Upping The Ante For CC
By Frank Russo ~ November 26th, 2008. Filed under: Frank Russo Rants and Raves, Rumor Mill.
Our sources down in Tampa have informed us that the representatives for CC Sabathia have already assured the Yankees that they will have the chance to “Up the ante,” and match or exceed any competitive offers from other clubs. There is speculation however that the Yanks will be more inclined to hold firm on their $140 million dollar offer, rather than go head to head with a team like the Angels, who are now reportedly in the mix.
One of our league sources with knowledge of the situation told us that Angels management firmly believes that the Yankees will eventually bow out rather than get into some outrageous bidding war. “Arte (Angels owner Arte Moreno), feels very confident that he can sign him, especially now that Hal (Hal Steinbrenner) is running the Yankees. “In the old days, George would have offered someone like Sabathia a blank check, but Hal doesn’t do business that way. “The Angels not only believe that they have the advantage now, they also believe that Sabathia has just been sitting around, waiting for them to jump into the mix.”
This of course means bad news for the Yankees and their fans. With AJ Burnett and Derek Lowe now both apparently interested in other clubs, and Andy Pettite being courted by the Dodgers, New York could be setting themselves up for a hard fall when it comes to their off-season plans of signing the top-notch free agent pitching they so desperately covet.
