Cliff Lee-to-Philly imminent? - MLB

ESPN is saying . . .

Three Cleveland scouts — including the club’s director of player
personnel, Steve Lubratich — were in Lehigh Valley to watch the
Phillies’ Triple-A team play an 11 a.m. ET game.

Lehigh Valley starter Carlos Carrasco, who has been a subject of
talks between the two teams, was abruptly scratched from his start in
that game with no explanation from the club.

An official of a team that had been speaking to Cleveland about Lee
told ESPN.com Wednesday morning it was his impression that Lee was
about to be traded elsewhere, and the Phillies’ discussions with
Toronto about Roy Halladay have slowed to a trickle in the last 24
hours.

Many outlets have reported that the Phillies are hellbent on getting a
starter and many more are saying that Halladay is increasingly unlikely
to go anywhere. Not hard to do the math there.

UPDATE: More details on Lee and Philly:

The defending World Series champion have offered the Cleveland
Indians a package of players for Lee, a baseball official familiar with
the trade proposal told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Philadelphia’s offer doesn’t include top pitching prospect Kyle
Drabek, the person said on condition of anonymity because negotiations
are ongoing. The non-waiver trade deadline is Friday.

Drabek was a clear dealbreaker for Philly, and their off-limits sign on him is why the Jays won’t deal Halladay.

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.