Cliff Lee hasn't thrown a pitch in a major-league game since July 31, 2014, but he's eyeing a possible return next season.
The veteran left-hander has received medical clearance and will pitch in 2016 "if he finds the right fit," CBS Sports reports.
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Lee's career has been in doubt since he began experiencing problems with the flexor tendon in his pitching elbow in 2014. The Phillies shut him down after pulling him from that start on trade-deadline day, then did the same during spring training this year when he had discomfort during a Grapefruit League start.
Lee opted not to undergo surgery to fix the problem, taking what he called "the most conservative route" at the time by choosing to focus on rehab while acknowledging that the injury might spell the end of his career.
At age 37, though, he apparently has decided to give it another try — and there's little doubt multiple teams will be interested in taking a chance on him, considering the state of the pitching market.
The Phillies paid $12.5 million last month to buy out Lee's $27.5 million option for 2016. Considering his injury history, Lee figures to be in line for an incentive-laden one-year deal wherever he lands.
And he might just have something left to offer. Even as his elbow started to balk in 2014, he managed a 3.65 ERA in 13 starts — and that was his worst ERA since 2007, the year before he won the AL Cy Young award with the Indians.
