He took less money. Not just signing for $119 million instead of $120 million less money but, like, A LOT less money. Cliff Lee turned down $50 million and the comfort of knowing he’d have a place to play for at least $20 million annually until the age of 39. The city of New York didn’t catch the biggest fish, with the most expensive rod, in the snazziest yacht this off-season and I for one, couldn’t be happier.

Cliff Lee restored some humanity to the game of baseball; he didn’t take the bucks. Instead, he thought of a city that he enjoyed living in, an organization he liked playing for and picked it over the dollar signs and bright lights of New York. Lee probably thought about his wife hating the way the Yankee fans treated her during the ALCS, about the pressures of playing in New York City and said “no thanks.” Money can’t buy you everything and that includes dominant pitchers from Arkansas who choke in the World Series…oops sorry, a little bitterness there.

The Yankees already have an overpaid pitcher from Arkansas who tends to choke in big situations and I’m not so sure they needed another one. Cliff Lee dominated the Yankees in the playoffs last year; I’m not denying that. But I am denying that dominating the Yankees in last year’s ALCS was a big deal, or something worth anywhere near $150 million and 7 years. I mean, Colby Lewis shut down the Yankees in the 2010 ALCS, throwing 13.2 innings over two victories with a 1.98 ERA and 13 K’s, but I didn’t hear Cashman mention figuring out a way to trade for Lewis.

Look, the Yankees like to buy their kryptonite if they can’t beat it, but they also like to win World Series’ and I haven’t seen Cliff Lee do any of that. I just didn’t think he was worth much more than a 4- or 5-year deal and if he wasn’t interested in taking that in New York, but was interested in taking that in Philly, then that’s where he should be.

On paper the Phillies have the best starting rotation in baseball. They have two of the top 5 pitchers in the Bigs with Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee. Throw in hometown favorite and former All-Star, Cole Hammels, with last year’s late acquisition, Roy Oswalt (7-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 13 games with the Phils last year) and whatever else they have to round out the bottom, Kendrick or Blanton or whoever, and you have the hardest rotation to face in the Major Leagues. The exciting thing about this for me (a Philadelphia hater) is that anything short of a World Series is failure. It’s sort of like watching the Heat, you can’t help but cheer for the other guys every time and if they win then they were suppose to and if they don’t, even better.

Look I know what you’re thinking, that I’m crazy to be happy about not getting Lee. But I don’t think it’s that crazy. I never wanted Lee. Not last year and not this year. He’s not worth the money or the years. I don’t think he’ll continue to dominate baseball in 3 years let alone 5 and his awful performance against San Francisco in the World Series speaks to me. Not to mention it’s boring when the Yankees just go out and buy whoever they want and get him, and it is normally pretty disappointing because it often blows up in their pinstripe faces.

I also think it gives fans a little hope. Lee didn’t take the money. He considered what was best for his family and what city and organization he preferred to play for and stuck with it. It’s kind of refreshing to know its not ALAYS about the money. Lee is great and he made the Yankees look silly last year, I get that. But Lee wasn’t enough to beat the Yankees in the World Series in ’09 and his performance in the Playoffs would have been more impressive in 2010 if he had beaten a Yankee team that had hit during the last 6 weeks of the season, which they hadn’t, and if he had pitched decently in the World Series, but he didn’t.

Whatever the Yankees do to fill the gap left by their arrogant assumptions will be more exciting than just signing Lee. Maybe they’ll take a risk with Zack Greinke and find out that what the socially phobic former Cy Young winner needs is a blast of media and attention New York City style, you know like facing your fear to the extreme (not likely). But they’d need to trade for him and Kansas City is asking for a lot, not to mention the apparent deep pocketed Nationals, who are willing to pay big for another starting pitcher. So perhaps he isn’t the way to go but there are options out there and not getting Lee isn’t a terrible thing. I’m sure they could trade for Matt Garza if they wanted to; I hear Tampa Bay could use an outfielder.

If everyone in the Yankees front office is as good and as deserving of a fat juicy salary as they claim to be, then this is when they get to show off their skills. Like a field goal kicker hoping to be down two, with the ball on the 33-yard line, on 4th down, and two seconds on the clock. They have to make it when it counts and they should want to. Like the guy they took way too long to resign this off-season, they should want to show people how good they are. They should want the challenge and the pressure. I could field a playoff contending team with an endless budget, a rich and successful history, and New York City as a selling point, and so could you. The tough part is putting together a team through strategies that don’t include taking handfuls of cash and throwing them at player until they scream mercy.