With the Philadelphia Phillies having seen better days with a 28-30 record, trade buzz continues to surround Phillies ace Cliff Lee, who could be targeted by contenders before the midseason trade deadline.
Lee, who helped the Texas Rangers get to the World Series in 2010, makes an attractive target to contending teams looking for an edge in the pennant race down the stretch as a player with postseason success and an versatile repertoire in his pitching arsenal.
However, Lee, who has been traded three times prior to the July 31 deadline in his career, is not letting himself get phased by the rumors that he could be moving elsewhere.
"Yeah, pretty much," Lee told FoxSports.com. "Nothing I can do about it, so I'm not going to get too caught up in it."
However, while many teams would likely love to have Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner, on their roster, acquiring him won't be easy. Lee has a no-trade clause in the five-year, $120 million contract he has with the Phillies, which means that Lee can block trades to 20 teams, including the Yankees, Red Sox, Rangers, and Orioles.
Lee, 34, is pitching very well for the Phillies in 2013, throwing for a 7-2 win-loss record with a 2.45 ERA and 74 strikeouts over 88.1 innings. However, his pricy contract could be an issue as for why the Phillies want to trade him and why teams without deep pockets might be hard-pressed to acquire him. Lee has two guaranteed years left on his deal for $25 million apiece, with a $27.5 million team option for the 2016 season, according to Sporting News.com.
When Lee signed with the Phillies, who reached the World Series in 2009, he was expected to fill out a dominant rotation that included Roy Halliday and Roy Oswalt. However, since that time, the Phillies have struggled, and even posted an 81-81 record last season.
Coupled with the fact that big name players such as Halladay, Chase Utley and Michael Young are in the final year of their contracts, and the Phillies are being looked at as potential sellers leading up to next month's trading deadline.
"There's a lot of season left, but we definitely have to figure out a way to be more consistent across the board," Lee said. "The Braves aren't slowing down. The Nationals have struggled as well, but with the talent they've got you can't expect them to continue to play the way they have."
Still, the pitching ace is more focused on the season at hand.
"I can't sit here and come up with the what-ifs," Lee added. "If (a trade scenario) presents itself, I'll have to look at the situation and figure it out. Right now, I'm a Phillie and I want to do everything I can to help this team win."
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