DownSwinging.com

Foxsports.com’s Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi are reporting that the Phillies and Indians have agreed on a trade that would send Cleveland ace Cliff Lee to the Phils. While the trade hasn’t been made official yet and the players have yet to be told anything, both sides have agreed to the deal, making it all but certain barring any medical hiccups.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Phillies receive Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco from the Indians in exchange for prospects Jason Knapp and Carlos Carrasco, as well as Jason Donald and Lou Marson. The key for the Phillies was not including their prized prospect, Kyle Drabek. No cash will be exchanged in the deal.

Rosenthal and Morosi say the deal is great for both sides, as the Phillies get a much needed starting pitcher, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner no less, as well as Francisco who can be a solid substitute. The Indians get a plethora of prospects, which is exactly what they were looking for if they were going to trade Lee.

Obviously, this has ramifications for other deals. Specifically, this hurts the Blue Jays bargaining position by quite a bit. The Phillies were the previous favorites for obtaining Halladay, and now that they are out of the race, it leaves Boston as the sole frontrunner, with the Rangers, Yankees, Dodgers and Angels with outside shots. Even worse for the Jays is that since the Indians have decided to get rid of Lee, it makes it easier for them to part with Victor Martinez too, who’s main suitor is, coincidentally, the Red Sox. So while the Jays still retain the best player on the trading block, they’ve lost a lot of their chips. If they really want to make a deal, don’t be surprised to them take the offer from Boston that they previously rejected.

In other news, the Mariners and Pirates swapped some players. Instead of being a seller, the Mariners actually were buyers this time around, picking up defensive shortstop Jack Wilson from Bucs in exchange for some minor league talent. The consensus is that the M’s will pick up Wilson’s club option, worth around $8 million, which the Pirates would not have been able to do. The Pirates also are on the verge of trading Freddy Sanchez to the Giants.