Written by Evan Jacoby - July 10th, 2010

When word got out that the New York Yankees were close to acquiring ace Cliff Lee from the Seattle Mariners, all baseball fans outside of New York cringed. The defending champions, with the best record in baseball, were about to add the AL's most dominant and consistent starting pitcher? Most fans were ready to crown the Yankees as huge champion favorites once again.

But then something changed. The Mariners were impressed with New York's offer, headlined by top catching prospect Jesus Montero, but there wasn't a mutual agreement on the exact terms of the deal. Several reports indicated that it was the YANKEES that pulled out of the trade, after Seattle's secondary player in the deal had major question marks that the Mariners would not comment on.

Whatever the case may be, the trade stalled. And in jumped the Texas Rangers. Texas, the leaders of the AL West, saw an opportunity to deny the Yankees of another piece to a championship. The Rangers themselves are now in the discussion for the league's top team.

Texas included top 1B prospect Justin Smoak in their offer, as well as their first-round pitching prospect from 2007, that was too good for Seattle to pass up on. Smoak is a tremendous prospect that has been impressive at the big league level this season in his opportunities. The Mariners agreed to trade away their ace, Lee, to the Rangers for Smoak, Beaven (the pitching prospect), and two other low-level prospects.

Cliff Lee was a free agent-to-be that was unlikely to remain in Seattle. So the Mariners' ability to turn him into a potential franchise first basemen was a good move for them. Justin Smoak is hitting just .208 this season, but has hit 8 home runs with 34 RBI in 230 at-bats. He has shown the power potential that could make him a top-flight first baseman over time.

But the Texas Rangers are the real winners on this day. Texas has a 5-game lead in the AL West and was looking good for the playoffs. But the Rangers are the only MLB franchise to never win a playoff series, and they see this year as the opportunity to get it done.

The Rangers are stacked with power bats in the middle of their lineup, led by MVP candidates Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrerro. Michael Young and Ian Kinsler are All-Star hitters at the top of the order, and Nelson Cruz is yet another slugger to deal with. The lineup could be the best in baseball.

The Texas bullpen is very talented this season. Neftali Feliz is an All-Star, as the young power arm has 23 saves and a 1.06 WHIP in the 9th inning. Frank Francisco is another guy that comes out throwing heat, and he holds down the 8th inning.

The question mark, like always, is the starting rotation. Colby Lewis and CJ Wilson have been tremendous surprises, but they are still lacking that big-time ace that can be relied on in the postseason. Rich Harden was brought in in the offseason to be the potential ace of the squad, but he has struggled mightily and now finds himself on the DL with a strained hamstring. How can the Rangers expect to win a playoff series without a starting pitching advantage in any game?

In comes Cliff Lee. The 2008 AL Cy Young winner was traded from Cleveland to Philadelphia last year at midseason, and dominated the National League on his way to being the ace of the Phillies' run to the World Series. He joined the Mariners on a 1-year deal in the offseason, and has been his usually impressive self in 2010.

Lee comes in with an 8-3 record, 2.58 ERA, and miniscule 0.94 WHIP. He has 91 strikeouts and just 6 walks, an unreal ratio of K's-to-BB's that is one of the all-time greats in single-season history. Lee has more wins than walks, and it's a sensational stat.

The workhouse starter now joins the Texas Rangers, and will definitely shake up the hierarchy of the American League. The Yankees can't be considered the runaway favorites anymore. They're still at the top, but the potential addition of Lee would have made them untouchable in all phases.

The Rays, who are just 2.5 games back, think they can beat the Yankees. The Tigers, who defeated them in the 2007 playoffs, think they can beat the Yankees. The Red Sox, of course, always think they can beat the Yankees. And now, the Texas Rangers think they can, too.

Texas has all the tools to compete with the best teams in baseball. A deep lineup with great slugging and versatility, a dependable bullpen with power arms, a deep enough rotation to compete on a nightly basis, and now an ace of the staff that can lead them into the postseason. Cliff Lee is their guy, and he is the man solely responsible for shaking up the American League.

Don't expect the Rangers to start reaping the benefits of this deal right away. Lee is a phenomenal talent, but might face an adjustment period on his new team. He's moving from the friendly confines of Safeco Field to the ultimate hitters park in Arlington. But in a few months, it will all be worth it.

The Texas Rangers are now relevant in the American League's pursuit for a pennant. Expect to see Lee throwing some very meaningful innings for the Rangers in October. We'll see if it will be enough to lead Texas to its first ever playoff series victory.