5 Reasons the Phillies Made a Huge Error Pulling Cliff Lee Back off Waivers
August 6, 2012 by Rick Weiner
Filed under Fan News
It’s no surprise that Cliff Lee was placed on waivers by the Phillies—virtually every player in baseball is placed on waivers at one point or another following the non-waiver trade deadline.
It should also come as no surprise that the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed him.
With new ownership set on taking advantage of the LA market and making the Dodgers the attraction in the city over the summer, adding a big-time pitcher like Lee to pair alongside perennial Cy Young Award contender Clayton Kershaw not only makes baseball sense, but it’s sound business sense as well.
Yet the Phillies, with the chance to remove more than $75 million from their payroll over the next three years, pulled Lee back off of waivers, ending any chance that the Dodgers could work out a deal for him during the season.
They should have let the Dodgers take his bloated deal. Here’s why.