Multiple sources are reporting that the Phillies are, in fact, the third team in the protracted Cliff Lee free agent extravaganza. Bob Klapisch of The Record, one of the first to uncover the Phillies' role in this whole affair, describes the Yankees as "worried" about the Phillies' involvement.
The Phillies' offer is believed to be for fewer years than those offered by either the Yankees or the Rangers, possibly as low as four years, but with a higher average annual value.
WHAT I THINK, BECAUSE YOU CARE
Cliff Lee is giving the Phillies every opportunity to come close to the Yankees and Rangers. He wants to play for the Phillies, he never wanted to leave in the first place. He knows exactly what he has in Texas, and the Yankees are a known quantity insofar as they can offer the most money over the longest term. Lee needs to be able to justify any decision to return to Philadelphia to the Players' Union, so it has to at least be close.
Stay tuned...