"Last night, the Red Sox didn't love Cliff Lee's offseason decision, but for the rest of the 2011 season, they'll be looking for someone to high-five.

It's frightening just how tenuous the balance of power was in the AL East this winter. The Red Sox made historic improvements by adding the 1-2 punch of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford, but it all might have meant nothing if Lee had just taken the money and run.

The Yankees basically made Lee their only free agent target. They offered the Rangers left-hander what amounted to $148 million. They would surely get their man. Again.

Except Lee had other ideas.

His wife didn't appreciate dodging the taunts and beers of fans in Yankee Stadium during last fall's AL Championship Series. She and he had, however, loved his time with the Phillies in 2009.

So when Philadelphia offered him a six-year, $120 million deal, he took it.

And thus was the landscape of the AL East altered in more significant fashion than it had been in 2008 when Mark Teixeira spurned the Red Sox for the Bombers.

"Anytime the Yankees pursue somebody, it's pretty much a done deal," said Sox outfielder Darnell McDonald. "But he's not in a bad spot in Philly. He's on a great team with a lot of great fan support. Obviously, he wanted to wear the red pinstripes."

Last night offered the Red Sox a reminder of what a nightmare it would have been to face Lee four or five times a year. He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and dominated his ballyhooed matchup with Josh Beckett to the final pitch in a 5-0 shutout."