Look alive: Yankees meet with Cliff Lee in Arkansas

The Yankees met with free agent left-hander Cliff Lee in Arkansas in an initial meeting to swap pleasantries and remind the top free agent pitcher how much the Yankees want him next year. Lee has garnered interest from all corners of the league, with the Yankees, Rangers, Astros, and Nationals making contact with Lee.

The Rangers would be worse off than the Yankees if they didn't sign Lee, so it is absolutely essential that the Rangers lock him up before the Yankees do. Industry sources expect the Lee party to try and slow the pace of the negotiations, but that teams will aggressively try to advance it. 

I don't expect Lee to venture off and sign with a "sleeper" team, so to speak. It seems like it is going to come down to the Rangers and Yankees, and whoever can sell their respective team better and offer the most attractive contract will land the prized left-hander.

The Yankees are moving Jorge Posada to DH so the Yankees will sport a young catching tandem most likely of Jesus Montero and Francisco Cervelli. The Rangers will also sport Max Ramirez and Taylor Teagarden, so working with a veteran backstop is pretty much out of the question.