Philadelphia Phillies: 5 Reasons for Keeping Cliff Lee Past 2013 Trade Deadline
June 27, 2013 by PHIL KEIDEL
Filed under Fan News
The Philadelphia Phillies probably need to sell, for real this time, as the 2013 version of the club bobs aimlessly around the .500 buoy.
But Cliff Lee should stay.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports has Lee at the top of the list of trade candidates in Philadelphia.
That makes some sense. Lee is the Phillies’ best pitcher by any measure, and their best player outright (with apologies to Domonic Brown.)
And for a contending team, Lee’s stellar postseason numbers (7-3, 2.52 earned run average, .927 WHIP and a strikeout ratio of almost 9/1) will make him very attractive to any team that thinks it can win the World Series this season.
So there will be a market for Lee at the trade deadline.
If the Phillies are smart, though, they will resist the urge to rid themselves of all vestiges of their glory years and keep Lee in Philadelphia to start 2014.
Here come five reasons why.