KIDWCKED
12-09-2010, 11:53 PM
c/p from espn by the a/p
The New York Yankees on Thursday have gone to a seventh year on their offer to Cliff Lee, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney and ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand.
Sources told ESPNNewYork.com and ESPN.com that the original offer to Lee was for six years and $140 million. Another source briefed on the talks told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the new offer is for less than the average ($23.3 million per year) of the original six-year offer.
SI.com first reported that the Yankees added a seventh year to their offer.
Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan responds to the news that the Yankees increased their offer to Cliff Lee to 7 years. Ryan says it's hard to predict the negotiations but if that offer is real it will make it more challenging for the Rangers to sign Lee.
Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan was told of the Yankees going to seven years on ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" Thursday.
"We have to be concerned about that because seven years for any contract is really stretching it out," he said. "And I don't know how you predict how anyone is performing six or seven years from now."
Ryan didn't say that seven years exceeded the Rangers' limit, but he did say: "Everything has a ceiling that they have to understand what it is. And it doesn't make economic sense after a certain threshold."
Ryan was asked to gauge his team's chances in light of the latest development.
"Well, you know, if the reports that are coming out are true, obviously that makes it more challenging for us," he said, adding that he hoped to meet with Lee's representatives Thursday.
That meeting appears to be happening in Arkansas. The Rangers will send a contingent of owner Chuck Greenberg and assistant general manager Thad Levine to Little Rock Thursday to meet with Lee. It will be the team's third trip to Arkansas to court the free agent.
Appearing on the "Ben and Skin Show" on ESPN Radio in Dallas, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels would not say whether Greenberg and Levine were going to present Lee with a seven-year offer.
"We've always planned on putting our best foot forward," he said.
The New York Yankees on Thursday have gone to a seventh year on their offer to Cliff Lee, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney and ESPNNewYork.com's Andrew Marchand.
Sources told ESPNNewYork.com and ESPN.com that the original offer to Lee was for six years and $140 million. Another source briefed on the talks told ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick that the new offer is for less than the average ($23.3 million per year) of the original six-year offer.
SI.com first reported that the Yankees added a seventh year to their offer.
Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan responds to the news that the Yankees increased their offer to Cliff Lee to 7 years. Ryan says it's hard to predict the negotiations but if that offer is real it will make it more challenging for the Rangers to sign Lee.
Texas Rangers president Nolan Ryan was told of the Yankees going to seven years on ESPN's "Mike and Mike in the Morning" Thursday.
"We have to be concerned about that because seven years for any contract is really stretching it out," he said. "And I don't know how you predict how anyone is performing six or seven years from now."
Ryan didn't say that seven years exceeded the Rangers' limit, but he did say: "Everything has a ceiling that they have to understand what it is. And it doesn't make economic sense after a certain threshold."
Ryan was asked to gauge his team's chances in light of the latest development.
"Well, you know, if the reports that are coming out are true, obviously that makes it more challenging for us," he said, adding that he hoped to meet with Lee's representatives Thursday.
That meeting appears to be happening in Arkansas. The Rangers will send a contingent of owner Chuck Greenberg and assistant general manager Thad Levine to Little Rock Thursday to meet with Lee. It will be the team's third trip to Arkansas to court the free agent.
Appearing on the "Ben and Skin Show" on ESPN Radio in Dallas, Rangers general manager Jon Daniels would not say whether Greenberg and Levine were going to present Lee with a seven-year offer.
"We've always planned on putting our best foot forward," he said.