Cliff Lee opted to rest instead of surgery during the Phillies 2015 campaign, and never threw a pitch. After the Phillies exercised a $12.5 million buyout, Lee is a free agent for the first time since the Phillies signed their five-year, $124 million deal prior to the 2011 season. Lee is going to attempt a comeback, and he is planning the first step.
Darren Wolfson of KSTP of Minneapolis reports:
No surprise, but when FAs Cliff Lee and Tim Lincecum throw for scouts in the coming weeks, the #MNTwins will be there.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) December 21, 2015
Lee will have to impress, as he has now thrown a pitch since July, 2014.
Even if Lee is healthy, teams probably will worry about Lee's long-term reliability. Lee was the Phillies Opening Day starter in 2014, but was shut down in May. After returning to the Phillies in July, Lee quickly went back onto the disabled list 10 days later. Instead of surgery, Lee has opted for rest, so questions remain as to whether Lee can remain healthy.
