. Who will be the 5th starter? Pedro? Moyer? Antonio the Inglorious Bastardo (please no!)? Kyle Kendrick, who seemed rejuvenated at the end of this year? A free agent signing yet to be named?

And while this year is this year, the Phillies have to start thinking ahead and thinking ahead in a major way. The window is open in 2010 and have got to be the favorites to go back to the World Series even though the Mets and/or the Braves will likely sign a big name or 2 and ESPN and all the mainstream sports media writers will have them winning the NL East and going to the World Series or they will pick the Cards and/or Dodgers to finally break through (not the worst thing in the world, mind you, being under the radar is never a bad spot to be if you truly are that good of a team). But it's when we get to November 2010 that things start getting really interesting. Oh so many free agents from Howard to Hamels to Victorino to Werth to Lee if no deal is negotiated and let's face it, these guys are going too much money that the Phillies can't give them, even with their high payroll. You're going to have to make decisions. And while this is over 365 days away and who knows what will happen between then and now, here are my early thoughts on what is going to have to happen.

Lee or Hamels. The Phillies will only keep 1 past this year. If the Phillies can lock up Lee long term and if he pitches anything close to what he pitched like at the end of this year, more than likely Hamels will be out of town. The only way I see Hamels staying past next year if they lock up Lee long term (and that is a big if, by the way) and if Hamels is willing to settle for not a lot of money at all, something I highly doubt will happen. If he channels his 2008 form in 2010, he'll want too much money and if he channels his 2009 form in 2010, Phillies fans will more than likely personally buy him a private jet so he can get out of town. Besides the Phillies have Kyle Drabek waiting in the wings in the minors. If he is as good as the hype behind him is, it will definitley be a good riddance to the 2008 World Series MVP should that happen. I would not at all be surprised if, once a starter goes down with an injury or a doubleheader demands it that the Phillies will call up Drabek to pitch a game or 2 or more this coming season, especially later on.

Victorino or Werth. As much as I love them both, it comes down to money and the fact that once again, you've got guys outfielders waiting in the wings in the minors, most specifically, Dominic Brown, 1 will stay and 1 will go. If I were the Phillies, assuming the numbers for 2010 are close with the numbers from 2009, Werth stays and Victorino goes. I love Victorino to death, but Werth more than proved this year that he's capable of being an everyday player and with all of the left-handed bats on this team (Utley, Howard, Ibanez) this team needs a very good right-handed bat to balance out the line up and Werth provides the team that.

Is there seriously any possible permutation that does not include the Phillies locking up Ryan Howard? I say no. He struggled in the World Series, but as with all hitters, Howard has his slumps as he also has his hot streaks. Heck if not for Howard, the Phillies may not have even gotten to the World Series (do remember that he tied the record for most consecutive post season games with an RBI this year), so you gotta take the good with the bad and Howard is more than worth it.

This core group of guys have 1 year left together before we start seeing some major changes to this Phillies squad. As mentioned earlier, the only member of the starting 8 who may not be back this season is Pete Happy. And assuming that the Phillies can find a credible defensive 3rd baseman who can hit slightly better than Happy (*ahem*AdrianBeltre*), no tears of sorrow will be shed over that loss.

Transitioning back to this off-season, the only thing I need to say is that the bullpen must improve. Brad Lidge must leave this town while he still has a shed of dignity and likability from 08 and Ryan Madson, while one of the league's better 8th inning set-up men, is not the closer for this team. Jose Valverde is a free agent this year and the Phillies could easily take a serious look at him and the name of Rafael Soriano is already being tossed around by others not named JFein as a possible future Phillie (I'm yet to read any talks/rumors of interest with Valverde and the Phils). I would also like to see the Phils add some more arms added to the non-closing bullpen as Eyre is a question mark for retirement, Durbin sucks, Myers will be gone, Romero has spent all of the season on the injured list when he was not suspended, Condrey and the DL became good buddies this year, Bastardo is useless, Rodrigo Lopez, shall the Phillies bring him back up from the majors, is even more useless, and who knows what the future holds for Kyle Kendrick.

I'm excited to see the moves they make as frankly, this bullpen can only improve this off-season cause frankly, I don't see how on earth it could get much worse than it already is.