Cliff Lee Is Expensive

The Phillies will not give Cliff Lee away for some peanuts and a sack of potatoes. But I thought you knew that already. As we have seen Lee go from untouchable to maybe-touchable, one thing remains: Lee is a top pitcher. What else would you expect?

CBS's Jon Heyman wrote about the high price today on CBS Sports after speaking to a couple major league executives:

"He's telling people it'll take you three or four best prospects, plus you'd have to take all the money," one competing executive said of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro.

Another executive put it thusly, "You'd have to give up your first born, second and third born, too."

I am not shocked Amaro is not calling teams and saying, "I'm looking for your worst middle reliever and backup infielder". But Amaro must listen in case the Phillies are a better team without Lee than with him. If Lee brings back the moon, Amaro must trade him.