The Phillies Cliff Lee chatter is not dying down, which certainly suggests that Lee could be on the move. FoxSports.com's Jon Paul Morosi says that the Phillies are indeed talking to the Red Sox about Cliff Lee:
Sources: Red Sox remain engaged in talks for multiple pitchers, including Cliff Lee and Jake Peavy.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 29, 2013
Lee to Peavy is quite the dropoff. My gut says that Lee is the real prize, with Peavy as a fallback.
Over the Monster, a Red Sox blog is afraid of who they might give up:
Amaro expects Boston to pay the remaining money on Lee's 2013, as well as another $50 million over the next two seasons, and should it come up, his 2016 option for $27 million that includes a $12.5 million buyout and can vest automatically based on innings thresholds. In addition to all of that, they also expect the Red Sox to give up, let's say, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. Garin Cecchini, and then someone like Henry Owens or Allen Webster. Maybe it's a little less for the Sox, given the quality at the top of their system, but still: Bradley, Cecchini, and Webster is not a deal the Sox should be making, especially not while absorbing all of the money.
The Phillies have money. But they need talent. Maybe they kick some money in.
But, the American League East is up for grabs. Lee could put the Red Sox over the top. It all depends how badly John Henry wants to beat the Yankees while they're down. I think the chances of that are good; it helps the chances of a trade.
