Cliff Lee Given $12.5 Million to Not Pitch for the Phillies

The Phillies officially declined Cliff Lee’s club option for 2016 today, which means the pitcher is now a free agent. As part of his contract, the Phillies will pay him $12.5 million to not pitch for them this season.

Nice work if you can get it! Per Cot’s Baseball Contracts, Lee was owed $27.5 million this year if he pitched for the Phillies. The Phillies actually saved $15 million by paying him eight figures to go away.

We’ve known since last year that his career was probably over. Just recently Lee sold his condo at 1706 Rittenhouse, as Property reports today.

Lee originally came to the Phillies from the Cleveland Indians in a trade for four Phillies prospects in the summer of 2009. He went 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA that regular season, but dazzled in five playoff starts: 40.1 innings pitched, 1.56 ERA, a .186 batting average against, 33 strikeouts, 6 walks. The Phillies won all five games he started that postseason; he and Chase Utley nearly willed the Phillies to a World Series victory.

The Phillies response was, naturally, to trade him in a three-team trade that got the team Roy Halladay. That worked out, but the Phillies realized they missed Lee. They were the “mystery team” that swooped in to sign Lee to a 5-year, $125 million deal when it seemed Lee was headed to the Yankees instead.

What followed was the greatest regular season in Phillies history: Lee, Halladay and Hamels anchored a sterling starting rotation that helped the Phillies to a 102-60 record. Citizens Bank Park was a party nearly every night.

Of course, the Phillies then lost in the first round of the playoffs; the team hasn’t had a winning season since 2011. But Lee pitched two more solid seasons for the Phillies: He went 6-9 with a 3.16 ERA in 2012 and 14-8 with a 2.87 ERA in 2013 — his last truly great season. He led the league in strikeout-to-walk ratio and fewest walks per 9 innings in both years.

Lee pitched just 13 games in 2014 while struggling with injuries. His last start came in a 10-4 win over the Nationals on July 31st, when he went just 2.1 innings. His final win with the Phillies came on May 18th of that year, when he went 6.2 innings in an 8-3 win over the Reds.

Lee ends his Phillies career with a 48-34 record and a 2.94 ERA in 118 starts. He struck out 813 batters while in red pinstripes. In addition to his exploits on the mound, he homered twice.