By Nina Mandell
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — It appears New York has missed out on two superstars.
The Yankees deal to acquire pitcher Cliff Lee from the Mariners, which according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney was even agreed to in principle, has fallen apart, according to multiple reports.
Lee will instead head south to the Texas Rangers. The Rangers will reportedly send Justin Smoak and another prospect to Seattle, according to SI.com's Jon Heyman.
The cash-strapped Rangers are subsidized by Major League Baseball after the franchise was forced to declare bankruptcy earlier this year, meaning the Mariners will most likely pick up much of Lee's $9 million contract, according to the New York Daily News.
The Mariners weren't thrilled with what the Yankees were offering in exchange for the 2008 Cy Young award winner and were likely to be outbid by the Texas Rangers or Cincinnati Reds who needed Lee more, the New York Times said earlier Friday afternoon when it appeared the deal was falling apart.
By happenstance, Lee — who is 8-3 with a 2.34 ERA — was scheduled to start against the Yankees Friday night in Seattle. Earlier on Friday, sources told the Daily News that the Yankees wanted to get the deal done before that, to avoid any chance of Lee getting injured.
But they won't have to worry about injuries to the 31-year-old star now.
While the loss of Lee is a blow for New York fans looking for a pick-me-up after losing out on the LeBron sweepstakes, it's not a devestating blow for the Bronx Bombers. Had they been dependent on adding Lee to their already highly-paid pitching lineup, it is likely they would have sweetened the deal when the Mariners started expressing their discontentment.
Meanwhile, the Yankees face off against Mariners Friday night in Seattle, where they look to get their seventh-straight win.
