Michael Saunders was so close to being in the 2009 Cliff Lee trade he packed his bags for Philly

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Remember the lopsided trade the Phillies made that sent Cliff Lee to Seattle? How could you forget the three players received: Tyson Gillies, J.C. Ramirez, and Phillippe Aumont.

Well, that deal almost wasn't so bad. Michael Saunders, who signed last month with the Phillies, was told on that December 2009 day that he was headed to the Phillies as part of the trade.

"My agent told me to pack my bags," Saunders said. "I was in Arizona and we just moved apartments. I didn't have TV yet and my buddy from Toronto was watching SportsCenter and he saw it on the tracker there that the trade was going down and I was a part of it. So he called me up and I had no idea. My agent did some digging and told me to pack my bags -- I'm going to Philly."

Saunders found out an hour later that he was removed from the trade. The three players received from Seattle combined to play in just 64 games with the Phillies. Saunders stayed with the Mariners for five more seasons before being traded - for real, this time - to Toronto for former Phillies pitcher J.A. Happ. Saunders hit 24 homers last season and made his first all-star game.

Saunders, who turned 30 in November, will play right field this season and likely bat in the middle of the lineup. The lefthanded hitter's one-year deal has an option for 2018, which means Saunders could be part of the Phillies' plans. He also could be a candidate to be moved at the trade deadline. Saunders will just wait this time to pack his bags.

"I'm signing up for the long term," Saunders said. "I want to see this through and be part of a winning club in Philadelphia. That being said, I understand the situation where there are a lot of older guys and veterans that are on one-year deals. If history repeats itself, everyone knows what happens with contracts like that. That being said, I think we have a club that can win here and I want to be a part of it."