Heard in the Cheap Seats

The speculation can now end: according to Ken Rosenthal, the Philadelphia Phillies have struck a deal with the Cleveland Indians that sends last year’s Cy Young Award winner, Cliff Lee, to Philadelphia in exchange for Jason Knapp, Carlos Carasco, Jason Donald and Lou Marson.  The Phillies also land OF Ben Francisco as part of the deal to serve as their much-needed right handed bat off the bench.

For weeks, the city of Philadelphia has been fixated on the prospect of adding Roy Halladay to the rotation.  As talks with the Blue Jays progressed, and eventually broke down, it was apparent the price would be too steep.  The Blue Jays essentially asked for every blue-chip prospect the Phillies had in their system.  Needless to say, the front-office brass in Philly balked at that sum.

When that notion became clear, the Phillies moved swiftly and set their sights on Cliff Lee.  Lee is the reigning American League Cy Young winner and gives the Phillies a legitimate top-of-the rotation ace to carry into the postseason.

Don’t be fooled by Lee’s mediocre 7-9 record.  He is having a solid season with a 3.14 ERA in the daunting American League.  His record is a product of playing on a bad team, not an indicator of his performance.  While Halladay is the better pitcher of the two, Lee holds a distinct advantage in one key area—cost.  Lee’s contract is prorated at $6million for 2009 with a $9 millionon club option for 2010.  That is a much more palpable number than the money it would have required to employ Mr. Halladay.  

The addition of Lee gives the Phillies a left-heavy rotation with Hamels, Moyer, Happ and Lee.  Assuming the Phillies add Pedro to the mix and the effectiveness of Blanton in recent weeks, it seems either Moyer or Happ is heading to the bullpen.  Of course, Happ has been the better pitcher this season but Charlie Manuel is always loyal to his players to a fault.  Will that loyalty keep Moyer in the rotation?

The impact on the rotation aside, as a Phillies fan, I think you have to be satisfied with this deal.  They managed to land an ace while still keeping every blue-chip prospect mentioned in the proposed Halladay deals.  By completing this deal, the Phillies improved their chances of competing for a World Series this year and in 2010 without compromising the future of this club.