I was surprised.  In this day and age, players tend to go where the most money takes them.  It's refreshing to see that the Yankees can't just get their way every time by flashing the biggest offer in someone's face.

Lee would have paid 2M a year more in city and state income tax had he chosen to play for the Yankees. Plus the cost of living is lower in Philadelphia than New York. And with today's salaries isn't there a point where enough is enough and the player can chose location over top dollar.

Lee chose an organization with a chance to win it all. It turns out Lee initiated contact with the Phillies last week. He liked playing there. His wife liked living there.

It was all the factors I stated. The Phillies have a better chance than the Yankees. Who are Nova and Mitre anyway? For those who don't know they're the #4 and #5 starters for the Yankees. And Burnett is #3. Look for the Yankees to offer Pettite anything he wants to return along with targeting a few MLB pitchers and offering their teams a lot in a trade. The thing I like is the Yankees are getting old and are forced to fork over top prospects to stay in contention.