Friday, December 17, 2010

Not signing Lee opens new doors for Texas Rangers

There’s no denying the fact that Cliff Lee is a strong force when on the bump. He’s the type of pitcher that every opposing team dreads facing. To put it in a extremely blunt fashion, he is an excellent pitcher.

However, Nolan Ryan and Chuck Greenberg made the right call in not bending to Lee’s wish for a seven-year contract. Currently, Lee is 32. Adding seven years would make him 39 by contract’s end. Hardly any pitchers last that long nowadays.

I’m not negating the fact that Cliff Lee is a great pitcher, but to warrant seven years just to keep him around is not a good idea. Lee is good, but still beatable, as noticed in his regular season and World Series stint with the Texas Rangers.

Would the Rangers be a better pitching staff with Lee? Of course, there is no questioning that. But seven years with a pitcher that is slightly injury prone, is beginning to age and has erratic tendencies should not even be an option.

The Rangers have plenty of young talent on their payroll that needs to be utilized. Derek Holland and Tanner Scheppers are two young starters that come to mind. You can even include Neftali Feliz as a possible starter candidate. The possibilities are endless for this Rangers staff. It’s time they be explored.

We can also look at other teams for possible ace prospects. Zack Greinke is a name that is constantly talked about as a possibility, as well as Matt Garza. Both are ace-caliber pitchers, but in order to receive their services, the Rangers may have to give up a huge chunk of their farm system. You be the judge if it is worth it or not.

It truly would have been nice to watch Cliff Lee lead the Rangers’ staff to the World Series, but I would much rather view a young player become the next Cliff Lee. The Rangers would have made it to the playoffs, regardless if Lee was on the team or not. However, Lee was the main reason the Rangers won the Divisional Series over the Rays, as well as beating the Yankees.

Let’s see if someone new can fill that void.

All opinions are solely those of Dustin McWilliams. McWilliams is a sports writer at the Durant Daily Democrat. If you have any questions or feedback, please message McWilliams at dmcwilliams82@gmail.com