Richard Durrett is not a fan of re-signing Carlos Lee, and says he now thinks the odds of Lee returning have dropped to 80/20 or 90/10 against.
Personally, I never bought the idea that the Rangers traded him to re-sign him -- he's not worth the money he wants, and I think the Rangers have other things they'd rather spend their payroll budget on than someone with Lee's skill set.
I will say, though, that I'm hopeful that, once Lee leaves, the media doesn't spin this as Tom Hicks being cheap. There are plenty of reasons to grouse at Hicks' willingness to spend money...but not giving Carlos Lee $12-14 million per year for 4 or 5 years isn't one of them.
Letting Lee walk isn't being cheap...it is being smart...