By Dave Holcomb
Many baseball columnists have been writing and discussing whether the Pirates should go after Phillies Ace Cliff Lee if he indeed goes on the market this month. Even with all the cons, analysts are arguing for Pittsburgh to acquire Lee to help the team make a push towards the postseason.
As a long-time Pirates fan, however, I hope this trade never happens.
But Lee is one of the top pitcher’s in the National League. He is 10-3 this season with a 2.86 ERA. Lee has pitched over 200 innings the past two seasons, and the Pirates certainly could use some inning eaters with their bullpen leading the league in innings pitched.
Combine the Cy Young award winner with A.J. Burnett, Jeff Locke, Francisco Lirano, and Gerrit Cole along with spot starter Charlie Morton, you would be looking at the best rotation at least the National League. Plus, Burnett will be a free agent this winter, and Lee has two years remaining on his contract. If the Pirates could afford him, Lee could replace Burnett as the ace of the staff.
No. I still say no.
ESPN Insider Dan Szymborski suggests that Pittsburgh would have to give away SS Alen Hanson, Pitcher Luis Heredia and second baseman Dilson Herrera for Lee. Although those guys may be no names, last year the Pirates thought about acquiring Justin Upton in a trade package that would have included giving up Starling Marte.
Sure, Upton would have made the Pirates better last season, but they still wouldn’t have made the playoffs, and Upton still would have signed with the Braves. Meanwhile Marte is having a great season hitting .292, 59 runs scored, and 28 stolen bases.
But trading away prospects and/or keeping an expensive Lee is not the biggest reason to keep him off the Buccos.
Since 2009, Cliff Lee has switched teams five times. Cleveland traded him for obvious reasons; they couldn’t afford him. The Indians traded him to Philadelphia where he dominated in the postseason winning the only two games the Phillies won in the World Series.
Then, he left and signed with Seattle who immediately traded him to Texas. Again, he had a stellar postseason, but refused to pitch on short days rest, and in the offseason, signed back with Philadelphia. Who, by the way, no longer wants him, even though he has two years remaining on his deal.
Yes, Lee is one of the best pitchers in the game, but why can’t he stay with one team, or even two or three teams. This is a red flag to me.
This sounds nothing like a franchise ace. He appears to have no loyalty to any franchise, and he puts himself before the team by refusing to pitch on short rest. And despite the fact he has pitch fantastically in the playoffs, his team has never won a World Series.
Pittsburgh has made strides the past two seasons because of selfless players like A.J. Burnett and Cather Russell Martin. Not only has Burnett been the ace of the staff, he has taken young guys like Jeff Locke and Gerrit Cole under his wing.
The Pirates have had so many talented pitchers over the last 20 years. Bucs fans will remember Kris Benson, Kip Wells, Zach Duke and Oliver Perez to name a few. They all pitched very well at some point in their brief careers, but could not sustain it because they never learned how to make adjustments and pitch at a big league level.
Who can blame them? They didn’t have a teacher.
Burnett is that teacher along with Martin who is the first real “pitcher’s catcher” the Pirates have had in 20 years. Most years their catchers have been trying to learn how to handle opponents’ at-bats along with the pitchers. That’s not the case anymore with Martin at the dish. Locke and Cole have a much greater chance at career success because of their teammates Burnett and Martin.
Will Lee continue these lessons next season? I doubt it.
Burnett would pitch on short days rest. He did it on his way to winning a World Series with the Yankees in 2009. The entire postseason, the Yankees went with a three-man rotation. Lee wouldn’t have done that.
Pirate fans have to understand that when a ball club is winning, the time is always now. The Washington Nationals are learning that the hard way. But for a city and club who have lost repeated for 20 years, to throw it all away on a pitcher who won’t pitch on short days rest, doesn’t seem to care about the rest of the rotation, costs about a third of the team’s pay roll, will more than likely leave once his contract is done, and in the process of acquiring him, trade away three prospects.
I think I’ll pass.
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