Nolan Ryan knows what it’s like to throw a brushback pitch, and the Rangers president is fearful the Yankees did just that regarding Cliff Lee.
Appearing on ESPN Radio this morning, Ryan was told the Yankees have added a seventh year to their offer for the free-agent pitcher.
“We have to obviously be concerned about that because seven years for any contract is really stretching one out,” Ryan said. “And I’m not sure how you make a prediction of how someone is going to be performing six or seven years from now.”
Ryan did not admit the Rangers would stop pursuing their pitcher, who will be 39 years old seven seasons from now, but did not sound optimistic.
“Everything has a ceiling that they have to understand what it is. And what doesn’t make good economic sense after a certain threshold,” Ryan said.
He said the Rangers would not make a deal that would hamstring the team long-term.
“If the reports that are coming out are true, I think obviously they make it more challenging for us,” Ryan said. “We’re scheduled to visit with them [Lee’s representatives] again, hopefully today. Where the negotiations go from here it’s hard to predict.”Â
Ryan was asked if he thought the Rangers would be given a chance to match or exceed the Yankees’ offer.
“I would like to think that, but I don’t know that for a fact,” he said. “They may get put in a situation where they have to make a decision with someone or that crazy offer may go away.”
Rangers GM John Daniels would not comment on the offer.
“I am not talking about negotiations. You can draw your own conclusions,” he said.
The Rangers were considered the Yankees’ primary competition for Lee, who helped Texas reach its first World Series this past season after arriving in a trade from Seattle in July.