With left-handed pitcher Cliff Lee on the verge of getting upwards of a nine-figure contract on the open-market, the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman wonders if the Red Sox should be “all-in” on the pursuit of the most sought after free-agent of the winter. Although it’s likely the New York Yankees will land Lee, it may be worth a shot for the Red Sox to go after the pitcher for the sake of not having to face the dominant left-hander in six series every season.

Silverman adds that the Red Sox have a more pressing need in the outfield and then a corner infielder and then a reliever. The team’s rotation is locked-in through 2014 with Jon Lester, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey and Josh Beckett.

Silverman does hold out hope that a surprising addition of Lee combined with an addition or free-agents Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth would be “enormous”.

Yesterday it was learned that Lee may prefer his old team, the Phillies, over the Rangers or Yankees or any other city in free-agency. Churchill speculates that it may not necessarily take the most money to get him to sign a long-term deal in Philadelphia.