7/09/2010 4:30 PM ET By FanHouse Staff
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    • FanHouse Staff
In a stunning reversal after a day filled with speculation that Cliff Lee would be traded to the Yankees at any moment, the cash-strapped Texas Rangers swooped in and closed a deal for the coveted Mariners left-hander Friday afternoon.

Multiple reports Friday afternoon said the Rangers have acquired Lee and reliever Mark Lowe from Seattle for a package built around rookie first baseman Justin Smoak. ESPN reported the Mariners would also send $2.5 million to Texas to help cover Lee's remaining salary this season.

Neither team had confirmed the deal as of 5:15 PM ET, but the Rangers scheduled a press conference for 6:00 PM ET.

Texas had been considered a strong bidder for Lee in previous days but the New York Post reported Friday morning that the Yankees were "on the brink" of a deal for Lee that would have sent three prospects headed by catcher Jesus Montero to Seattle.

After a day of reports from various sources describing that trade as "imminent" or "close," word emerged around 3:45 PM ET that the deal had fallen through and other teams were jumping into the mix with potentially better offers.

The Reds were one, with first baseman Yonder Alonso the marquee piece being offered up, but the Rangers' agreeing to include Smoak apparently put their offer over the top.

Unlike Montero, Smoak already is in the majors. He has hit .209 with eight homers in 70 games since being called up by the Rangers earlier this season.



Share10 The Mariners just traded for a power-hitting first baseman in Russell Branyan and they can't play either Branyan or Smoak at DH unless they are willing to play the oft-injured DH Milton Bradley in left field regularly. The Mariners are trying not to do that, preferring to give rookie Michael Saunders a chance to develop.

Adding Smoak and giving him a chance to play now would mean trading Bradley (all but impossible given his salary), benching him (unlikely, again, given his salary), trading or benching Branyan (unlikely in both instances) or sending Saunders, who has seven homers and a .215 batting average in 130 at-bats, back to the minors (again unlikely, but at least theoretically possible).

The Post initially reported that a deal was in place to see Lee head to the Bronx in exchange for catcher Jesus Montero, second baseman David Adams and another player, later determined to be pitcher Zach McAllister. The problem from Seattle's point of view may have been that Adams has been on the disabled list since mid-May, giving Seattle concerns about his health.

FanHouse Senior MLB Writers Ed Price and John Hickey and FanHouse MLB Analyst Frankie Piliere contributed to this report.







Rangers, Not Yankees, Trade for Mariners' Cliff Lee -- MLB FanHouse