Philadelphia Phillies: Cliff Lee Signs, Hasn't Won World Series Yet This Year
Cliff Lee agreed with the Philadelphia Phillies Monday night, leaving many people across the country to wake up to a piece of surprising news. Since when did the Yankees not get who they wanted? And when were the Phillies ever in the conversation?
The contract is said to be a five-year deal worth $120 million, $30 million less than he could have gotten from the Yankees. In all likelihood, Lee wanted to go back to a place where he felt like he'd be at home again.
He wanted to rekindle the magic of his 2009 World Series run.
Lots of people are going to jump to hasty conclusions and claim that Lee makes the Phillies immediate World Series favorites this year and that it won't even be close.
While Lee gives the Phillies an incredible rotation, don't be so quick to anoint them champions without even playing a game.
This Could Be The Best Rotation Ever
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Before we get into the reasons why the Phillies shouldn't be crowned quite yet, it is worth mentioning that this is now a historically great pitching rotation.
Everyone talked about how great H2O was last year, but now there's a new addition and the Phillies have four players who could be considered aces for many teams around the major leagues.
Roy Halladay is coming off a season which saw him win the Cy Young, thanks to his nine complete games, 21 wins, and 2.44 ERA.
Cole Hamels, the second H, pitched quite well last year also. The southpaw won 12 games while posting a 3.06 ERA.
Roy Oswalt came over to the Phillies in a midseason trade with the Houston Astros. In Philadelphia he started 12 games, winning seven with a 1.74 ERA.
Now we can add Cliff Lee. Last season he spent time in Seattle and Texas, winning a combined 12 games with a 3.18 ERA.
Expectations Could Be Too High
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In the coming weeks and months, huge expectations are going to be placed upon this Philadelphia team.
Any time the words "historically great" are mentioned in the same breath as your team name, a letdown could be possible.
People are going to expect the Phillies to win over 100 games and to look dominant in the process. That's not really an easy task.
Sure, they could be up for it, but just take the Miami Heat for example. Lofty expectations were placed on the new-look Miami Heat and when they didn't exactly live up to them, it was as though the sky came crashing down.
It's easier for the media to talk about losing streaks than winning streaks when it comes to great teams.
There is bound to be a stretch where the Phillies lose a few games in a row and the pressure is going to feel quite heavy then.
Jayson Werth
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In another big free agent splash this offseason, Jayson Werth signed a monstrous deal with the Washington Nationals. Werth accepted his $126 million and is taking his talents to the nation's capitol.
In leaving Philadelphia, he leaves the Phillies without any right-handed power hitting. Werth was previously pretty much the team's only source of it.
Moreover, Werth was one of Cliff Lee's good friends, a comfort blanket of sorts.
The loss of Werth could make Lee feel like returning to the Phillies wasn't quite worth it.
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Chase Utley
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Chase Utley, the All Star second baseman for the Phillies, is another piece of the puzzle that makes this team so great.
However, the 31-year-old is not only creeping up there in age, but he's also been on the decline for the last few years now.
Utley missed significant time due to injuries last year, playing in only 115 games. That was his lowest total since 2004.
When he did play, Utley saw his stats fall for the third straight year.
Utley's OPS dropped to .832, down from .905 in 2009, .915 in 2008 and .976 in 2007. His home runs and RBI also fell from the previous year's totals.
The second baseman is still an excellent player, but he may not be quite as excellent as he once was.
Jimmy Rollins
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Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies 32-year-old shortstop, is another long-time Philadelphia player.
Just like Utley, he's been considered a great player for quite some time, but thanks to a combination of injury and old age, his skills seem to be on the decline.
Rollins hit just .243 at the plate last year, the third straight season which has seen his average drop. Similarly, his OPS fell to .694, the third straight sizable decline.
The power numbers fell drastically last year as well.
Similar to Utley, Rollins remains a great baseball player, but he isn't quite as good as he used to be.
Closing Window
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There may in fact be even more expectations this year because the window to win the World Series is closing fast.
Roy Oswalt, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Brad Lidge and Ryan Madsen all have deals with the team that could potentially expire at the end of this year.
Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Shane Victorino also may not be with the team for too much longer.
It seems as though it may be now or never for the Phillies, and by never I mean not for a little while at least.
Summary
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Cliff Lee signing with the Phillies is absolutely huge news and his addition should immediately vault Philadelphia into the list of World Series contenders.
It should not however immediately make them the clear favorites to win it all by a long shot.
Injuries can always derail a season but it's foolish to rely on them as evidence for a team's demise. Aging players and high expectations are not silly reasons.
There is no doubt that Philadelphia is a great team, but let's temper the expectations a bit .
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