Lee Surprises Everyone

Everyone expected Cliff Lee to go to the Yankees. It probably wouldn't have been much of a shock if he went back to Texas, but Philly? Now the Phillies have what we all thought they should have had two years ago, Halladay and Cliff Lee at the front of the rotation.

Lee signed for five years $120 million spurning the Yanks and an additional two years and $34 million. But before we celebrate Lee as a martyr there is a clause in the contract that triggers an option year for $27.5 million if he pitches at least 400 innings aggregate over the final two years of the deal. That's hardly guaranteed money, but it's not impossible.

In the end he had to choose where he felt comfortable pitching. I have often wondered how much money does a person need to make where it just doesn't matter anymore? What is the real difference in someone's lifestyle between $120 million and $154 million? Either way you look at it, Cliff Lee is set for life and so are his kids. He just liked Philadelphia better.