But, Sabathia also has a clause in his contract that allows him to “opt out” and become a free agent after the 2011 season – much like Alex Rodriguez had an “opt out” after his 2007 MVP season.

Will CC hit the free agent market like A-Rod did – two years from now? That’s an interesting question. As, how many other teams will be able to match or better a contract that’s supposed to pay $23 million a year for (then) four years?

Perhaps a lot of it depends on what pitchers like Zack Greinke, Felix Hernandez, Justin Verlander, Tim Lincecum, and Roy Halladay are making, per season, come 2010 and/or 2011? Will any of them be making $23 million a season by that time? Well, if teams have paid (no pun intended) attention to the recent contracts given to Johan Santana, Barry Zito, Mike Hampton, Kevin Brown and Carlos Zambrano…I doubt it.

So, if Sabathia leaves after 2011, it will because he wants out of New York (for some reason) or because he wants more years (beyond 2015). That said, maybe the Yankees should strike now, while the glow of the World Series ring is still hot, and offer to “buy out” the “opt out” and take-away what could be a distraction in 2011? Say, offer CC something like $16 million to be paid out over the next 8 years if he waives his opt out clause now? Or, then again, maybe the Yankees just figure the market, come 2011, will work in their favor and Sabathia will have no where to go? (Like that really worked when A-Rod opted out, huh?)

In any event, the countdown to CC’s opt out clause is at two years and counting…tick, tick, tick...

The failing health of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, 79, is no secret.

But the depth of how rapidly Steinbrenner is deteriorating was dramatically on display following Game 2 of the World Series in Yankee Stadium. You just couldn’t physically see it.

That’s because the Blue Curtain dropped quickly and sharply following Game 2, with the Yankees — or, to be more precise, a coterie of New York policemen and security guards working at their behest — essentially placed on lockdown a main tunnel running outside of the clubhouses as the club moved Steinbrenner out of Yankee Stadium.

Not only do the Yankees not want anybody to speak with Steinbrenner, they’re protecting his privacy so fiercely that they won’t allow most people to even get a glimpse of him anymore.

Mechanized gates dropped suddenly from the ceiling to confine some officials to certain areas of the corridor — including some surprised major league baseball officials who were not told beforehand and were suddenly trapped — and keep them away from the vehicles transporting Steinbrenner. Temporary curtains were quickly set up as well to block views.

Security guards not only shut down the press elevator carrying media members downstairs to the interview areas until after Steinbrenner had departed, they also locked the doors downstairs, trapping several dozen media members in the stairwell.

One security guard shooing people out of the area, according to one official who was there at the time, said that they were “cleansing the hallway.”

The Yankees also have gone so far as to tell major league baseball officials that they do not want Steinbrenner shown on television, according to one industry source.

As of now, Steinbrenner is not expected to return to Yankee Stadium if the World Series moves back there for Games 6 and, possibly, 7. Before attending Games 1 and 2, he had not been to the new Yankee Stadium since the home opener.

It’s so sad to see the Yankees play the John Gill routine with Big Stein. At this point, it seems like the better idea is to just leave the man at home to rest, etc.

However, there are three games during this 22-game span which make this R/G rate seem better than it should be…and they are:

September 7, 2009 – where the Yankees scored 11 runs in the second game of a double-header…pounding Andy Sonnanstine, who had nothing in that game.

September 13, 2009 – where the Yankees scored 13 runs…feasting off the soft-under-belly of the O’s bullpen, plating 8 runs in the 8th inning.

September 19, 2009 – where the Yankees scored 10 runs…beating up on a 25-year old rookie starter by the name of “Douglas Wildes Fister.”

When you remove these three “gimmie” games from the picture, it means the Yankees have averaged 4.05 R/G in those other 19 contests. Oh, and, by the way, the American League average for runs scored per game is 4.82 R/G – which means the superior Yankees offense, since September 7th, sans three lay-up laughers, has been below league average in terms of scoring runs (on a R/G basis).

Or, in other words, for just about the entire last month of the season, outside of three games, the Yankees batters are plating runs like they are the Kansas City Royals or Seattle Mariners – the bottom two team in the A.L. this year, to date, in terms of their R/G ratio. (The Royals R/G mark is 4.2 and the M’s are at 3.9 R/G.)

If this carries into October, it could be bad news for the good citizens of Yankeeland in the post-season.

Dave Robertson, the Yankees’ bullpen strikeout specialist, said he was not worried about the tightness in his right elbow. But the Yankees have shut him down indefinitely, and he has an appointment Thursday with Dr. James Andrews, probably in Pensacola, Fla.

“The stiffness has not went away in the last 10 days or two weeks,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “It’s a concern of mine, because he’s been a huge part of our bullpen, and his ability to get a strikeout is important. He’s been as good as anyone in baseball, really, at doing that.”

“I feel confident it’s not going to be anything,” Robertson said. “I feel like I’m going to come back. It’s just a little rest.”

Robertson has not pitched on consecutive days since Aug. 11 and 12. He said he had felt discomfort for about two weeks, mostly after he pitched. He had a magnetic resonance imaging test Monday but said he did not know what it showed.

“No idea, really,” he said. “I’ll just go to Dr. Andrews and get his opinion. That’s really all I can do.”

Robertson, 24, has worked his way into a more prominent role as the season has gone on, appearing more often when the Yankees have a lead. Girardi said he was still hopeful that Robertson could return.

“I don’t want to write him off,” Girardi said. “He’s down until he sees Dr. Andrews and we figure out what we need to do. Whether he’s here or not, guys are still going to feel pressure. One thing it does is it gives you less weapons. We don’t necessarily have as much flexibility as we did.”

Maybe the Yankees should have something like the Robertson Rules in place, to prevent this? Yes, I’m kidding – sorta/kinda.

Below is a chart which shows the Yankees record, by opponent, during this run – with the opponent’s overall winning percentage (to date) at the far right:

Team		W	L	Opp W%*
Blue Jays	7	2	.457
Red Sox		6	1	.581
A's		5	2	.442
Mariners	5	2	.523
Tigers		3	0	.531
Orioles		3	0	.408
Twins		3	0	.496
Mets		3	0	.446
White Sox	3	3	.492
Braves		2	0	.527
Rays		2	1	.547
Rangers		1	2	.563
Angels		0	3	.594
		43	16	    

*Through August 29th

As you can see, the Yankees, in putting together this run, have beaten up on some sub-.500 teams. As mentioned here before, New York has gotten somewhat fat playing against the Blue Jays, A’s, Orioles, Twins and Mets during this streak – going 21-4 against those weak teams (as the above chart shows).

In fact, I just noticed this morning, looking at the standings over at Baseball-Reference.com, that the Yankees are 33-30 this season, to date, when playing a team with a winning percentage =>.500 and they are 48-18, to date, when playing a team with a winning percentage <.500 (this year).

Now, I know that many like to say, in response to this type of inspection, that "You're supposed to beat the tar out of the weak teams and break even against the tough ones - that's how you end up finishing in first place." And, I get that - I really do get it...

...but, I'm thinking ahead to the post-season, for the Yankees. And, there will be no Blue Jays, A's, Orioles, Twins or Mets for the Yankees to play in October. Most likely, New York will have to deal with Detroit or Texas in the ALDS and then face someone like the Angels, Red Sox or Rays in the ALCS (should the Yankees advance past the ALDS for the first time since 2004). And, that’s a horse of another color, no? Do the Yankees have what it takes to beat a good team in the post-season? What do you think?

A simple game of self-respect…
You flick a switch, and, the world goes off.
Nobody jumps as you expect…
I would have thought you would have had enough, by, now.

Hey, A.J., and, ‘Sado…O.K. Com’on guys…can we stop the Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe routine and just all get on the same page?

The New York Yankees are moving right-hander Alfredo Aceves from the bullpen for a spot start on Thursday against the Minnesota Twins.

Aceves will fill in for Chien-Ming Wang, who is on the disabled list with a shoulder injury. Manager Joe Girardi made the announcement before the Yankees opened a three-game series against the Twins on Tuesday. He said he also considered Sergio Mitre, but ultimately settled on Aceves because he “was the most stretched out right now.”

Aceves is 5-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 21 appearances this season, helping solidify the Yankees bullpen. He made four starts for the Yankees last season, one reason why Girardi said he felt comfortable with the move this time around.

“He’s a four-pitch guy. He’s done it before,” Girardi said. “We were comfortable going to him.”

Aceves will likely be limited to about 65 pitches, Girardi said.

Well, Aceves did start that game on July 9th and threw 65 pitches. But, he only went 3.3 IP in the contest – allowing 4 hits, a walk, and three earned runs. Afterwards, he returned to the bullpen – next appearing in a game 9 days later.

But, in his first four games, pitching in relief, after that start, from July 18th through July 25th, Aceves threw just 3.3 IP – allowing 4 hits, a walk, and three earned runs.

Then, four days later, it was announced that Alfredo Aceves had “fatigue” in his right shoulder. And, since that time, he’s pitched in seven games for the Yankees, going 16.6 IP – allowing 18 hits, 3 walks, and 14 earned runs.

In total, since that spot start in Minnesota, Alfredo Aceves has pitched in 11 games, all out of the pen, throwing 20 IP, allowing 22 hits, 4 walks, and 17 earned runs. (Hey, on the bright side, he’s not walking many, right?)

Clearly, since making that start against the Twins, due to the injury to Chien-Ming Wang, Alfredo Aceves has been toast. Why the Yankees keep running him out there, now, is beyond me?

Are you nervous about Coke? Based on these numbers, maybe we should be?

Coke is the only lefty in the Yankees bullpen. And, they’re going to need a lefty to get some big outs – especially in the post-season. Can Coke be the guy to get this done? Or, should the Yankees try and get another lefty for the pen before September 1st?

Via the Sports Network:

New York Yankees designated hitter/outfielder Hideki Matsui had his swollen left knee drained Sunday and will be out indefinitely.

The team is hopeful that he will return to the lineup this week after missing the last two games with the injury. Matsui has battled knee injuries throughout the season.

Manager Joe Girardi said that Matsui could appear in the lineup as early as Tuesday, when the Yankees will play the middle game of a three-game set against Oakland.

The Yankees are 64-40, so far, this season, when Matsui has appeared in a game for them and 10-4 when he’s not in the line-up. What does this mean? Really, it means that Godzilla has only missed 14 games this season – which is amazing when you consider all those games in N.L. parks during interleague when he could not D.H. and his bum knee. Truly, Hideki has been a warrior this season. It will be interesting to see how many of the Yankees 44 games remaining this season that he will miss…let’s just hope it’s not too many.

[Mariano Rivera] was unavailable to pitch yesterday after waking up and feeling the effects of his shaky 18-pitch save the night before.

According to Joe Girardi, Rivera’s shoulder was “cranky,” but there was nothing concerning about it. Of course not. What else would we expect Girardi to say? At least Rivera did confirm his shoulder was sore, while echoing Girardi in saying it’s not unusual. He did not, however, volunteer any information as to why he was staying back in New York last night and not accompanying the team on its “Black and Blue Airlines” cross-country flight to Seattle after the game. This, too, the Yankees immediately downplayed as being a “personal” thing not “physical.”

I dunno…I have a bad feeling about this…

What about you? Are you worried about Rivera and what his absence would mean to the Yankees, this season, if he’s out for a while?