Did Yankees Fall Off Cliff?

The New York Yankees, presumed front runners for the services of free agent pitcher Cliff Lee, were jilted by the left-handed ace today. Lee signed with one of his former employers, the Philadelphia Phillies, for more millions than most of us will ever see in a lifetime.

Lee's choice of brotherly love over Bronx cheer makes sense. The thirty-two year-old player is much more likely to thrive in the National League, where pitchers hit and the teams are far weaker offensively than in the opposing league. Lee joins a roster whose key everyday players are in the prime of their careers. He also bolsters an already formidable trio of starting pitchers, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Roy Halliday. In this way, Lee doesn't have to be the team's ace. He merely has to win a lot, as he did in Cleveland when his pitching partner was C.C. Sabathia.

For the Yankees, losing the Lee lottery might be a blessing in disguise. New York's most important players, except Mark Teixeira, are in their thirties. The elder statesmen, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada, are well past their prime. Andy Pettitte is ready to retire. One wonders how many more strong innings are left in the great Mariano Rivera's right arm. The Yanks' general manager, Brian Cashman, has skillfully tried to make the team younger while navigating a contender filled with aging stars. Lee's return to Philadelphia may make Cashman's goal of creating a younger, cheaper Yankee team easier to accomplish.

This coming season could very well signal a decline for the Yankees from their 95-win heights. They could finish in third place in the AL East, behind the Red Sox and Rays. The pitching just isn't there, at least on paper. However, it's not as if Lee's signing with the Phillies meant the Yankees fell off a cliff. This is a Yankee team with heart. It's interesting that the strongest notes of caution about the Yankees came from Boston. The Red Sox, even with their acquisitions of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, understand it's too soon to write off their rivals to the south. Far too soon.