Phillies Sign Cliff Lee, Declare War on Giants

(Note: I found out AFTER I wrote and thought this posting that Ray Ratto wrote something almost identical. So when you see his article, don't think ill of him. He didn't steal it from me.)

Last night, I was watching Monday Night Football with my wife and baby when the news flashed on the screen that the Yankees would not get Cliff Lee. Well, actually that last sentence isn't completely accurate. My wife was actually reading and looked up at the game only long enough to agree with me that Houston Texans coach Gary Kubiak looks exactly like he should be named Gary Kubiak.

My baby wasn't watching the game either. She was putting her toys on the ground in front of me, waiting for me to pick them up, laughing hysterically every time I did, and then repeating. My baby is easily more entertaining than a Brian Wilson interview.

Anyway, Jamie and I were thrilled to see the Yankees whiff on Lee. My wife, after all, is a Red Sox fan and while I am not a Red Sox fan, I am still human. But then something else popped up on the screen:
"Phillies are other team pursuing Lee, AP reports."

My first thought I kept to myself because we try not to swear in front of the baby (which is why I kept that pillow over my face during the playoffs). My second thought was similar, but more interesting: This move is designed to do one thing: Beat the Giants.

Think about it.

Two years ago, the Phillies won the world series with Cole Hamels as their best pitcher. The following year they picked up Lee at the deadline and lost to the Yankees in the series. That offseason, Philly made a huge and controversial move by trading for Roy Halladay but sending Lee to Seattle in the process. Why not keep both of them? There seem to be really only three explanations:
1) Philly believed they needed to replenish the farm system and wanted the prospects they got from the Mariners
2) Philly believed they couldn't afford to keep both pitchers
3) Philly didn't want to be TOO good and hurt the feelings of other National League teams.

Option 1 is believable and was the company line. The Phillies had to give up prospects to get Halladay. But make no mistake, the Phillies knew their window to win was now. They clearly believed they could win it all with Hamels and Halladay, so trading Lee was an act of arrogance if anything. When they sputtered in the first half due to injuries, they traded for Oswalt. Now surely they could win.

But in the end, their fate was sealed when they faced a team that simply pitched better than they did. Hard to believe given how good Philly's Big 3 was, but the Giants had better starters and a clearly superior bullpen. The Phillies, down 2-1 on the road and knowing they were going to face Lincecum, Sanchez, Cain in games 5-7, sent Joe Blanton to the mound in game 4. He didn't make it through the 5th.

The Phillies aren't worried about any other team in their division, not with Oswalt around for a full season. They aren't worried about the American League (even the suddenly scary Red Sox trot out a pretty average pitching staff). They are worried about four things only.

Him. Him. Him. And him. Probably not him.

(Ha, you thought that last one was going to be Zito, didn't you?)

The Phillies thought they were unbeatable, and found out that they only way they could be beaten was by lights-out pitching and some pixie dust. They watched Madison Bumgarner keep Texas from getting a baserunner to 2nd base in the World Series and saw that their window of opportunity to win was about to collide with the Giants' window. And they acted.

Do the Giants still have the better bullpen? Yes.
Do they still have better starting pitching? No.

So Giants fans, while this is really bad news, honestly, it's also a compliment. To say the Phillies broke the bank is an understatement. This is a team that will be paying Ryan Howard $25 million in 2016. They will have a payroll close to $170 million this year. Next year they will be paying Joe Blanton and Shane Victorino a combined $20 million. Cole Hamels hits arbitration and a big pay day after this season. They will lose Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez and either need to resign them or replace them. Their window is now, but they'll be paying Cliff Lee more than $20 million four and five years from now.

The good news: The Giants went 5-2 in the playoffs against Halladay, Lee, Oswalt, and Hamels.
The other good news: We're definitely the underdogs again.

Because while they may be more likeable and still not quite as rich, make no mistake: The Phillies are now officially the National League Yankees.