Cliff Lee's waiting game may mean he's considering return to Texas over Yankees offer: sources Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/

There was no movement in the Cliff Lee saga Friday, which, given the Yankees' hefty seven-year offer, might not be good news for the Bombers.

The Yankees made their seven-year bid for more than $160 million late Wednesday night, a total the Rangers are highly unlikely to match. As Lee drags the process into the weekend despite the Yankees' robust offer, the feeling among industry sources is that the lefty might be pondering a return to Texas for less money.

"If it was all about the money, he wouldn't have much of a decision to make," one source said.

Still, the gulf between the Yankees and Rangers remains significant, causing Lee to prolong the process as he attempts to get Texas to add a seventh year.

GM Brian Cashman said there was "nothing to report," but a top level Yankee figure had something to add Friday night on Lee.

"For somebody of that stature, it would certainly behoove him to be a Yankee," Hank Steinbrenner told the AP. "Everything is progressing. We made the offer. It's a very good offer, and we certainly hope he takes it. Steinbrenner pointed to Andy Pettitte's success in his late 30s as a reason the Yankees aren't concerned about signing Lee through his 39th birthday.

"Looking at how well Andy pitched up until this year and so forth, and (Lee's) a lefty, the same kind of pitcher as Andy, I don't really see a problem," Steinbrenner said. "I think Cliff's the kind of guy that can get it done and be effective for a long time. He's a great pitcher."

Rangers CEO Chuck Greenberg, who was part of the Texas delegation that visited Lee in Arkansas on Thursday, indicated Friday on a Dallas radio show that he felt good about his team's chances of re-signing its ace.

Although Greenberg wouldn't disclose the nature of the offer - or in this case, offers - the Rangers have made to Lee, he did suggest that they are competitive enough to give the pitcher something to think about.

"We talked about a number of different financial proposals that were consistent with our goal of assuring that we put ourselves in the best position possible to get to the World Series," Greenberg said on "The Ben and Skin Show" on ESPN Radio in Dallas.

"We think we have given Cliff, (his wife) Kristen and (agent) Darek Braunecker a lot to think about. We had an opportunity to really state our case of why we thought we're his best option from a competitive standpoint, a lifestyle standpoint, and very competitive from a financial standpoint as well - especially when you factor in the enormous advantage we have because of the lack of a state income tax here in Texas."