Cliff Lee agrees to deal with Phillies

[danzig6767]

If the rumors about the Yankees offer are true he really didn't give the Phillies much of a discount. The Yankees offered 7/$148 I believe. He is getting more per year from the Phillies and can almost match the total money in one less year if his 2016 option is picked up or vested.

• 5 years/$120M (2011-15), plus 2016 option
  
  • signed by Philadelphia as a free agent 12/14/10
  • 11:$11M, 12:$21.5M, 13:$25M, 14:$25M, 15:$25M, 16:$27.5M club option ($12.5M buyout)
  • option becomes guaranteed with 200 IP in 2015 or 400 IP in 2014-15
    
  • limited no-trade protection

I would like to see all teams within $50m. That way the rich teams can still sign a couple more players than the bottom teams but every team can keep one or two of their stars for their entire careers.

Or something like the NBA or NFL has

 

In the NBA, free agents are limited to getting 5yr deals at most, but the team that a coming free agent plays on can offer a 6th year and a slightly higher yearly salary. This can help teams keep players that they draft and develop, unless a player is willing to take less to play elsewhere and either way, the player can become very wealthy.

 

The NFL has the franchise tag for one player each year. If that tag is exercised on a player without him agreeing to a multi-year deal or being traded, that player gets a one year contract with a salary amount which is calculated as the average salary of the top 3 or 5 players at his position, i forget if it's 3 or 5. Bonuses are also included in the calculations so if say we tagged Prince after this season, he either would have to sign a long term deal with us or get a one year deal at around 20-22 million. He'd then be unrestricted after that year.

[logan82]

I wouldn't want any limits on contracts at all. I would make teams share something like 90% of their tv revenues and 70% of their ticket sales.(as an example, I am not sure of the exact numbers that would be needed) Skinflints like the Marlins not getting money to put in their pockets. Big market teams keep an advantage but it is significantly lessened. I don't' want owners pocketing money.