A rough offseason for the Yankees could get a whole lot worse.
According to various reports and tweets, the Yankees are feeling more and more negative about their chances to land Cliff Lee, and are reportedly admitting a new suitor — the Phillies — may now be the favorites. It was believed by many that the Yankees were the offseason frontrunner poised to sign the All-Star lefty.
According to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick, the Philadelphia Phillies have made a "serious late bid" for the services of the left-hander, joining the Yankees and the Rangers as the final teams in the hunt. Crasnick also reports that Lee "moved closer" to a decision on Monday night.
The New York Post's Joel Sherman tweeted this on Monday night:
"At [this] moment, Yankees have become extremely negative about landing Lee and believing that he is edging toward Phillies"
According to Sports Illustrated's Jon Heyman, the Phillies have also started shopping starting pitcher Joe Blanton in an effort to free up some salary to make a strong push for Lee.
Heyman also tweeted that Lee may be leaving $70 million on the table to join the Phillies, while adding that a decision on Monday night is unlikely, but Lee could decide by Tuesday.
