Report: Phillies won’t trade Cliff Lee

The Phillies will not trade pitcher Cliff Lee. (Sarah Glenn/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Phillies will not trade pitcher Cliff Lee before next week’s trade deadline, reports CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman.

Philadelphia has reportedly been looking to reshape its roster after a disappointing start to the season. The Phillies were expected to contend again this season, but the team is 45-54 and 14.5 games out of first in the NL East.

Lee would have been an attractive piece, but his contract guarantees him nearly $100 million through 2015, Heyman reports, which would have made him tougher to move.

Philadelphia recommitted to fellow starting pitcher Cole Hamels this week, signing him to a six-year, $144 million deal. By also holding on to Lee — and presumably fellow starter Roy Halladay — the Phillies will keep their highly acclaimed starting rotation together for the near future.

The 33-year-old Lee is 1-6 with a 3.95 ERA this season. But if he can bounce back to form — in 2011, he went 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA — the Phillies could be back in contention next season.