July 8: What You Missed

THE LEAD:

As you know, tonight’s the night that LeBron James will announce his future plans to the world. Another man whose future plans will soon be announced, one way or another, is the Mariners’ Cliff Lee.

One of his options, of course, is to sign a contract extension with the Mariners. But as the saying goes, it takes two to tango.

Lee himself was in-studio today with Brock and Salk, sharing that although the two sides met during Spring Training, an extension wasn’t offered.

ESPN’s Buster Olney joined the Kevin Calabro Show today, and you might want to hear what he had to say about Lee’s comments before you hit ‘send’ on your expletive-laden email to the Mariners’ front office.

Olney on whether the Mariners missed the boat on Cliff Lee:
It’s interesting because, there of course have been similar types of conversations with the Phillies, you know, about whether or not the Phillies missed the boat. It all depends on what kind of numbers are being talked about. It might be that what Cliff Lee and his agent, Darek Braunecker, had talked about in numbers was far different from what the Mariners were envisioning. … And I’m sure if you’re Darek Braunecker and you’re Cliff Lee, you’re defining his value by what the Yankees could pay him, because that’s probably what’s going to happen in the fall.

On how large of a contract he expects Lee to get:
I can’t imagine he’s going to wind up getting less than somewhere between $90-100 million in free agency this fall. That’s a pretty steep price if you’re the Mariners and you already have Felix Hernandez on your books.

On why the Mariners can’t spend that much on Lee:
If you’re the Yankees and you spend $16-18 million [per year] on a 33-year-old starter, and that’s what Lee will be next year, then you know what, if he gets hurt, it’s not a big deal. If you’re the Seattle Mariners, and you’re payroll is in the $100-110 million range, it’s a greater risk, especially when you’re talking about a team that’s already looking at, you know, in 2012-2013 having $16-18 million a year devoted to Felix Hernandez. Because suddenly you have a 30 [million dollars] a year payroll devoted to two players. That’s a pretty steep investment in two guys, and if you have injuries to both, God forbid, then you’re absolutely devastated. And that’s why I think teams at that level of payroll do pause before they give contracts.

To listen to the entire interview with Buster Olney, click here.

IN OTHER NEWS:

While things may look bleak for the remainder of the 2010 Mariners season, Husky football is just around the corner. And for the first time in years, Husky fans have good reason to feel optimistic going into the season. ESPN college football analyst Ted Miller joined the show today to discuss the preseason hype surrounding Jake Locker and Washington’s chances at contending in the Pac-10.

Miller on what he expects out of Jake Locker this season:
It just seems like it’s a complete no-brainer that he’s gonna put together the type of season that we’ve expected from him. Let’s keep in mind, the only reason he hasn’t had that season is circumstance. … The only problem was that he played for Tyrone Willingham during the worst period of Husky football. That’s been his problem, it hasn’t been Jake Locker.

On Locker’s chances to win the Heisman Trophy:
I think with Locker, he’s going to have to lead the Huskies in some clutch wins. … Locker’s gonna have to beat teams like Oregon or Nebraska early and put up big numbers to make that happen. He’s got this preseason name recognition that if he does put up big numbers, even if the Huskies aren’t an 11-win team, he’s got a chance to at least get himself invited to New York [as a Heisman finalist].

On Washington’s chances at contending for the Pac-10 title this year:
The Huskies have everyone back from a team that was very competitive – only won five games, but beat USC, pushed LSU to the limit, and pounded on Cal late. You’ve got to say that there’s a lot of parity in the conference and it could be one of those years where a two-loss team in a multiple team tiebreaker ends up in the Rose Bowl.

On Washington’s first three games against BYU, Syracuse and Nebraska:
BYU is rebuilding. … but if they win that game, move on to a Syracuse team that has had all sorts of problems, … I think Washington should be able to handle that. If you get that 2-0 start, the big game is Nebraska, which I’m assuming is going to be a top-10 team when they come to Husky Stadium. … If they are able to win that game then the hype train will leave the station. Locker’s Heisman candidacy would be legit and the Huskies as a threat in the Pac-10 and nationally would be legit.

To listen to the entire interview with Ted Miller, click here.