It’s a done deal: Cliff Lee joins the Mariners’ rotation

Published 12:07 pm Wednesday, December 16, 2009

After some uncertainty this morning over reports of a failed physical exam by one of the seven minor leaguers involved in the trade, the Mariners have their man.

Go ahead and think about Felix Hernandez and newly acquired Cliff Lee atop the starting rotation, but don’t get too giddy over what October might feel like at Safeco Field. The Mariners still have a big hitter to find and holes in the infield and outfield to fill.

General manager Jack Zduriencik will speak with reporters in about an hour, and we’ll post his comments as soon as possible. Until then, here’s the official news release from the Mariners:

Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President &General Manager of Baseball Operations Jack Zduriencik announced today the club has acquired left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for minor leaguers Phillippe Aumont (RHP), Tyson Gillies (OF) and JC Ramirez (RHP).

“We are very excited to have Cliff Lee on-board in the Seattle organization,” Zduriencik said “It goes without saying what a quality pitcher and competitor he is and what he will mean to our ballclub and organization.

“I also want to congratulate Philadelphia and Toronto on how this whole deal was handled. We gave up three very nice prospects to Philadelphia. I think they will be a nice piece of the Phillies future, and I want to thank Tyson, Phillippe and JC, and let them know we’ll be rooting for them as they progress towards the Majors. It was not an easy decision for us, but we could not pass up the opportunity to add a pitcher a Lee’s ability to our Major League team.”

Lee, 31, went 14-13 with a 3.22 ERA (83 ER, 231.2 IP) in 34 starts in 2009 combined between the Cleveland Indians (7-9, 3.14) and Philadelphia Phillies (7-4, 3.39). He was acquired by the Phillies on July 29 in a six-player trade and was an integral part to the Phillies second consecutive trip to the World Series.

In five postseason starts, Lee went 4-0 with 2 complete games and a 1.56 ERA (7 ER, 40.1 IP). In Game 1 of the World Series, Lee struck out 10 and did not allow an earned run in a complete-game victory over the Yankees. He became only the second pitcher in World Series history to throw a complete-game victory in which he had double-digit strikeouts and did not allow a walk. The other pitcher to accomplish this was the Pirates Deacon Phillippe, in Game 1 of the 1903 World Series. He also became just the eighth starting pitcher in postseason history to post at least four wins and sub 2.00 ERA.

Lee won the 2008 American League Cy Young Award going 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA (63 ER, 223.1 IP) with Cleveland. He led the AL in wins and ERA, and tied for the third-highest winning percentage (.880) in MLB history (1876-2009) by a 20-game winner.

He was also named the AL Comeback Player of the Year and the AL Pitcher of the Year (MLBPA/Players Choice &Sporting News). Lee has posted a 90-52 record with a 3.97 ERA in his eight Major League seasons.

Over the last two seasons, he has combined to go 36-16 with a 2.89 ERA (146 ER, 455.0 IP) in 65 starts. During that span, he ranks T2nd in wins, 3rd in complete games (10), T3rd in shutouts (4) and 7th in ERA among all Major League pitchers.

Lee was originally selected by the Montreal Expos in the 4th round of the 2000 June draft out of the University of Arkansas. He was acquired by Cleveland on June 27, 2002 in a six-player trade involving Bartolo Colon and Grady Sizemore.

Aumont, 21, split the season between High Desert (A) and West Tennessee (AA) appearing in 44 games in relief. He finished a combined 2-6 with 16 saves and a 3.88 ERA, while striking out 59 in 51.0 innings of work. Aumont was the Mariners first round selection (11th overall) in the 2007 June draft.

Gillies, 21, hit .341 (170×498) with 104 runs scored, 17 doubles, 14 triples, 9 home runs and 42 RBI in 124 games with High Desert (A) in 2009. He was a member of World squad in the 2009 Future’s game. Gillies was originally selected by the Mariners in the 25th round of the 2006 June draft.

Ramirez, 21, went 8-10 with a 5.12 ERA (81 ER, 142.1 IP) in 28 games (27 starts) with High Desert (A) in 2009. He originally signed with the Mariners as a non-drafted free agent on July 2, 2005.

With this acquisition, the Mariners 40-man roster is currently at 38 players.