According to CSNPhilly.com [1], the Phillies turned down a Red Sox proposal in which the Sox would have sent Jacoby Ellsbury to Philadelphia in exchange for left-hander Cliff Lee.
"According to multiple sources, the Red Sox approached the Phillies about a Jacoby Ellsbury for Cliff Lee deal and were told that Lee was not available," the report said. "The Phils won’t break up their Lee-Cole Hamels-Roy Halladay trio. (Check back in July if the team is not in contention.)"
The Phillies needed a center fielder, but instead of trading for Ellsbury or pursuing any of the prominent free agent center fielders, the team traded for Twins center fielder Ben Revere. Red Sox team sources have said that the team would consider a trade of Ellsbury (in the aftermath of signing Shane Victorino) only if it meant a considerable upgrade to the team's rotation.
Ellsbury, 29, is entering his last year of team control before free agency. The 2011 AL MVP runner-up played in just 74 games in 2012, missing half the season after suffering a shoulder subluxation and then hitting just .271/.313/.370/.682 with 14 steals iin 74 games in 2012.
Lee, who turned 34 in August, went 6-9 in 2012 despite a stellar 3.16 ERA in 30 starts and 211 innings while punching out 207. He had the lowest walk rate in the National League (1.2 per nine innings) and the best strikeout-to-walk rate (7.4-to-1). He remains under contract for three more years during which he will earn a guaranteed $87.5 million. There is a team option for another year (that can vest and become guaranteed if Lee reaches certain innings thresholds) that could bring the value of the deal to $102.5 million over the next four seasons.
For complete Red Sox coverage, visit weei.com/redsox [2].
Links:
[1] http://www.csnphilly.com/baseball-philadelphia-phillies/phillies-talk/Friday-Phillies-fodder-Young-Revere-pote?blockID=811105&feedID=4382
[2] http://www.weei.com/redsox
[3] http://www.weei.com/category/boston/red-sox