All eyes were on Cliff Lee as he returned to the mound for the Phillies this afternoon for his first start of Spring Training against the host Houston Astros in Kissimmee, Florida. In most cases, the first start of the spring would be written off as a mulligan from the get-go for a pitcher, especially since Lee would only toss two innings before being taken off the mound.
However, the 36 year-old veteran’s return has quickly established itself as one of the biggest moments of the still-fresh 2015 season. Scouts from all over Major League Baseball were in attendance for Lee’s first start since the end of July last year, when a persistent elbow strain limited the southpaw to just 13 starts. Since then, many have wondered how much the Cy Young Award winner has left in his tank.
“I was able to throw some fastballs, mixed in a couple off speed pitches and got through it with two zeroes, so that’s a good thing.” ~ Lee on today’s outing
Lee showed, at least for today, that he is just fine, thank you. As quoted by Meghan Montemurro: “I don’t even know how many pitches I threw, but I think it was fine. I was able to throw some fastballs, mixed in a couple off speed pitches and got through it with two zeroes, so that’s a good thing. It feels normal. So far so good.”
It’s been no surprise all spring that Lee’s primary goal is to prove that he still has plenty to contribute, and the admittedly early results all remain positive. Back in February, Lee threw bullpen sessions with the team that reportedly left him feeling back to his old form.
“It felt good, felt normal. No complaints.” Lee told reporters, as reported by Jim Salisbury after a bullpen session by the lefty last Wednesday. It may not sound like much, but for an ace-level starter like Lee, “normal” has to be encouraging to Phillies management and those scouts watching him.
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The other elephant in the room, of course, is what Lee’s future may be if the 4-time All-Star does indeed manage to return to his old self on the mound. Regardless of how well he rebounds, if the Phillies are serious about rebuilding then he will be traded.
Dealing a pitcher who turns 37 years old in August, and who could be owed as much as $52.5 million over this year and next (Lee’s 2016 option will vest if he pitches 200 innings this season) is going to be pretty high on their priority list.
They’ll certainly have plenty of options in that department. One of the biggest teams in the potential Lee sweepstakes are the Boston Red Sox, who Phillies fans will recognize as being the presumed front-runner for Philly’s other lefty ace, Cole Hamels. However, recent opinion has it that Boston might be more interested in Lee than his younger teammate with the longer contract.
As for what the Phillies might expect in return, that depends on a multitude of factors. One of the most important of these will be how much of Lee’s salary the team is willing to take on in a potential trade. Lee also has an extensive list of teams to whom he can block deals.
It’s certainly probable that he could be persuaded to finish off his career with a contender. However, it’s also possible that he wishes to wind down his last few years in the game on the Phillies, an organization he has often referred to as his true home.
The most important factor in Lee’s future is still how well he can bounce back from a regrettable 2014 season. It possibly wasn’t just his 2015 that we caught a glimpse of on the mound today, but possibly a look at what the future for the whole Phillies franchise could be as well.
One game. One succesful, healthy, turn-back-the-clock outing for Cliff Lee today. So far, so good. He’ll take the next step early next week when he again takes the mound. The Phillies brass and those MLB scouts will be back, following every pitch.