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The Yankees and the CC Sabathia Equation


By Frank Russo ~ October 18th, 2011. Filed under: Digest Contributors, New York Yankees.

This past weekend, I spoke with someone in the Yankees organization who gave me some insight into the whole CC Sabathia, opt-out equation. What I was told did not shock me in the least. “They’re not, I repeat, not going to let him slip away to another team. The brothers will do what they have to do to resign him if he opts out. They feel he’s just too valuable a commodity to let him slip through their fingers. Number 1 starters of his ilk don’t grow on trees”

He also told me that the only possible scenario he could see where Sabathia does sign with another team would be, if say, a team like the Nationals gets completely silly and offers him a contract in the $190 to $200 million dollar and 7-8 year range, which is highly unlikely. My source also told me that he does not see the Rangers having the resources to go head to head in a bidding war over Sabathia. “I think that the rumor that recently came out about their interest in CC is more of a warning to C.J. Wilson’s camp that they will have no problem going in a different direction.” He also added that there is “no way in hell do the Steinbrenner’s let CC sign with the idiots, (Red Sox). It’s something they won’t allow to happen.”

I also asked my source about the organizations true feelings on Sabathia’s opt out clause. “They have no problem with it. They don’t feel that they’re being scammed or anything like that. If they felt that it was so unfair, they would never have agreed to it in the first place when they signed him. They knew this day would be coming three years ago. Business is business. They’re prepared to do what they have to do to keep him in pinstripes, plain and simple.”

So could a team like Washington completely change the dynamic with Sabathia if they decide “up the ante” on him and go for it? As I always say, only time will tell, but my guess is, CC stays in the Bronx.

Passing Thoughts
Forgive me if I am a little perplexed here. In his column regarding the Yankees off-season plans, my buddy Mike Silva suggested that the Yankees should look to bring in the likes of a Jon Garland as a scrap heap/value signing, much like what they did with Colon and Garcia last season.

Now I’m all for the Yankees bringing in as many veteran pitchers to spring training as possible, but Jon Garland? If it was the Jon Garland of 5 years ago, yeah, I would be all for it, but the Jon Garland of today is nowhere near the pitcher he once was, (some advanced metricians say he never was good to begin with, but that’s an entirely different story), and in my mind, the Yankee brain trust would be better to sign a Mark Buehrle, although there are strong indications that Buehrle is leaning towards his hometown of St. Louis if he doesn’t retire.

Brian Cashman and the Yankees have a lot of decisions to make regarding the starting pitching this off-season, but when it comes to Jon Garland, I’ll take a pass.

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.
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14 Responses to The Yankees and the CC Sabathia Equation

  1. Chuck Johnson
    October 18th, 2011 at 5:36 pm

    CC opting out isn’t about money, it’s about this being his “last” contract.

    He’s got 4/92 left on this one; he opts out, he’s not signing a five year deal.

    So the minimum’s going to be in the general vicinity of 7/160.

    If you’re the Yankees, do you give him that?

    Not me, brother.

  2. KMIll
    October 19th, 2011 at 4:38 am

    It would be SO funny if he Red Sox get in a bidding war just to drive the price to extreme heights. Because if the Yankees are not going to allow CC to go to the Red Sox under any circumstance, the Red Sox could REALLY cause the Yankees grief by causing them to REALLY overpay.

  3. David S.
    October 19th, 2011 at 11:22 am

    KMIll

    I don’t the the Red Sox will do that, since they have enough problems of their own to worry about, like finding a GM and Manager and fixing their clubhouse. Even if they do try to up the bidding to make the Yankees overpay, it won’t matter. Like Chuck said, the opt out is not about the money, it’s about the contract.

  4. TheClambelly
    October 19th, 2011 at 2:54 pm

    Screw him. I’m getting pretty fed up with these spoiled brats who have never held an actual job in their lives, who have been coddled like fragile little commodities, who don’t even have to tote as much as a shaving kit when they travel, and who get every little perk and consideration they want just to play a little boy’s game. I guess that’s fitting, since they DO play a little boy’s game and they act like they’re playing a little boy’s game. And then they have the audacity to tell the media that their feelings are hurt when someone has an unkind word about their behavior or their skills. Maybe we should just have a moratorium on professional sports for a couple of years–maybe we should have women replacing these guys for a few years as they did during World War II. Maybe we, the paying public would see that it’s really we who have created this atmosphere in professional sports. Probably not.

  5. BLUEThru&Thru
    October 19th, 2011 at 4:44 pm

    Sabathia only should be resigned if he agrees to a weight clause!!! So fat he couldn’t pitch last eight games. Take a year off and go with the young players!!!!

  6. Frank Russo
    October 19th, 2011 at 5:02 pm

    BLUEThru&Thru

    I don’t know if the MLBPA would allow a weight clause to be inserted into a contract. Also, Yankees are not planning on taking a year off to wait for the kids. THey have a win now attitude. Whenever the kids are ready then they will use them, but the organization is not going to take a year off, ever. It’s not the way they do business.

  7. Chuck Johnson
    October 19th, 2011 at 7:41 pm

    There was a weight clause in Pablo Sandoval’s contract this year.

    Obviously he’s in a different situation than CC..if Sandoval didn’t agree to it he would have spent the season in Fresno, whereas the Yanks don’t have that option.

    But it can be done.

  8. Frank Russo
    October 20th, 2011 at 12:28 am

    Chuck,

    Good to know. It would be a shame if the PA got involved with weight clauses. Still, I don’t know if the Yankees would try to introduce such a clause in the next contract.

  9. Stu B
    October 20th, 2011 at 8:25 am

    Weight never hindered Mickey Lolich, David Wells, and others. Maybe it won’t hinder Sabathia.

  10. Frank Russo
    October 20th, 2011 at 10:49 am

    Stu,

    Good point. And it never hindered Babe Ruth either. I think people always make weight an issue because of the remaifications of it on the body as a whole.

  11. Chuck
    October 20th, 2011 at 11:03 am

    “Weight never hindered Mickey Lolich”

    Lolich had seven seasons of 35 starts or more.

    Sabathia’s had one.

    Sabathia’s career high in innings is 253.

    Lolich had six seasons of more than that, and four over 300.

    Not even remotely close to being a valid comparison.

    Although it should be pointed out Lolich’s last season as a full time starter was at age 35.

    Cashman should keep that in mind if CC blows up with three years and $50 million remaining on his deal.

  12. 2pumpchump
    October 20th, 2011 at 3:47 pm

    Yankees need to go younger. Lets face it, CC’s weight may not be a problem next year or the year after that but baseball players are becoming fitter. And CC’s weight is going to be a problem in 3 years. His body is going to break down. Let him go. He is not a shut down ace.

  13. 2pumpchump
    October 20th, 2011 at 3:49 pm

    In 5 years, CC will be pushing 350 to 400 pounds. He is genetically inclined to be a very fat man. He is holding on by a string right now. Let him go.

  14. 2pumpchump
    October 20th, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    Yankee’s should hope that the red sox get into a bidding war and then they can bow out and let the Sox take on a huge contract for a man who will be 400 pounds by 2014.

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