All the talk of the mystery team in the
Cliff Lee Sweepstakes has some believing there may not be one, but ESPN.com's Jayson Stark writes Monday that the
Philadelphia Phillies could be that secret suitor.
"So there I was," Stark wrote, "running through all the possibilities with one executive -- Angels, Nationals, White Sox, Cardinals, Cubs -- when the Phillies came up." The executive replied to Stark's idea, "to be honest, they're my No. 1 suspect."
Stark makes it clear that the thought has not been confirmed by the Phillies, nor by anyone familiar with the club's thinking, but Lee was open to an extension with the team last winter before being traded to Seattle, and despite having
Roy Halladay,
Cole Hamels and
Roy Oswalt in their rotation, there is always room for a pitcher like Lee.
The Phillies do have contracts falling off the books after 2011, which could aid in their attempts to pay Lee market value, including
Raul Ibanez, Oswalt and
Jimmy Rollins.
We have to wonder, however, if the Phillies don't look to move some of that payroll sooner than free agency will do the job. Ibanez may be tough to trade, however, since his bat is declining and his defense has been considered below-average for years.
