The Mariners pay the Rangers an estimated $2.5 million to help complete the trade, indicating the Indians will have to pay other teams if they hope to trade Jake Westbrook or Kerry Wood.
Cliff Lee, who won the AL Cy Young Award with the Indians in 2008, was traded Thursday from Seattle to Texas. Clubhouse confidential: In trading former Indians pitcher Cliff Lee to Texas on Friday, Seattle included reliever Mark Lowe and an estimated $2.5 million to help pay the $4 million that remains on Lee's $9 million contract.
If the Indians are going to move pitchers Jake Westbrook or Kerry Wood, it's probably going to cost them more. Westbrook is making $11 million and Wood $10.5 million.
The Mariners received first baseman Justin Smoak and three minor-leaguers. If you're keeping track, starting last July, Lee has been traded three times in less than a year: from the Indians to the Phillies; from the Phillies to the Mariners; and from the Mariners to the Rangers.
One-hit wonder: Rapper Vanilla Ice was scheduled to perform at Tropicana Field after Friday night's game between the Indians and Rays. Is that good news or bad news?
Stat of the day: The Indians went into Friday night's game with six complete games, which ranks fourth in the big leagues.