We didn't sign Cliff Lee ... Halle-frickin'-lujah. Thank you, Phillies, for saving us from ourselves

I get the feeling I am the only Yankee fan in the world who applauded and let out a sigh of relief when the news came that Cliff Lee signed with the Phillies. Really.

Somewhere, in all the hand-wringing about how doomed we are (and all the lies about how he left sooooo much money on the table, which he didn't) I was hoping for one voice of reason to say what desperately needed to be said.

And get this: The voice of reason came from, of all place, Boston.

Here's Chad Finn of the Boston Globe:

Brian Cashman probably was forced by Randy Levine and the Sons of Steinbrenner to rappel out of his office window last night after the rejection letter arrived. But seven years and $154 million, for a pitcher who will be 33 next summer, one who is reliant on plus-plus command rather than overpowering stuff, one who has had back issues off and on and had a 6.29 ERA as recently as 2007, one whose most similar comp and age 30 and 31 is Denny Neagle? Is he really worth it, or is a just someone who synchronized his peak and free agency perfectly?

Bingo.

Folks, he's 32 with a history of back problems. He didn't pitch that well for Texas in the summer, then pitched a nice stretch before tanking in the World Series. Yeah, he's got great control, but a 7-year deal for at his age with his history?

He's a great pitcher now, but he still ain't Halladay. Would I have liked to see him in the rotation this year? You bet. Do I want him in the rotation in 2014-2017 at $22 million? Doubt it.

This is like the Santana deal a few years ago, folks, the one we are all now thankful the Yankees didn't go through with. In four years, we'll be saying "thank God we didn't sign that guy." If he came here, in four years we'd be calling him Cliff Pavano.

Face it, folks, this one worked out perfectly for the Yanks. He's out of the American League, not with the Red Sox, Rays or Angels. Thank you, Philadelphia.

Oh, and two notes:

1. Please, media, stop the complete bullshit about how he left about $50 million on the table. Wallace Matthews repeated that again today, even though it's false. He's getting $120 million over five years, plus a $26 million vested sixth year that kicks rather easily; and, if it doesn't he'll still get a buyout of $12 million or so, according to yesterday's ESPN reports. His average annual salary with the Phils will be HIGHER than any Yankee offer, if the reports are accurate. He'll be getting almost as much money in a shorter deal. If you looked at the offers without knowing which team submitted each, you'd pick the Phils' offer as the better one. They outbid us, folks, but that doesn't make for a good angle on ESPN. Then Lee couldn't be nominated for sainthood.

2. Cliff Lee was NEVER coming to the Yankees. We were a bargaining chip, folks. He didn't like NY and his wife took shit from some goofballs in the stands during the playoffs. We had NO CHANCE from the start. The ironic thing is that if he thinks Yankee fans are bad, wait until the first time one of his kids is vomited on by someone in the stands. He'll just love Philadelphia.