CC Sabathia is going to New York
December 11th, 2008 at 1:25 am by Displaced Cleveland Fan
CC Sabathia has agreed to a contract with the New York Yankees - 7 years, $161 million.
I don’t think it’s any surprise that the Yankees signed the big man. I mean, who else could offer as much as the Yankees? But $161 million over 7 years? That’s $23 million per year!
This is why I, and many others, don’t like the Yankees. They throw obscene amounts of money around so they can, essentially, buy a spot in the playoffs every year (except it didn’t work this year, haha).
So they miss the playoffs this year. But they’re too proud to rebuild. So they pay a steep price for younger, talented players and bring them on to help their aging team.
Just think if the Indians had the kind of money the Yankees do. CC would still be pitching for the Tribe. He would not have been traded to the Brewers, because we wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to re-sign him during the offseason. Plus, we’d have the money to bring in more guys at the trade deadline and down the stretch and could have made a run at the playoffs. Instead, the Indians went into rebuilding mode. And CC Sabathia went to the team that never has to rebuild.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I like CC Sabathia. Even after he went to Milwaukee, I still wanted him to win in the playoffs. And I really can’t blame him for taking $161 million to play in New York. Reportedly, he even has a clause to opt out of his contract after 3 years if he doesn’t want to play there anymore (he’s said he wants to play closer to his home on the west coast). So I’ve got nothing against the big man. I just resent the Yankees and Major League Baseball for allowing things like this to happen (salary cap, please).
Part of me though is a little happy about this deal. The reason is because I really think this is going to backfire on the Yankees. I realize that CC is only 28 years old, won a Cy Young award in ‘07 and pitched the Brewers into the playoffs last year by going 11-2 in 17 starts with a 1.65 ERA. But how long can he stay so good? Eventually, doesn’t he have to wear down? Especially when you think that in the last 2 years, he’s logged over 500 innings on his 290 pound frame. He can’t perform this well forever. By the time he reached the playoffs the last 2 years he was out of gas, going 1-3 with a 9.47 ERA.
So when will Sabathia break down and start pitching poorly and have injury problems? Only time will tell. I think he’s still got at least one good year left in him. But how many after that? 1? 2? Say he has 2 more good years. But then he has 2 average years. Then the Yankees will be paying $23 million a year to an average pitcher. Or what if he starts having arm problems, or his ineffectiveness in the post season becomes a thing of the regular season. Who could they trade him to? The Yankees are stuck.
So I’m cautiously optimistic that this whole deal will blow up in the Yankees’ collective face. Again, I like CC. I loved watching him pitch for Cleveland. And now, or in a couple years, he may contribute to the Yankees downfall, and become a very rich man in the process.
Tags: CC Sabathia, New York Yankees
