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With the Cubs season already locked in an early summer downward spiral, it is becoming more and more likely that the club may look to shop left-handed starting pitcher Ted Lilly. The 34-year-old Lilly is 2-6 with a 3.28 ERA, but has fallen victim to anemic run support so far this season with the Cubs. Lilly, like Cliff Lee, would be considered a rental, however, at a far lower cost. Lilly is likely to become a type-B free agent next off season.
Obviously, Lilly would be looked at as a poor man’s version of Cliff Lee by Mets fans if acquired. However, I’ve always looked at him as an effective starter throughout his career. As noted earlier, the Cubs asking price would not be nearly as high as the M’s asking price for Lee. A combination of the likes of Dillon Gee, Jeurys Familia, Nick Evans, and Kirk Nieuwenhuis would be realistic in dealing for Lilly. Unlike Lee, Lilly would not be worth giving up players like Jenrry Mejia, Jonathon Neise, or Wilmer Flores.
I think Lilly would be a good fit for the Mets. He has pitched in New York before, and has been a part of winning teams in Chicago as recently as 2007 and 2008. He’s left-handed and could pose match-up problems for NL East bats like Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, and Jason Heyward, among others.
As much as I’d love for the Mets to land Cliff Lee, I certainly feel that Ted Lilly would be a much more worthy alternative than Kevin Millwood, Jeremy Guthrie, Jake Westbrook, and even Fausto Carmona.
The Mets Report 