Rangers contemplate life without Cliff Lee
The odds of left-handed starting pitcher Cliff Lee re-signing with the American League reigning champion Texas Rangers may be slim, as he will be looking to receive as much money as he possibly can. Let us remember, the Rangers were an organization
that was bankrupt until the new partnership, headed by Nolan Ryan, came in to make sure that baseball would still be played in Arlington.
Also, the Rangers will need to re-sign plenty of their stars in the coming years. Lefty C.J. Wilson will be a free agent at the end of 2011, Josh Hamilton in 2012, Nelson Cruz in 2013 and Elvis Andrus in 2014.
Lee has been the picture of consistency last season, with his 8-2 post-season record, but a modest 12-9 season record. He has only one out of nine seasons when he absolutely dominated, and that was in 2008 when he went 22-3 with a 2.54 earned run average (ERA).
Is he really worth all that money that will be thrown his way? For many teams the answer is yes because of his post-season prowess, but first thing is first, the team has to make the play-offs, and Lee can’t pitch every game.
The Rangers also have to fill voids at the designated hitter (DH) position as they just declined to pick up the $9 million option on heavy hitter Vladimir Guerrero. However, Guerrero has expressed plenty of interest in staying with the Rangers, and he wants
a long-term deal. He has been in the league since 1996 and may not have very many years left, so inking him to an expensive long-term deal to finish out his career might not be in Daniels’ cards either.
It is important to be smart at this stage in the game, and contemplate all of the possible manoeuvres that could be made. At the catcher's spot, they will need someone to fill in for Bengie Molina who is also an elder statesman as he has been in Major League
Baseball since 1998. Look for the Rangers to go after Boston Red Sox Victor Martinez as a possible replacement. It will not cost them as much, and Martinez is a lifetime .300 hitter.
The money that they could potentially sink into Cliff Lee could go to many other places to make this team competitive for many years to come. They should certainly re-sign C.J. Wilson, who just turned 30 on 18 November and is up for free agency in 2011, especially
with his potential that he showcased for the American League all season long.
At 29 years old, Josh Hamilton could be used as trade bait to receive either high draft picks or another young outfielder. His speed lacks but his power is excellent, so Daniels may have to consider who else he can get in his place before making a decision
on Hamilton’s future.
Outfielder Nelson Cruz is in the same boat as Hamilton, but his speed is a lot better. Depending on what happens with Hamilton, it will determine which route the Rangers will go with Cruz.
At 22 years old, shortstop Elvis Andrus will need to get re-signed by the ball club before his contract is up. It is imperative that they do not let him get away, and if they decide to sink a lot of money in a long term deal to Lee, they may not have the cap
space to keep him in Arlington.
"Our goal is to put together a club that can win," Daniels said according to mlb.com. "There is more than one way to do it. It is not about one certain player, although there are guys who we like and who we think can help us. We're exploring a lot of different
things."
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