Ok...had to post about this.
Cliff Lee is going to sign a 5 year 130 million dollar deal with the Phillies...he is going to spurn the Rangers and Yankees and about 30 million guaranteed in order to do so...everyone is or will be going into fits about his leaving 30 million on the table.
The problem is that he made a super rational decision that makes perfect sense.
1) He'd have been a huge chunk of the Rangers payroll...maybe as much as 25%...think that bodes well for his long term success?
2) NY has a cost of living multiple times that of Philadelphia and far more pressure
3) The National league is far easier than the American league
4) He has a MUCH better chance of hall of fame numbers in the National league (and the long term marketability that brings)
5) He positions himself for a final 2-3 year contract at 37 vs probably being done at 39.
In other words, yah, he left 30 million on the table. He also avoided a long term nightmare with the Rangers and he avoided the huge spotlight and rabid competition of the AL East in favor of a shorter deal with a powerhouse team that is likely to remain a powerhouse team over the course of the deal AND which gives him a much better shot of winning enough games to get him over 200 (he'd need 98 over the next 5 years) and into Hall of Fame discussion.
Dude is guaranteed to earn AT LEAST 153 million in his MLB career (not counting endorsements) and may well be in line for another deal at 37.
So, it's not so crazy when you actually look at the numbers.
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