Cliff Lee traded to the Yankees? Deal is "almost done"

ESPN New York, citing one of its ubiquitous "unnamed sources," has announced that a trade sending Cliff Lee to the Yankees is "just about done."  The Mariners look to acquire the Yankees' best catching prospect, 20-year-old Jesus Montero, whom the Yankees consider an excellent hitter but a subpar defensive catcher.  Montero, of course, could always bring his big bat to first base or third base on the Mariners, options that don't exist on a Yankees team that features Mark Teixeira at 1B and Alex Rodriguez at 3B.

The Yankees could absorb this loss with catching prospect Austin Romine, who they believe could become a .275 hitter with 20 HR power.  (Sound familiar?)

Personally, I have mixed feelings about this.  For the most part, I feel that the Yankees should not pull the trigger on this for two reasons.  First, they'll almost certainly have to give up Montero, who will almost certainly be a very successful major league hitter at whatever position he plays.  Ouch.  Why give up such a blue chip prospect when the Yankees are clearly the front runner to sign Lee when he becomes a free agent this offseason?  This is exactly why the Yankees resisted trading for Johan Santana and CC Sabathia at the trading deadline in previous seasons.

Second, the Yankees already have a deep starting pitching rotation.  I mean, they are sending three of their starters to the All-Star Game!  So common sense tells you that this team can win without adding Lee.  (Photo Credit: AP)

But after the jump, I'll tell you why 40% of my gut is telling me that the Yankees should trade for Lee.

The Yanks should trade Montero for Lee for two reasons.  First, maybe the Yankees' rotation is not as strong as everyone assumes.  Phil Hughes has struggled recently, giving up 5, 3, 6, and 5 earned runs in his last four starts (against Houston, the Mets, Seattle, and Toronto, respectively).  A.J. Burnett has struggled mightily, as we all know.  Javier Vazquez's recent improvements, while much appreciated, do little to relieve the anxiety that all Yankees fans feel every time he takes the mound.  Sabathia has pitched well, but there are a lot of miles on CC's arm.  And while we are all impressed by Andy Pettitte's incredible first half -- the best of his career -- it's hard not to worry about when the other shoe is going to drop.  Can he really keep this up in the second half, let alone the postseason?  Adding Lee gives you another bona fide ace.  It allows you to save some of Hughes' bullets (although what to do with him is another post entirely).  It gives you insurance if any of the current starters gets hurt.  And it also allows the Yankees to consider trading Vazquez now, when he's pitching well and his value is at its highest.

Second, it keeps Lee from going to another AL contender.  The Rays are right behind the Yankees in the Lee talks.  If he isn't traded to the Bronx, he could be headed to Tampa.  Any Yankees fans out there want to face David Price, Lee, Jeff Niemann, and Matt Garza in the playoffs?  Heck no.  Terrifying.  Trading for Lee now gives the Yankees an even bigger edge over their fellow AL contenders than they already have right now.  A rotation anchored by CC, Andy, Lee, and Hughes/Burnett would make the Yanks the prohibitive favorite on October.

Please comment -- I'm dying to hear everyone's thoughts before a trade is (possibly) consummated today.

UPDATE, 4:35 EST:  Trade talks between the Yankees and Mariners appear to have broken down.  The Yanks offered Jesus Montero, second baseman David Adams, and another young prospect.  The M's questioned Adams's health, since he recently suffered a sprained ankle.  That injury risk seriously waned Seattle's interest, and as of 3:45 p.m., the Yankees are "operating under the assumption that they would not be getting Lee."