Cliff Lee On Track to Start Spring Training

Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro said Tuesday that Cliff Lee has already thrown off a mound three-to-four times this offseason.

If the Phillies have any thoughts about making the postseason, most likely as a wild card, they are going to need Lee to revert back to his 2011 form when he went 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA and a amazing 1.02 WHIP.

The veteran southpaw signed with the Phillies prior to the 2011 season with hopes of making deep playoff runs and pitching the Phillies to another World series title. However, injuries have derailed Lee since his return to Philly and the team aging core as deteriorated, leaving Lee in limbo on a team that isn't ready to contend anytime soon.

"A lot that depends on the development of the players and the guys we have acquired and some of the kids in our system," Ruben Amaro Jr. told Philly Sports Talk.

While Lee was thought of as the guy to put the Phillies over the hump when they signed him, he almost seems like an after-thought or the odd-man out in 2015.

Lee's 2014 season ended prematurely due to a flexor pronator strain, but he'll enter spring training with no limitations.

In a perfect world, the Phillies would surely love to deal Lee, but teams will likely want to see his health and effectiveness before even considering the possibility, especially coming off a disappointing 2014.

If the Phillies wanna surprise both the baseball world and the Delaware Valley they are going to need the very best from Cliff Lee.