ghost of miles

The CTI COOL REVOLUTION set, just purchased in downtown Bloomington at Landlocked Music.

Everybody over at Lone Star Ball just went nuts over Chuck Greenberg's 8 p.m. CT conference call, which turned out to simply be, "We made an offer to Lee and he's weighing his options." In the meantime, Twitter updates from Tripping Olney! (As in ESPN's Buster Olney--I love some of these fake/parody Twitter accounts): Heard this: Cliff Lee is signing with the Jimi Hendrix Experience EDIT: just read through the past 48 hours of TrippingOlney's tweets...

Feeling like 1965? Not quite that, and I don't think it will ever be that bad again. But without Lee or Greinke (and again, without Lee, it's also more likely that we're without Pettitte in 2011), we may be in for a several-year-long "rebuilding" stretch while the Core 4 retires and the A-Rod/Jeter contracts run out. So be it, if so. It'll still be a pleasure to watch these guys play their final years (and I really do hope we get a chance to say goodbye to Pettitte over the course of a season... really, in terms of length of career and success, the greatest Yankee pitcher of the Steinbrenner era). And the 2009 championship run was beautiful, one I'll be savoring for years. Who's to say, it's baseball and certainly the Yankees are almost always in the running, in one way or another... but the sport is bigger than your favorite team, and if we fall into a playoff-less groove for a few years, well, ain't nothin' even Yankee fans haven't gone through before (so sayeth fan veteran of the 1982-94 years, which still pale in comparison to what fans of other teams have endured). I feel lucky to have seen the championship years that I have.

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Many, many thanks, all! Got some wonderful presents today: Clarke-Boland Big Band, COMPLETE LIVE AT RONNIE SCOTT'S The Johnny Staccato DVD set Will Friedwald's new biographical encyclopedia of singers ...and a book about Steve Allen called INVENTING LATE NIGHT. Much appreciation for the b-day greetings from Organissimo buds.

Tweets via Michael Kay and Buster Olney that the Yankees think they have lost or are "conceding" Lee to the Rangers. As somebody remarked over at Lone Star Ball, if he turned down a 7-yr/$160 million contract to stay in Texas, he'll be a demigod there (and a well-paid one, I'm sure). Which will leave this offseason looking like a total bust for the Yankees at this point--esp. since the buzz is that Andy's more likely to come back if they do sign Lee. I wish Cashman had made another trip to Arkansas, but if Lee really wanted at heart to stay in Texas, there's not much more NY could have done in the way of offering him years and money. Anyway, without Lee, I think the best NY can hope for is AL East wildcard, barring another not-gonna-happen season of catastrophic injuries to the Bosox. EDIT: I think Lee's agent did a brilliant job, btw, of leveraging the Yankees' bucks to get Lee a better deal from Texas than Nolan Ryan was initially willing to give. If the 6 yrs/$135 million number that's being bandied about on Lone Star Ball is accurate, that's 1-2 more years and $25 million more than Ryan wanted to spend, and more than enough to make Cliff Lee a very, very wealthy man, esp. with the lack of state income tax and all that.

I'm reading some reports that $144 million was the figure we actually offered to Lee. I still think Texas makes a big run for it--Nolan Ryan will get off his old-school high-horse and agree to six years. The question is how much money they're willing to throw at Lee. I think part of Ryan's game is trying to force Lee into a corner with some sort of "good ol' boy man-of-his-word" tact, in that he wants Lee to now come to him with terms--which, if he agrees to them, Lee will then have to accept, man-of-honor and all that. (That's why I think Lee should come back with terms that at least equal the Yankees' and perhaps even surpass what they offered.) I don't know, I could be reading it all wrong, but that's my take on it right now. And if I'm Lee's agent, I think I'm back on the phone to the Nats and whoever else expressed strong/serious interest at the winter meetings. As one of the news write-ups said, if Lee's approach the entire time was simply to get the best contract he could from Texas, then maybe Ryan's ploy will work. Otherwise it's pretty much an invitation to simply walk away and say, "Get back to us when you're ready to make an offer."

The more I think about Ryan and the Rangers' "you tell us what it takes" parry, the more I think it's throwing the dice completely on Cliff Lee really, really wanting to come back next year as a Ranger. And I do believe that Lee wants to--but I'm not so sure it overwhelmingly trumps everything, including acquiescence in basically shutting down marketplace bidding for him. If I'm Lee, I'm thinking I tell Texas it will take a match or more than what the Yankees just offered him. But frankly, I don't think he should tell them anything, since they just essentially threw down the negotiating gauntlet like that. EDIT: some reaction over at Lone Star Ball:

Several commenters on Ranger & Yankee sites making jokes about Lee holding an hour-long ESPN press conference this weekend and announcing either (1) "I've decided to take my talents to North Arlington" or (2) "I've decided to take my talents to the South Bronx" ...and another scenario involving the teams' hats sitting on the table in front of Lee, and Lee indicating his choice by picking up a hat (and executing several fake-out pick-up gestures before actually taking one). Jokes aside, now there's a bit of buzz that Ryan's query to Lee's agent is their counter-offer...that they're not making a formal one. Interesting strategy, if true. Update: Oops, there goes the Yankees' Plan B: Red Sox will sign Crawford to 7 yr/$142 million contract Dan, I know you weren't all that excited about the possibility of Boston's landing Crawford when it was discussed several days ago, but what do you think now? The Bosox' offense is becoming so potent that you may not need a bullpen.

Just from a personal standpoint, probably my CD copy of George Russell's STRATUSPHUNK, which I managed to get signed by all four Indianapolis members of the group--David Baker, David Young, Al Kiger, and Joe Hunt.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports saying that Lee will make a decision before the end of the weekend. I still bet that he signs with Texas, as long as they offer him six years and a sum within 10 million of the Yankees' offer. The guy was out hunting with Mitch Moreland and Tommy Hunter the other day... I think he's a good ol' boy at heart who wants to stay with the Rangers as long as they offer him something roughly close to what NY's offering. If Texas offers 6 yrs/130 million and NY then significantly ups their offer (to at least 150), then it's a whole 'nother ballgame. I do think Lee goes to NY if Texas doesn't come around on the 6-year angle.

Yes, that's the CW and I think it's probably right, with the possible plan B an attempt to deal Brett Gardner + prospects to the Royals for Greinke. But as Tyler Kepner points out: ...and he cost us what, $450,000 or something? Plus KC will want a LOT for Greinke...plus this is CW as well, but who's to say how well Greinke will perform in NYC? Lee's five years older, and that's certainly significant, but I have no doubts about his ability to handle NY pressure. Greinke is a huge question mark in that regard.

It's getting better.

Lennon OTOH hated jazz, didn't he? Nice catch re: Ringo, Dave.

So the rumored 6 yrs/$140 million Yankees offer-in-the-works to Lee that circulated awhile back turns out to be exactly what they offered him at the winter meetings. Lee's agent has left said meetings, btw. And I just read this in a Lone Star Ball comment thread--not sure if the source is Twitter or not (evidently not, as I just checked Dolgin's Twitter feed), but here goes: Hold on to your ten-gallon hats, podners! I think we got ourselves a good ol' Western-style shootout on the way... My guess, btw, is that NY will be willing to up the offer to 6 yrs/150 million but nothing over that. I'd say if Texas simply matches today's NY offer that Lee will remain a Ranger, esp. given the state income tax factor. Jon Heyman tweet re: expected starting point for Carl Crawford's contract: "somewhere north of Werth." Which isn't to say that I don't think Crawford's worth more than Werth (so to speak)--I think he is. But are we talking at least 8 yrs/135-140 million for a team to land him?

Ordered the Ellington and Threadgill today--Scott said they're still shooting for the Friday 12/10 shipping date on Duke.

So who's allegedly (key word for all Twitter/rumor talk) offering Cliff Lee 7 years? Supposedly not the Yankees, and almost certainly not the Rangers...the Nats?

It really is too much sometimes. You might want to get a neck brace for the next week or 2 so you don't get whiplash. No kidding! Especially since there's now a story out quoting Cashman as saying that Andy told him after the postseason ended that he was leaning towards retirement. If Andy doesn't come back, it's all the more imperative that they land Lee, and I still don't think that's going to happen... I think Lee & his agent are playing the Yankees for as much leverage as they can with Texas. Still, it's nice to dream about a C.C./Lee/Pettitte/Hughes/Burnett rotation for 2011... but I think two fifths of that scenario are not likely to be there. In which case Ivan Nova will be put to the test immediately, and somebody else like Andrew Brackman or Manny Banuelos will have to ramp up quickly for a shot at some MLB starting time. I do not want to see us trade the farm for Zach Greinke, who I think would be seriously vulnerable in the hot lights of NYC.

This tweet, fwiw: If that's true, then I think it may be time to go ahead and settle in for a few years of rebuilding, Cliff Lee or no. I'd love to see the Core 4 make one last run at a championship, but even if Lee's added to the rotation next year (which, again, I doubt will happen--I still think he goes to Texas), that leaves us with big question marks after CC and Lee. (Phil Hughes, despite his impressive W-L record in 2010, remains a question mark for me). If it's a no-Lee and no-Pettitte situation, then NY's really in big trouble. One more year of Pettitte would've given us time to develop some more of the pitching prospects in the pipeline, but maybe we're about to lose another pitching heart to a Texas home. C'est la vie if so--I'm still going to enjoy watching Jeter, Mo and Posada play their final days (but was really hoping we'd get one last chance to see Pettitte, who pitched so well this year when he was healthy). It's been an incredible run, and although I can't see NY slipping back into the kind of mediocrity they wallowed in throughout the 1980s and early 90s, I do think they may be nearing the end of their automatic-playoff-trip era, millions or no millions. UPDATE: maybe he is coming back after all. Ahhh, the Age of Twitter! It's thrown the rumor cycle into hyperaccelerated overdrive.

Jon Heyman tweet from this morning: Um...OK, not sure I buy the "Yankees-will-get-what-they-want" line, esp. since Lee does seem to be saying to the Rangers, "Just give me a six-year offer I can't turn down." But assuming Heyman's source/theory is right, we're looking at NY probably offering a ridiculous contract (6 yrs/150 million or more? Hell, 7 years, if they're that determined to get him?) in order to sign a 32-year-old pitcher who actually wanted to play somewhere else but just couldn't say no to a bigger pile of cash. I don't really see that working out well for NY. Although I'm glad we didn't give up Jesus Montero to get Lee this past summer, I think at the time he was thoroughly jazzed about going to the Yankees, and then he discovered that he liked Texas a great deal. After his half-season with the Rangers, I have to wonder if Lee will feel as if he's selling his soul to go pitch for the Yankees. I do not think he would have felt that way if he'd arrived in NY in July 2010.

Interesting update on the Cliff Lee situation: Tim Brown reporting that Lee has said a six-year offer from Texas brings him back. I don't think there's any question that the Yankees will offer him six; the question is whether or not Texas will extend past their reported five-year limit. My guess is they'll come up with some way to do that... and it would confirm my feeling all along that Mr. Lee is going to stay with the Rangers. If that's the case, the Yankees better hope that (1) Andy Pettitte definitely comes back (2) Ivan Nova blossoms quickly into a reliable/good starter (3) Phil Hughes learns how to get batters with two strikes out (4) AJ Burnett reverts to .500 form . Frankly, that's an awful lot of hoping. AL East is Boston's for the taking IMO, Dan.

Yes, that chart makes Fenway look pretty Little League itself for Mr. Gonzalez.

Several hours ago there were reports that the limo driver for Gonzalez was tweeting that he had taken AG back to the hotel, not to the airport, which helped fuel speculation that negotiations were still going on. And your supposition about the luxury tax is in line with the reports I was coming across right after the news broke.

MLB Trade Rumors says Gonzalez is going to Boston after all. Red Sox say they have the parameters of an extension, but no extension at this time will be done.