In our last column we profiled AJ Burnett and the reasons why the Yankees, and other teams are targeting him. I was truly surprised by the amount of internet chatter my column brought about.

This time around we take a look at CC Sabathia, the likelihood of him landing in pinstripes, and the other teams who will be the Yankees main competition in signing him.

Sabathia was simply everything as advertised after his trade to the Brewers. An 11-2 record with a 1.65 ERA, 3 shutouts and a 1.003 WHIP in 130.7 innings of work. His iron man pitching near the end of the season helped propel the Brewers into the playoffs.

Adding payroll should not be an issue here. With all the money coming off the books, ($88 million), the Yankees are in great shape.

Hal Steinbrenner, the man behind the purse strings, has apparently given Brian Cashman the go ahead to sign big time free agent pitching. Knowing that they don’t have to give up any of their top minor league talent to acquire a Sabathia, (the main sticking point with acquiring Santana) will allow Cashman to become more aggressive.

Even though the former Cy Young Award Winner sports a career 117-73 record, there are some concerns about signing him to a long term, big money deal. The first one is his weight. Generously listed at 250 lb in most media publications, some baseball officials quietly whisper that he is closer to the 275 lb -280 lb range. But should weight really be an issue here though? Mickey Lolich, the old Tigers lefty pitcher with the big pot belly is a good example of a portly pitcher that was able to have a long and productive career. Lolich’s playing weight was listed at 210, but was closer to the 240 lb range. Extra weight never effected Lolich, who won 217 games over the course of his 16 season career. Does Sabathia’s weight issues preclude him from having a long career? Absolutely not. But carrying around extra weight can lead to problems with the back, knees and joints.

One final issue with signing Sabathia is his arm. Some of my sources, including my main Yankees mole, have professed concerns that he is an injury waiting to happen. Unlike Burnett, Sabathia’s arm has been sound, but, there is that old school baseball adage about how a pitcher has only so many pitches (or bullets) in his arm before it goes. Giving out long term contracts to free agent pitchers is a crap shoot. History has proven that most times, those contracts turn out bad. Just take a look at the unmitigated disaster that is Barry Zito. You can bet the farm that if the Giants had to do it all over again, they wouldn’t.

Although it is really too early to get a feel for where Sabathia will end up, the fact is that there are only a few teams that are willing to, or are able to, pay him the money he’ll demand.

1. Yankees
Unless you live on Pluto, you should already know by now that Sabathia is the Yankees number one priority, before Burnett, before Derek Lowe, before anyone. The hot rumor is that New York will offer him a long term deal worth between $120 and $150 million. The Yanks are fully prepared for a bidding war, but again, it really all boils down to if Sabathia is willing to play in the Bronx. Can Brian Cashman sell the “Yankee Mystique” and a new stadium to him? Only time will tell.

2. Angels
Some look at Anaheim as Sabathia’s most likely destination, (Vegas is giving 3-1 odds that he signs there), but it might not be so cut and dry as you think. Sure, Sabathia wants to play in California, but the Angels have problems of there own right now, with a host of decisions to make. KRod, Mark Teixeira, Juan Rivera, Jon Garland, Robb Quinlan and Darren Oliver are all eligible to become free agents. The club also has options on Vladimir Guerrero, John Lackey. and Garret Anderson. The Angels might need to concentrate on bringing in a hitter or two and strengthening the bullpen. They will be a player though when all is said and done.

3. Mets
The Mets have money to burn and landing Sabathia would position them to be the odds-on favorite to win the NL East next year. Because of other needs, the Mets will most likely go with a lower cost alternative, such as Derek Lowe. But if you like dreaming Met fans, just think about a Sabathia / Santana one two punch at the top of your rotation.

3. Boston
The Yankees will need to keep a close eye on the “Angry Red Menace,” 200 miles to the north. Theo Epstein is a shrewd and respected GM. Even now, on message boards and blogs throughout the Internet, Boston fans are clamoring for him to go hard after Sabathia. The reason why many Boston fans are so confident is because of how Epstein outbid the Yankees for Matsuzaka. Sabathia is a different case however. There will be no posting fees this time around, just a straight up bidding war. How far Boston is willing to spend is anyone’s guess, but you can take it to the bank that the Red Sox will get involved at some point.

4. Dodgers
Another team that Sabathia would not mind playing for, but the real question is, will Dodgers owner Frank McCourt be willing to spend the money, and, or will, Sabathia give the Dodgers some kind of discount to play there? Maybe, maybe not, but the odds of Sabathia landing in Chávez Ravine are not very good at the moment.

6. Giants
One of our sources on the left coast told us, flat out, that the Giants are not in play. The team is looking for more offense, so scratch Sabathia from ever wearing Giants orange and black.

So as you can see, there are but a precious few teams that have the money to spend on what one NL executive called “a frivolity such as Sabathia.” For Yankees fans, the time is now for Brian Cashman to act swiftly and aggressively to convince him to wear pinstripes in 2009.

Frank is a resident of East Brunswick, NJ and former radio announcer. He is a 4th generation Republican and Yankees Fan. He also enjoys listening to talk radio. His favorite announcer is Shawn Hannity of “Hannity” on FOX and enjoys reading about military history. In addition to rooting for the Yankees, he also has a passion for the New York Islanders. You can enjoy Frank’s work at The Dead Ball Era and his book “Bury My Heart at Cooperstown”. Check out his “Rants and Raves” on New York Baseball Digest.

Frank Russo

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Tags: CC Sabathia, Free Agents, Mets, Off Season Moves, Yankees