Commentary On Reported CC Sabathia Deal
O.K., so, now, I’ve had about 14 hours to think about the whole thing.
Reportedly, the Yankees and Sabathia have agreed on a seven-year, $161 million, contract that includes a clause allowing CC to “opt-out” after the first three years of the deal.
My first thought? CC Sabathia has a chance to now become the greatest African American pitcher in Yankees history since Rudy May, Tom Gordon, and Al Downing. I can’t speak as an expert, but, that’s got to be a pretty special thing for the black community in New York – having a chance to watch an All-Star black pitcher on a regular basis in your own backyard. And, perhaps getting a chance to watch the best one here since Dwight Gooden was his prime.
Moving away from the sociological stuff, hey, the Yankees were in dire need of starting pitching this off-season – thanks to Brian Cashman’s call to go with Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain last season along with Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina’s contracts running out – and they got themselves the best starting pitcher available on the free agent market.
Granted, they had to throw a boat-load (and then some) of money at him to get it done. With this deal, the Yankees have made Sabathia the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history.
Some think this is great work by Brian Cashman. Me? I stand by some comments that I made earlier today on this:
I’m more than sure that any other G.M. in baseball, if he had somewhere between the $140 and $160 million that’s being reported in this deal, would have been able to get this done. This is not a genius move by a G.M., say, like when the Twins traded FOR Johan Santana. And, this is not a genius move by a G.M., say, like drafting Andy Pettitte in the 22nd round of the draft. This is about working for owners who were willing to throw out an INSANE amount of money – and probably overpaying (or out-bidding, if you prefer) everyone else by something around fifty cents on the dollar.
Let’s not give Cashman sainthood on this one. More so, he was just the payroll clerk delivering the check. This is not a demonstration of baseball acumen by Cashman.
A thirteen-year old who has been following the game for the last 3 years could have identified Sabathia as the best pitcher on the market this off-season. And, anyone could have delivered the Steinbrenner Family check for $140-$160 million.
Now, who is CC Sabathia? Well, he’s not Johan Santana in terms of his career stats – that’s not even close. And, he doesn’t pitch like, say, Curt Schilling in the post-season – that’s for sure.
But, bottom-line, CC Sabathia has been one of the four best starters in baseball over the last three seasons – along with Brandon Webb, Johan Santana, and Roy Halladay. And, he’s probably the best starter that the Yankees have featured in their rotation since Andy Pettitte was 24- and 25-years old.
Further, pairing Sabathia with Chien-Ming Wang now gives the Yankees a nice one-two regular season punch in their rotation – albeit with not much following them in terms of proven and/or durable quality as of this moment.
So, today, I believe Yankees fans should be happy with this deal – if they can allow themselves to look past the gross display here by the Yankees front office in terms of trying to solve a problem by throwing an obscene and unprecedented amount of money at it.
Lastly, don’t forget about that “opt-out” clause. Remember what 2007 was like when A-Rod was playing in his “opt-out” season – with all the “Will he, or, won’t he?” stuff all the time? Expect more of that in 2011 with Sabathia now. And, my money, at this moment, says he’s gone after 2011 – unless he’s injured and/or ineffective by that time. If Sabathia, pitching for the Yankees from 2009 through 2011, throws 670+ innings and wins something like 54 games with an ERA near three, you know he’s going to want to test free agent waters again. Can he get more than $23 million a year at that point? Who knows? But, he’ll check it out – for sure.
And, maybe, just maybe, that won’t be a bad thing for the Yankees – if Sabathia bolts after three years. Given his girth, and the fact that he’ll be on the other side of thirty after 2011, that might be the perfect time to think about allowing CC to go out west, or something. Time will tell…
while i agree with you it doesn’t take anything special on the part of the gm to get a pitcher with money, i think it’s important to point out the line here was: “hey, it’s cashman 101: can’t find pitchers, sign hitters”. money or no money, it appears cashman has not only found a pitcher, but one that has had an ERA+ of 140 or better since his age 25 season, a top 5 pitcher in the game. which is something that, from the quote above, you prematurely and incorrectly doubted.
Once again we saw the Yankees negotiating with themselves, they do this so much better than any team in history. The only other offer was the Brewers @ $90-$100 million. So congrats on paying $60+ million more. Wow! What smarts are running this team.
If I may, a special Hi! To all the boys and girls at RLYW. You know, the ones that don’t read WW but always comment on it. And a special wave to the RLYW harpy.
So congrats on paying $60+ million more. Wow! What smarts are running this team.
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Actually, it was quite smart.
By outbidding by 40 million at the start, it prevented the Angels and Dodgers from outbidding the Brewers by 10-20 million, and stealing the one pitcher the Yanks felt they absolutely had to have, a pitcher who probably didn’t want to come to the Yanks when the whole thing started, and probably wouldn’t have at all if they had just outbid the Brewers by say, $10 million.
So, if the Yanks had been smart, like Don, they almost certainly wouldn’t have had Sabathia.
Now, that’s smart.
But, heck, at least all of us smart guys could’ve sat around and ripped Cashman to pieces for being cheap, right?
(I am not actually saying signing Sabathia is going to work. It might not. But the Yankees who rationale this offseason was predicated on signing Sabathia. In such circumstances, an aggressive overbid is almost automatic. But if the Yanks felt that Sabathia was essential, it was going to happen. They went extreme overbid, lookinig to shut out the potential competition, and that “worked”. It also signaled to Sabathia that the Yanks were dead serious about signing him in a way that a ‘smart’ bid of $105 million would not, and probably got better access to CC and his family than such a bid would have.)
That opt-out clause is critical. I posted it in the original thread but I’ll repeat it here. Davidoff at Newsday believes this is a marriage of convenience. In three years, the Giants will be ready to pay market rates for Sabathia because Zito’s deal will have only two years left to run. If true, the Yankees get what are likely to be the best and healthiest seasons of this contract, while giving the young pitching prospects time to develop. And Sabathia takes the biggest pitching deal of all time with the intent of moving back West all along. Yet he’s protected if he gets hurt – he’ll stay while the Yanks deal with a potential Hampton-esque albatross of a deal.
Now y’all may discount this, but the proof of the pudding will be in three years. If Sabathia opts out and then takes an even bigger deal from the Yanks to come back, then yes, it was always and forevermore will be about the money. But if Sabathia walks away and signs with a west coast team for money that the Yankees would have easily matched or exceeded, then this wasn’t a marriage of convenience.
It was friends with benefits, until the real thing comes along.
Oh, and a couple of other things:
This supposition is at least somewhat supported by the reports of “questions about the NY lifestyle” – if Sabathia and his wife weren’t sold, they wanted a chance to go back to what they know they enjoy and not be stuck for seven years.
Is it possible that the Yanks are counting on a short-term marriage, and that will free up money to go grab Teixeira, too? If they come in with ten years/200, I think that’s a fair suspicion. (Keeping in mind that the Yanks could spend that money regardless, but it still becomes easier if they don’t expect to pay Sabathia the full amount).
Will the A’s have a new park in San Jose (or something) within the next 3 years? Could they be a player in this too if CC opts out in 3 years?
Not sure but since I bought in to the whole “he wants to play on the west coast, all things considered” thing, I’m going to stick with the prediction that in three years he’ll opt out, the economy will be better, teams will be better situated to bid for him, and he’ll end up close to his hometown.
Which might mean the Yankees lose two peak or near-peak years, but for missing the decline, I think its a net positive for them, should it happen. Remember the old saying, better to move a player a year too early than a year too late.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH STEVEN! I don’t like C$SH money either. But for the love of all that is right in this world – WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST. Yankees spending money on free agents – You are criticizing that? Its like saying Rosie O’Donnell’s tit sweat is the nectar of the gods…. (Which… it isn’t)
It is what the Yankees do.
I’m sure you’ll have some Oko Yono theory about how we’ll get Halladay by trading Cano and Mo’s left foot for him and his dead dog; but… Judging by your infatuation with NeedsaBathia over the last few weeks; we know you want him too. Cashman did his job. Period. Don’t go bashing him because he got… the top (aging) free agent of the season for (only) three years. Which… means… if the big ol’ teddy bear messes up – WE’RE CLEAR.
Actually, you’re not clear if he messes up, you’re stuck with him. If he’s hurt or lost his effectiveness, there’s no doubt he’d stick with the guaranteed dollars from the Yankees. He goes if he’s maintained his value and believes that there’s money to be offered from the left coast.
if they can allow themselves to look past the gross display here by the Yankees front office in terms of trying to solve a problem by throwing an obscene and unprecedented amount of money at it.
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Funny, but when Cashman tried to fix problems internally through the use of the draft, international signings, and the minor league system, everyone bitched and moaned that the Yanks missed the playoffs when all it would’ve taken was dumping a bunch of unknowns (and the same “obscene and unprecedented amout of money”) for Santana.
I think signing Sabathia is a worthwhile risk for the team. Although I believe it was poor hitting that kept the Yanks from the playoffs last year, I do agree that adding the best free agent pitcher available, one who is young enough to still have good years ahead of him, was a worthwhile endeavor.
But if Sabathia walks away and signs with a west coast team for money that the Yankees would have easily matched or exceeded, then this wasn’t a marriage of convenience.
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Either or, it doesn’t really matter; a lot can happen in 3 years, as we have both pointed out. The kids can develop, other pitchers become available through FA or trade, or something comes up on the international market.
Raf, you cut off my words and left the meaning completely different! If after three years Sabathia goes to the west coast for money the Yanks would meet or exceed, then this was definitely a marriage of convenience.
In the Yankees perspective, should they win a WS or two, a marriage of convenience to a supermodel, but nonetheless a marriage of convenience.
Raf, you cut off my words and left the meaning completely different!
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It was a clumsy edit, the point stands that it doesn’t matter one way or the other.
Who cares if it was a marriage of convenience, love, lust, greed, or anything else? Why is the underlying motive so important? For whatever the reason, Sabathia has decided to pitch in New York for at least the next three years. If he outperforms the contract and opts out the Yankees will make a decision at that time to either retain his services or let him go. If he underperforms the contract, Sabathia will have to make a decision to either stay or go.
At the end of the day all that matters is that he’s on the team. Whether he prefers California or not no longer matters.
Yankees make new offer to Sabathia, 8/185, just to be sure.