Phillies and Indians Agree to Trade Terms For Cliff Lee

The Cleveland Indians and the Philadelphia Phillies have agreed to terms this afternoon that will send Cliff Lee and Ben Francisco to Philadelphia for prospects. The prospects include Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, and Jason Knapp.

Cliff Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young winner, has had a good year so far, posting a 3.14 ERA, a 7-9 record, and 107 strikeouts. However, these numbers are disappointing after last year’s award-winning season.

One aspect that makes the trade odd is that Ben Francisco was included in the deal. The Phillies have a solid bench and enough utility players, which may cause speculation that Ruben Amaro Jr. is still going to try and acquire Roy Halladay. 

This trade marks the first pitcher to go in the intense 72 hours before the trade deadline. The moves that are made may determine what happens when October comes around.