Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports reported yesterday that the Dodgers were awarded claiming rights on Phillies left-hander Cliff Lee. But that doesn’t mean the southpaw will follow his former teammate Joe Blanton to Los Angeles.
According to Paul Hagen of MLB.com, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. wouldn’t confirm or deny Morosi’s report when asked about it last night, but said that it’s “irrelevant” because Lee “isn’t going anywhere.” A deal is considered unlikely, but Dodgers have until Sunday to convince the Phillies otherwise.
The Phillies can simply pull Lee back from waivers, leave the Dodgers on the hook for Lee’s contract or attempt to work out a deal. Lee, who turns 34 later this month, is guaranteed nearly $95 million between now and 2015. His contract allows him to block trades to 21 teams. Players can only be placed on revocable waivers once this month, so if the Phillies pull Lee back, he will remain with the club for at least the rest of the season.