LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Red Sox have fired back. Sure it took two years to respond to the Yankees’ nearly half-billion-dollar offseason that netted, in particular, CC Sabathia and Mark Teixeira.
But Boston has finally responded by channeling its inner Evil Empire. The Red Sox landed two prime-aged, two-way stars in Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford and — assuming Gonzalez’s extension will be enacted — agreed to hand each a seven-year deal totaling around $300 million.
The Yanks did not wait 24 months to retort. Not even 24 hours, actually. In the wake of the Red Sox jolting the Winter Meetings late Wednesday night with the signing of Crawford for seven years at $142 million, the Yankees got out the word yesterday morning that they had gone to seven years in an offer to Cliff Lee.
It was the Yanks’ attempt to speed along the process of adding, yes, an invaluable piece to their untrustworthy rotation, but also a countermeasure within a reheated Rivalry.
The way I hear it, the Yanks had told Lee’s representative, Darek Braunecker, weeks ago the parameters of five-, six- and seven-year deals, but honored the agent’s request not to make the proposals formal until the now-concluded Winter Meetings. But it simply became all but certain that seven years was the magic number at the Magic Kingdom after both Jayson Werth (Nationals) and Crawford achieved that mark.
So now the Yanks wait to hear if Lee will take their money, if he will step into The Rivalry.
The Yankees certainly appear the firm frontrunner again. Except the Rangers, in particular, do not seem to have gotten the memo that the Yanks are supposed to win these dollar frenzies.
Texas figures if it beat the Yanks in October in the ALCS, why give up in December on Lee? The value of a double-victory over the New York behemoth might be so valuable in captivating a fan base and local businesses that it is worth every penny to outbid the Yanks.
The deep pockets of Texas oilmen Ray Davis and Bob Simpson, two key investors in the Rangers’ new ownership group, give the team the ability — if it wants — to essentially create a one-player payroll for Lee and another for the other 24 players.
Davis was among the Ranger contingent that visited Lee yesterday in Arkansas to further upgrade the team’s bid. It was just the latest example of Lee having an even better offseason than his phenomenal postseason.
Just about every bit of baseball news helps Lee’s leverage, but nothing more so than Boston securing both Gonzalez and Crawford. Because suddenly it is hard to see how the Yanks outdo the Red Sox in 2011 without him. And the Yanks never concede the season in front of them, especially to Boston.
Thus, it feels like the early 2000s again when the Yanks and Red Sox seemed to be in an endless battle on and off the field for victories, players, attention and history.
Padres executive Josh Byrnes, who served as Boston’s assistant GM from 2002-05, summed up the condition of The Rivalry this way: “Every day of the year, you are aware what the other one is doing.”
Arizona GM Kevin Towers, who worked for the Yankees last season and is among Boston GM Theo Epstein’s best friends, said, “Their eyes are never off each other. They are battling for the same prizes, valuing the same kind of players and wanting championships.”
From 2000-03, the Yanks had the edge, from 2004-08 Boston took over, and then when the Yanks beat out the Red Sox for Teixeira, the power swung to the Yanks the past two years with a championship in 2009 and Boston not making the playoffs last year. The Red Sox, however, believed they had a 95-win team in 2010 undone by injuries. And now they have added Gonzalez and Crawford.
Are the Yanks worried about what it will mean, in say, 2013 to have six players 33 or older — Lee, Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, Teixeira, A.J. Burnett — signed for approximately $105 million? You bet. But not enough to give up on 2011, not enough to let the Red Sox have such a clear run to the top of the AL East — and beyond.
They know they must counterbalance those lefty bats of Gonzalez and Crawford — plus Big Papi and J.D. Drew. Lee helps; and not only with his ace stuff. Friends of Andy Pettitte say he is more likely to return if he sees championship possibilities, which Lee brings in a greater way. Even with Sabathia, Lee and Pettitte, the Yanks still will look to add a lefty reliever such as Scott Downs, Brian Fuentes or Pedro Feliciano.
This is how The Rivalry works. Punch and counterpunch in an endless fight for baseball superiority.
joel.sherman@nypost.com