MLB Thread

[sbk92]

Braves Acquire Dan Uggla

The Braves landed one of baseball's most powerful second basemen today, acquiring Dan Uggla from the division rival Marlins for utility man Omar Infante and lefty reliever Mike Dunn.

Uggla, 31 in March, had another fine season in 2010 with a .287/.369/.508 line in 674 plate appearances. Uggla is one season away from free agency, and extension talks with the Marlins broke off after he rejected a four-year, $48MM offer. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports feels that the Braves will attempt to sign him long-term. Martin Prado will step in at third base as Chipper Jones recovers from knee surgery or log innings in left field if necessary, tweets Rosenthal. Uggla should be happy to remain at second base.

Infante, a super-utility type, hit .321/.359/.416 in 506 plate appearances for the Braves this year. He's under contract through 2011 at $2.5MM with another possible $1MM in plate appearance incentives. The loss may put the Braves in the market for a utility player, writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman. Dunn, 26 in May, is a hard-throwing left-handed reliever who came to Atlanta from the Yankees a year ago in the Javier Vazquez deal. Dunn racked up big-time strikeout and walk numbers this year between Triple-A and the Majors. The intra-division asking price for Uggla was expected to be large, but this is a disappointing return for the Marlins. They have succeeded in revamping their bullpen for the long-term, adding Ryan Webb, Edward Mujica, Dustin Richardson, and Dunn in recent trades.

The Cardinals, Blue Jays, Nationals, and Tigers were other reported suitors for Uggla.

ESPN's Jerry Crasnick broke news of the agreement on Twitter, and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Mark Bowman of MLB.com provided updates as the story developed.

 

[sbk92]

Great move by the Braves.

They may have won the division with that deal.

 

[sbk92]

Halladay unanimous NL Cy Young winner

Phillies ace, perfect-game artist fifth to win award in each league

By Todd Zolecki / MLB.com


PHILADELPHIA -- The focus remains on the immediate future, but Roy Halladay took another step toward baseball immortality Tuesday.

He learned on a golf course somewhere in Mexico -- his foursome included Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter, Phillies backup first baseman Mike Sweeney and Padres righty Chris Young -- he was the unanimous 2010 National League Cy Young Award winner. He is just the fifth pitcher in baseball history to win the award in both leagues, and just the 16th multiple winner.

The honor is well deserved. Halladay became just the 20th pitcher in baseball history to throw a perfect game, when he threw one May 29 against the Florida Marlins at Sun Life Stadium, and just the second pitcher in baseball history to throw a no-hitter in the postseason, when he threw one Oct. 6 against the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the NL Division Series at Citizens Bank Park.

Halladay has been considered one of the best pitchers in baseball -- if not the best -- for the past nine seasons.

Tuesday's honor moved him a little closer to the Hall of Fame.

"I think there are obviously things I would like to accomplish first," Halladay said during a conference call Tuesday, when asked about the Hall of Fame. "First and foremost, winning a World Series. I really just want to keep my focus on that at this point. I think my guess would be most players in the Hall of Fame didn't play to try to get into the Hall of Fame. They played to be good teammates and good competitors. Obviously, every player would hope to be there, love to be there, but my focus will always continue to be on trying to be the best teammate and hopefully getting a chance to win the big one."

Halladay remains committed to the ultimate team prize: a World Series ring.

But Tuesday was about his tremendous individual achievement.

Halladay, who won the 2003 American League Cy Young Award with the Toronto Blue Jays, went 21-10 with a 2.44 ERA in 33 starts. He led the league in wins, complete games (nine), shutouts (four) and innings pitched (250 2/3). He finished second in strikeouts (219) and walked just 30 batters.

Only six other pitchers have walked 30 or fewer batters in 250 or more innings in the modern era, and none has accomplished the feat since Grover Cleveland Alexander walked 30 in 305 innings in 1923 with the Chicago Cubs. The other pitchers include Cy Young (1904-06), Christy Mathewson (1913-14), Deacon Phillippe (1902-03), Addie Joss (1908) and Babe Adams (1919-20).

Alexander, Mathewson, Joss and Young are in the Hall of Fame.

The other four pitchers to win the Cy Young Award in both leagues? Gaylord Perry, Roger Clemens, Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez. Perry already is in the Hall of Fame. Johnson and Martinez are locks. Clemens would be a lock, except for the controversy surrounding his use of performance-enhancing substances.

The other 15 pitchers to win multiple Cy Young Awards? Sandy Koufax, Steve Carlton, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Jim Palmer and Perry are in the Hall of Fame. Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Martinez and Johnson are locks. Johan Santana and Tim Lincecum are building impressive resumes, and Clemens remains a question mark.

Only Denny McLain and Bret Saberhagen have not been enshrined in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Halladay is a late bloomer of sorts, but a few more solid seasons and he will make a strong case for enshrinement. (He only has 169 wins.) He already has. Baseball-Reference.com uses a Hall of Fame Monitor. A score of 100 or more typically translates to a Hall of Fame player.

Halladay already has a score of 108.

But Halladay hardly sounded content Tuesday. He said he already has started workouts to get his arm in shape for 2011. He said the intensity of those workouts will pick up in a couple weeks.

Halladay's legendary work ethic is a big reason why he leads Major League Baseball in wins (151) the past nine seasons.

"I think when you talk to [Halladay], you see that he's got a little bit of an edge about himself," Phillies pitching coach Rich Dubee said during the conference call. "He's got a lot of confidence in himself and the way he goes about his business from Day 1. You watch his workouts. This guy just doesn't sit still. There's always something he's trying to do to get better. That's the amazing thing. Cy Youngs in both leagues, and he's always trying to improve his game."

Halladay received 32 of 32 first-place votes to finish with 224 points. Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright finished second with 122 points, receiving 28 second-place votes. Rockies right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez finished third with 90 points, receiving four second-place votes.

Phillies teammate Roy Oswalt finished sixth. He received one third-place vote, three fourth-place votes and five fifth-place votes. Former Phillies pitcher Brett Myers finished 10th. He got one fourth-place vote.

Halladay joined Steve Carlton (1972, '77, '80 and '82), John Denny (1983) and Steve Bedrosian (1987) as the only Phillies pitchers to win a Cy Young Award. If he remains healthy, it is not a stretch to think he could win a couple more.

But for the moment, Halladay wants to savor his first year in Philadelphia.

"The whole season was a dream come true for me," said Halladay, who waived his no-trade clause in December to join the Phillies. "To be able to finish it this way is just a tremendous thrill. Being able to play in a great city, having great teammates and having success and highlights during the season, it just made it all so memorable for me. It's by far the most fun I've ever had playing this game. It was tremendous from Day 1 to the very end. We had our ups and downs, but I couldn't have done it with a better group of guys in a better city. I'm looking forward to trying to improve upon it next year."

Todd Zolecki is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

 

[CAP-MAN]

Great move by the Braves.

They may have won the division with that deal.

Florida can never keep a player there hopefully their new stadium in 2012 can get that team buzzing and stop tading thier studs every offseason they traded maybin 2 but ur a phillies fan so u most like when the marlins do this

 

[sbk92]

Florida can never keep a player there hopefully their new stadium in 2012 can get that team buzzing and stop tading thier studs every offseason they traded maybin 2 but ur a phillies fan so u most like when the marlins do this

Well I certainly don't want our division rivals to keep their talent.

But I'd sign off tomorrow on a real hard salary cap for baseball. One with a ceiling and a floor. Share the revenue and prevent a team like the f'n Yankees from making a joke of the sport every year.

That would hit my team some too. And it should. They shouldn't be spending 140 million while others spend 50.

 

[Cr122]

:smug

 

[Cr122]

Updated: November 23, 2010, 6:52 PM ET
Yankees to Derek Jeter: Test the market

By Wallace Matthews
ESPNNewYork.com
Archive

Arbitration Not In Cards For Jeter
ESPNNewYork.com's Wallace Matthews explains the impasse between the Yankees and SS Derek Jeter.


New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that the Yankees have made a "fair and appropriate" contract offer to Derek Jeter and suggested that if the 36-year-old shortstop thinks otherwise, he should shop himself around to find out.

"We understand his contributions to the franchise and our offer has taken them into account," Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com. "We've encouraged him to test the market and see if there's something he would prefer other than this. If he can, fine. That's the way it works."

Cashman was clearly stung by the recent statement of Jeter's agent, Casey Close, who was quoted in Sunday's New York Daily News as saying he was "baffled" by the team's negotiating strategy.

"I was certainly surprised," Cashman said in regards to Close's use of the word baffled. "There's nothing baffling about our position. We have actually gone directly face to face with Casey and Derek and been very honest and direct. They know exactly where we sit."


Olney: Yanks Drive Talks

The Yankees' belief is that their current three-year, $45 million offer is fair, and that by offering arbitration to Jeter, they essentially would bail him out after a down year. Jeter might make between $22 million and $23 million through arbitration. The Yankees feel that in the past, Jeter has fairly negotiated from his standing in the marketplace -- when he went to arbitration in 1999, when he negotiated a 10-year, $189 million deal in 2001. And now the Yankees feel these talks should reflect Jeter's place in the market; they also believe that no other team would be willing to pay him what they have offered.

Here's one big factor working against Jeter in this negotiation: While the Yankees want him and are offering him above what his market value is, they operate in the knowledge that if Jeter doesn't re-sign -- if he actually walks away -- then his departure would not be a mortal blow to their pennant hopes in 2011. If Jeter walked away in 2001, that would have been different; he was an exceptional player then.

Now he is a good player, but far from irreplaceable.


Cashman would not provide specifics of the team's offer but sources have confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com that it is a three-year contract at $15 million per season. Nor would Cashman discuss the demands being made by Jeter other than to say, "You can write that they have asked for more. More years and more money."

Cashman said there are no further meetings scheduled between the two sides, although he did speak to Close on Monday night to inform him the Yankees would not be offering Jeter arbitration.

If the Yankees had offered arbitration, the shortstop could have accepted a one-year salary set by an arbitrator or signed elsewhere. If he walked, the Yankees would have received two draft picks. But by offering the Yanks risked a hearing based on Jeter's 2010 salary of $21 million, considerably more than they are willing to pay him for 2011.

Reached by e-mail Tuesday, Close declined comment to ESPNNewYork.com.

Two weeks ago, owner Hal Steinbrenner acknowledged that the talks to retain Jeter, who is coming off a 10-year, $189 million contract as well as the worst offensive season of his career, "might get messy."

It appears that point has been reached. Although Cashman repeated the Yankees oft-stated position that they want Jeter back and intend to sign him to a new multiyear deal, the GM acknowledged that "defining 'fair' is a real issue here."

The reluctance of the Yankees to offer Jeter more than three years reflects the team's concerns with his performance both at bat and in the field this past season. Jeter's batting average fell to .270 and his on-base percentage to .340, both the lowest since he became an everyday player in 1996.

"We've made an offer and we hope they strongly consider it," Cashman said. "[But] there are things we have concerns with -- his recent performance over the last few years, and his age. And that has to be factored into this negotiation."

Close did not respond to requests for comment but sources told ESPNNewYork.com last week that Jeter is seeking a minimum of four more years and perhaps as much as six more, at approximately $20 million per season.

"We believe that Derek Jeter is the best person to play shortstop for this franchise moving forward," Cashman said. "Do we want to lose Derek Jeter? No. Do we want to treat Derek Jeter fair? Absolutely. Do we want to be treated fair at the same time? No question about it.''

"We're going to do everything we possibly can to put the best winning team on the field," Cashman added. "We feel Derek Jeter gives us the best chance to win. But we're not dealing with Derek alone. We're dealing with our closer, we're trying to add to our club, and if putting all out eggs into one basket takes away from our ability to add to our club, I ain't gonna do it."

Asked if there was any chance the negotiation could fall apart and Jeter could somehow wind up in a different uniform next year, Cashman said, "Not from us. We would like Derek Jeter to be a Yankee and we're making our best efforts to keep that in play. But it takes two."

Cashman said the nature and tenor of the negotiation was no different from any other aside from the name of the player involved.

"I think every negotiation is different and every negotiation is difficult," he said. "Every negotiation you have to have hard conversations and some of the negotiations conclude in a successful marriage. Others don't. That's the way it works."

Wallace Matthews covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com.

 

[Cr122]

Updated: November 24, 2010, 8:37 AM ET
Cliff Lee offered arbitration

By Tim MacMahon
ESPNDallas.com
Archive
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Texas Rangers offered salary arbitration to Cliff Lee, meaning the American League champions will be compensated with two high draft picks if the prized left-handed pitcher signs with another team in free agency.

Texas also offered arbitration to reliever Frankie Francisco, another Type A free agent, and anticipate that he will accept and return to the Rangers next season. The Rangers declined to offer arbitration to catcher Bengie Molina and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero, although it is possible that both veterans could be back with Texas.

The Rangers' top offseason priority is trying to re-sign Lee, who arrived in a midseason trade and won three postseason games to help a franchise that previously hadn't won a playoff series advance to the World Series.

Several teams have expressed interest in the 32-year-old former Cy Young Award winner, and the New York Yankees are expected to be the Rangers' toughest competition for Lee's services.

General manager Jon Daniels, who traveled to Arkansas last week along with Rangers managing general partner Chuck Greenberg and club president Nolan Ryan to meet with Lee, declined to speculate on the Rangers' chances of keeping the ace.


More on the Rangers

Richard Durrett and the rest of the ESPNDallas.com team have the inside scoop on the Rangers, the American League and Major League Baseball. Blog

"Couldn't tell you, honestly," Daniels said. "We're pretty clear that we'd love to have him back. He's in a great spot. He has options. I'm sure this will play out here over the next ... whatever period of time."

Daniels did express confidence that Francisco, a hard-throwing setup man who missed the final month of the regular season and the entire postseason with a strained lat muscle, would remain with the Rangers. Daniels said Francisco's representatives indicated that he is leaning toward accepting the arbitration offer by the Nov. 30 deadline.

Francisco, 31, opened last season as Texas' closer but struggled in that role and was replaced by Neftali Feliz, who was named the American League's Rookie of the Year. However, Francisco was effective in the eighth-inning role, which became an issue when he was injured. If he does not accept the Rangers' offer, finding another setup man will become a priority.

"It takes the pressure off having to go out there and find a guy," said Daniels, who expects Francisco to be completely healthy by spring training. "At the end of the day, when you get a guy on a one-year contract, he's motivated to go out and perform both for the team and himself. It's usually a good situation for the club."

The Rangers declined the $9 million mutual option on Guerrero's contract but are attempting to re-sign the 35-year-old, who hit .300 with 29 home runs and 115 RBIs while providing lineup protection for AL MVP Josh Hamilton as the cleanup hitter.

Daniels said the Rangers have had several conversations with Guerrero's representatives since the end of the season.

"We'd like to have him back," Daniels said. "We just figured that maybe the best way to continue the discussions is without external pressures of the arbitration offer and how that might affect the market and the artificial timelines."

Molina, 36, said during and immediately after the World Series that he was leaning toward retirement. However, Daniels said the Rangers have been informed that Molina would like to continue playing.

Molina, who struggled after the Rangers acquired him in a midseason trade from the San Francisco Giants, had a strong postseason and is one of several options being considered at catcher.

"I think we have a little bit of a clean slate and open book as far as our catching situation," Daniels said. "There are a lot of different ways we can go with it. We're still working through that."

Tim MacMahon is a reporter and columnist for ESPN Dallas. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag.

 

[Cr122]

Updated: December 2, 2010, 3:24 PM ET
Source: Yanks open to improving offer
EmailPrintComments

By Jayson Stark
ESPN.com

The New York Yankees informed Derek Jeter's agent, Casey Close, on Thursday that the team was willing to improve its original three-year, $45-million offer, according to a baseball official who was told of the exchange.

It wasn't known if the Yankees made a new offer, because the official offered no further details. However, there have been several reports in recent days that the team was open to slightly increasing the number of dollars in its offer, though not necessarily guaranteeing more than three years.

Thursday's conversation represented the first conversation between the two sides since their face-to-face meeting Tuesday in Tampa.

Senior writer Jayson Stark covers Major League Baseball for ESPN.com.

 

[Cr122]

Lee's agent: 'I've never said CC [deal] is the goal'
December, 2, 2010
DEC 2
3:01
PM ET

By Andrew Marchand
With the Yankees considered the favorites by many to land Cliff Lee, his agent is in the midst of setting up some final meetings before taking center stage at the Winter Meetings next Monday in Orlando, Fla.

"We're comfortable about where we are now," agent Dareck Braunecker said Thursday. "You have a guy who is in high demand."

Lee is expected to command a salary of $20 million-plus per season. At 32, he might receive less years than the seven that Lee's good buddy and former Indians teammate CC Sabathia did. Sabathia's total is for $161 million. It is believed that Braunecker wants to start the negotiations there, but realistically probably can only go only get his client six years at most, maybe five.

"I've never said CC is the goal," Braunecker said when asked if he would match Sabathia's deal.

While Braunecker will take center stage on Monday, his client will be deer hunting. Lee will only make his way to Orlando if there is a news conference to announce his new deal.

This weekend, Lee will be busy as well, which makes scheduling follow-up meetings with teams a little tricky. Lee is being honored by the Arkansas Boys & Girls Club as their leader of the year. Braunecker declind to say if he is trying to put together another meeting with the Yankees.

If the Yankees are to meet with Lee again, GM Brian Cashman could leave after his rappelling rehearsal on Friday morning.

Cashman is scheduled to repel off a 22-story building on Friday morning, which will be seen on Fox News' "Fox & Friends." On Sunday, he will participate in the Heights and Lights Holiday program in Stamford, Conn. He will repel from the side of the same building in an elf suit.

Cashman could set up a meeting on either Friday afternoon or Saturday and still be able to jump off the building, wearing a safety harness.

There will be no net for either jump, but, just like with Lee, Cashman appears all in.

 

[Bob Sacamano]

20+ mil a year?? And you guys still watch baseball? That's freakin' ridiculous.

 

[sbk92]

Red Sox, Padres Agree On Adrian Gonzalez Trade

10:04pm: Heyman tweets that there is still work to be done as far as a contract extension for Gonzalez, and that it could take a day or two.

9:14pm: Hayes tweets that the package includes Kelly, Rizzo, and Reymond Fuentes. ESPN Boston's Gordon Edes says (via Twitter) that Theo Epstein flew from San Diego to Boston with Gonzalez, and MLB.com's Corey Brock says that Jed Hoyer implored his scouts to scour the lower level of the minors in 2010 (Twitter link). The second and third player in the deal are key.

 

[sbk92]

Nationals Sign Jayson Werth

Scott Boras landed Jayson Werth a nine-figure contract with a surprise suitor this afternoon. The Nationals signed the free agent outfielder to a seven-year, $126MM deal. In case any doubt remained, this deal shows that it's a good time to be a free agent. Werth turned three productive seasons into the third biggest deal a free agent outfielder has ever signed.

Manny Ramirez ($160MM, 2000) and Alfonso Soriano ($136MM, 2006) are the only outfielders to sign bigger deals than Werth's. Interestingly, Vernon Wells and Barry Zito both signed deals worth exactly as much as the one Boras just negotiated with the Nationals.

The Phillies offered Werth, a Type A free agent, arbitration, but will not receive the Nats' first-round pick as compensation because Washington's pick is protected. Philadelphia will instead receive the Nats' second-round pick and and a compensatory sandwich-round pick.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo appears to have a strong relationship with Boras. The two worked out deals for number one overall selections Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper in 2009 and 2010.

It was said earlier this week that the most serious suitors for the 31-year-old were the Phillies, Tigers, and Red Sox. Those three teams were all in on Werth up until the end, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. Ultimately, Boston offered just four years, tweets Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Things have not gone Boston's way this afternoon as the club was unable to reach agreement on a contract extension with Adrian Gonzalez just hours ago.

 

[Cr122]

Updated: December 7, 2010, 11:10 AM ET
Jim Tracy collapses at winter meetings

Associated Press
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Colorado Rockies manager Jim Tracy collapsed early Tuesday at a hotel during the baseball winter meetings and was hospitalized for further tests.



Tracy was resting comfortably at a hospital in the Orlando area on Tuesday morning, the team said. A cause of the collapse had not been determined.

Tracy, who turns 55 on Dec. 31, was with Colorado coaches Carney Lansford and Tom Runnells and about to get onto an elevator at the meetings site when he collapsed around 1 a.m., team spokesman Jay Alves said.

Alves, who said he was with Tracy at the time, said the manager didn't lose consciousness. Tracy was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Tracy had driven over to the meetings on Sunday night from his Florida home, Alves said.

Tracy was the NL Manager of the Year in 2009 after taking over the Rockies in midseason and guiding them to the playoffs.

Colorado went 83-79 this season and finished third in the NL West.

Tracy managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2001-2005 and Pittsburgh in 2006-07 before taking over the Rockies.

 

[Cr122]

Hmmm, Cliff Lee or Carl Crawford?

Maybe both. lol

I'd prefer the best pitcher in baseball though, and if the Yanks were to get both, I'd be happier but I doubt it.

Fire away, sbk.

 

[sbk92]

Okay, I will.

Take this....


Red Sox Agree To Sign Carl Crawford

The Red Sox started the Winter Meetings with a splash and they won't leave before making another blockbuster addition. Boston has agreed to a seven-year, $142MM deal with Carl Crawford, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (on Twitter). Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports confirms the agreement (on Twitter).

Not only will the move give Boston a tremendous everyday lineup, it will put pressure on a number of the team's rivals. The Rays will face their former outfielder 18 times per season; the Angels lose out on their top offseason target and the Yankees are left with no major free agent to pursue if Cliff Lee ignores their overtures.

 

[Cr122]

lol The Boston Yankees strike another one.

Hey, if you can't beat'em, join'em.

 

[Cr122]

I'll put my own tweet out there, the Yankees will sign Cliff Lee within the next couple of days.

The best pitcher in baseball will want to wear the pinstripes, and play for a true champion.

Check out this rotation....

Cliff Lee
C.C. Sabathia
Phil Hughes
A.J. Burnett
Andy Pettitte

CHAMPIONSHIP!

 

[Cr122]

Updated: December 13, 2010, 9:19 AM ET
Rangers remain patient over Cliff Lee

By Richard Durrett
ESPNDallas.com
Archive
All Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan can do is sit and wait for Cliff Lee to make a decision.

"I have no insight into when he'll do that," Ryan said on Sunday afternoon. "I don't have a feel for it one way or the other. We'll just have to see."


More on the Rangers

Richard Durrett and the rest of the ESPNDallas.com team have the inside scoop on the Rangers, the American League and Major League Baseball. Blog

Ryan said Lee has a lot to sort through and expected that it would take the free-agent left-handed pitcher some time. And Ryan, who made two of the three trips the Rangers made to Little Rock, Ark., to try to woo Lee, is trying not to worry about it.

"If it's meant to be, it's meant to be," Ryan said. "If he doesn't come, we'll keep working to improve our team headed into spring training next year."

What Ryan wondered was what, if anything, the New York Yankees might try to do in response to the Rangers' meeting Thursday night. Then, managing general partner and CEO Chuck Greenberg, assistant general manager Thad Levine and co-chairman of the board Ray Davis presented Lee with what Greenberg called a "menu" of offers.

Greenberg said they represented a "substantial additional commitment for both years and dollars."

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told The New York Post on Sunday that he has not increased any of his offers for Lee. One of the offers, according to the report, is believed to be seven years for around $160 million.

"I think it's good that we haven't heard anything about New York sweetening the pot," Ryan said. "I was wondering if they would do that."

Ryan said six years is past his "comfort zone."

"When they [the Yankees] went to seven years, that surprised me," Ryan said. "But you don't know the details of that offer. All you'd be doing is speculating."

Ryan said that he does believe the 32-year-old Lee has certain factors that give him an opportunity to have solid production during the life of a six- or seven-year contract.

"I think he has a better shot at it than most," Ryan said. "I don't know if he can pitch like he did this year for all of those years, but his body style, work ethics and the way he throws the ball seem to lend itself to longevity. He doesn't throw a real hard slider that might put undue stress on his elbow, he's mechanically sound and he uses the fastball to a high degree. I think all of that is favorable."

So the Rangers continue to wait like the rest of the baseball world for Lee to weigh all of his options and choose the one he feels is best for his career and family.

"They'll let us know," Ryan said.

Richard Durrett covers the Rangers for ESPNDallas.com. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his mailbag.

 

[Cr122]

I'm starting to believe he stays in Texas. Oh well.