Madden: CC’s Agent Wants More Time From Yanks
Via Bill Madden -
The $140 million game of chicken began in earnest Sunday night when Brian Cashman met with CC Sabathia and his agent, Greg Genske, on the eve of the winter meetings at the Bellagio hotel.
According to industry sources, it was Genske and not Cashman who asked for the meeting, although the Yankee GM is just as anxious to find out Sabathia’s intentions now that the big lefty has had a couple of weeks to mull the six-year, $140 million offer that would make him the highest-paid pitcher in history. The reason Genske wanted the meeting, said one source, is that the agent is trying to buy more time for another team more to Sabathia’s liking to approach the Yankee bid.
With each passing day, the likelihood of that lessens considerably. “(Genske) has to be concerned about them pulling the offer and moving on to the other (free agent) pitchers,” the source said. “If he blows this deal, he’s dead as an agent. For one thing, who’s going to approach that $140 million if the Yankees are out of it? Sabathia winds up with a deal $20 million less than Barry Zito? Like I said, (Genske’s) dead.”
Although they have boldly made Sabathia their No.1 priority, it is unclear how long the Yankees will keep their offer out there, especially with other pitchers they covet now fielding big offers. Hal Steinbrenner has said the offer won’t be out there indefinitely and it would seem that Genske, with nothing else even close to the Yankee bid, is going to need to provide Cashman with a satisfactory reason for why it hasn’t been accepted. Only the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants are believed to have made offers to Sabathia, both of them $40 million lower than the Yankees’.
If I’m the Yankees, I give Sabathia until December 12th to accept their offer – and then tell him that they’re moving on after that. Why should the Yankees leave their offer out there forever just to help CC perhaps get more money from someone else?
” Why should the Yankees leave their offer out there forever?” Because they have no choice. The other pitching options are dubious/outrageously priced at best.The Yanks are stuck and everyone knows it.
drive up the price for the other teams? Hope he accepts?
Deadlines are only effective if you intend to keep them. Since it’s absolutely obvious that the Yanks want Sabathia, offering a deadline would be pointless.
The reason the Yanks are not out of the Sabathia sweepstakes is simply because no one else out there has made any concrete offer for him other than the Brewers. He’s cornered and everyone knows it. So a deadline would only run counter to the Yanks’ strategy of scooping him up since they knew no one else would compete for his services.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if the Yankees set a deadline, adhered to it and pulled their offer, and the Sox swooped in for Sabathia for $125 million, because that was the top offer, Non-Yankees division?
Of course, we know what the word of the Steinbrenners and Cashman is worth when it comes to spending money: not much. So they won’t pull their offer, and either another offer will come in that appeals or it won’t and Cashman will get his man.
If I’m the Yankees, I give Sabathia until December 12th to accept their offer – and then tell him that they’re moving on after that
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You’re working on the assumption that this is the only move they’re going to make. I have a hard time believing this to be the case.
Every other team knows what the terms of the deal is, so I don’t understand why it’s a big deal if the Yanks leave it out there in perpetuity. Teams can either match it or not.
Of course, we know what the word of the Steinbrenners and Cashman is worth when it comes to spending money: not much.
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True of every GM. Jerry Reinsdorf bitterly complained for years before signing Albert Belle to a then-record contract. Every year we hear about the financial woes of so-called small market teams. Every year we see some so-called small market team setting team records in payroll.
The Royals famously destroyed their franchise in two horrible deals with the A’s (Damon; Dye) but found $55M for Gil Meche.
Please. Owners can’t help themselves and it’s not just the Yankees or Red Sox.
I know every Yankee fan is surprised with the Sabathia waiting game, and many writers have been quick to say the Yankees plan of blowing Sabathia away on the first day has been a failure. But has it really? Yes, CC hasn’t signed but that $140 million offer has kept a lot of teams out of the bidding. I’m sure other teams could have thrown out $90 million or $100 million offers in the beginning if they wanted to but that Yankee offer has kept other teams from even wasting their time and bidding on CC. Yeah this has taken a long time and it may even take to Christmas to maybe sign him, but that big offer made this whole ordeal much less of a headache than it could have been. I’m speaking on pure speculation, obviously, because I have no clue if any teams were going to bid on him, but as we sit here waiting for a decision it’s a lot more manageable competing solely with the Brewers than it could have been with 2-3 other teams had we not made the first and largest offer on day 1.
You’re working on the assumption that this is the only move they’re going to make. I have a hard time believing this to be the case.
Every other team knows what the terms of the deal is, so I don’t understand why it’s a big deal if the Yanks leave it out there in perpetuity. Teams can either match it or not.
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Agreed…plus the money isn’t out there…CC will come around sooner or later…I’m not exactly thrilled with the other options out there anyway. Lowe wants 90 million for 5 years which is absurd ..I wouldn’t be that upset if they missed out on Lowe or Burnett…spend what it takes to get CC here…and then maybe go after Sheets and re-sign Pettitte and sign an insurance guy like a Randy Wolf, Brad Penny, etc. or someone like that to a short term deal.
Lowe wants 90 million for 5 years which is absurd.
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Agree completely. Derek Lowe doesn’t make sense for the Yanks. They have their own Derek Lowe in Andy Pettitte. They don’t need to spend all that extra cash on another one.
Agree completely. Derek Lowe doesn’t make sense for the Yanks. They have their own Derek Lowe in Andy Pettitte. They don’t need to spend all that extra cash on another one.
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On top of that, if they expect to sign Pettitte on the cheap and drop that kind of coin on Lowe, I’d have to wonder what they’re thinking.
I’ll take Pettitte for one year over Lowe for 5.
Definitely, $18 million for 5 years for a 34/35 year old pitcher is absurd, but yet they don’t even want to spend $16 mil for one year of Pettitte. I don’t get it either. I bet Lowe has 2 or 3 solid seasons left in him and that’s just solid…not even GREAT…he’s a $15 million a year pitcher AT BEST even in his prime. I’d almost rather roll the dice with Burnett for 5 years at $75 mil, than Lowe for 5 and $90 mil, if I had to pick between the two.
Having been a Yankee fan for some 35 years which means that I have seen the entire Steinbrenner regime and the last years of the CBS/Burke years, you can imagine my tortured soul. I’ve seen, and agonized, over them all; Buhner for Phelps, Drabek for Rhoden; the bizarre signings of Whitson, Hawkins, et al; the gold thrown at Catfish, Reggie, Winfield, Henderson, Giambi; the rent-a-manager years and the revolving door on the GM office. George was a one man wrecking crew and what he did to the Yankee’s I can never forgive him for. His dealings had a certain blueprint which was easily deciphered. The player was either too old or coming off a career year; the money was over the top and the years were too long. His deals just weren’t smart. So in the too few years where a Bob Watson or a Stick Micheal was in charge you could just smell the difference. The deals made sense. Bob and Stick’s direction lead to the late ’90′s and some of the best clubs to ever take the field. Then Cashman came in and I waited…and I liked what I saw. But it was short circuited when George came back blustering about missing the world series for one year. He threw way too much money and way too many years at Giambi and Pavano and Wright. And through it you could see the frustration on Cashman’s face. These were not his deals. ARod. 10 years at 25 mil per…was this a Cashman deal? I don’t know but it certainly has Steinbrenner’s blueprint on it. The best player for the most money and the monster years. I can’t be sure on this one. But the second ARod come around…the fiasco – that was a Steinbrenner play. Arod opts out..Yanks say c-ya. Nobody comes calling – Arod comes back with hat in hand and gets a raise!! Convince me that that is a Cashman deal and I park my donkey on Fenway avenue tomorrow! I like the way he handles things. I was with him in turning down the Santana deal. An incredible contract plus prospects…too much! Build from the bottom up..that’s the way too build a ballclub. Yes, you need to supplement with free agents and trades. Yes, bringing in CC would be a good thing now. With the pitching that the Sox and the Rays bring, the Yankee’s have to get better.
All of this is to say that I believe that throwing out the 140 mil for 6 years deal was a good play. It scared off some competition and set the mark for other times to shoot at. It also put a number in CC’s head for him to turn over whenever the Brewer’s or Dodger’s come calling. Cash may have to up the ante…that remains to be seen. But I also think he should set a date. CC would be great but he ain’t the end all. And there is a danger of losing out on Burnett or Sheets if he waits too long. The problem with setting a deadline is the Steinbrenner history. They don’t have any backbone and have the moral foundation of a pimp. See Arod fiasco for proof. Cash has to change that perception and this would be a good oppurtunity to do that. If Hal is real about making changes and backing up Cashman it can work. Set a deadline and stand to it. If CC comes around than great…if not, then move on.
I know there are kids who post on here and we all have to take that into account. But I take umbrage with the posts which put Cashman and Steinbrenner together. I disagree completely. Steinbrenner set the tone over 30 years ago and he never changed. Hank shows all the signs of following suit. I have never seen a play by Cashman which suggested he was/is cut from that same cloth. One long time fan’s opinion.
Also, how much would it hurt Lowe, who is an extreme groundball pitcher, to pitch in front of the Yankees infield defense?
..”Steinbrenner history. They don’t have any backbone and have the moral foundation of a pimp. See Arod fiasco for proof. Cash has to change that perception”
The man who has said “yes Boss” to people with the “moral conviction of a pimp” in order to Cash large paychecks is the beakon of change?