The CC Watch... Latest: Who knows?

[GoudaBrew]

Turning down the Yanks so "soon" was probably done in hopes of increasing the number of teams to bid on CC. Now all a west coast team has to do is match Milwaukee's offer and CC would probably take it. And if two west coast teams start bidding perhaps the money will get driven up near the Yanks original offer.

[brewmann04]

It looking Like Ken Rosenthal is predicting the Giants will get involved now.

[ttsather]

I find it really odd that in Ken Rosenthal's most recent blog post (Here.) he dispells rumors of the Yankees' offer being turned down, then at the end says "The Yankees remain in the mix for Sabathia, along with the Angels, Giants, Red Sox and possibly the Dodgers."

 

 

Was it just an oversight to not mention the Brewers? It seems clear that we are still very much in this. (It is Ken Rosenthal, I suppose, so who really knows. Probably not him)

[BrewCrewForever]

CC is like the prettiest girl at the dance. He has his choice. And he is making all the guys drool as they wait for his decision. I'm kind of getting tired of it all.

[DrugBust]

Two months ago Rosenthal said that there was no way the Brewers resign CC. He even handicapped it:

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/...-CC-sweepstakes-can-begin

 

That rubbed me the wrong way.

 

It could be he just doesn't want to admit he might have been wrong about the whole situation.

[Ennder]

I highly doubt Melvin is not talking to other players because of Sabathia. If they find a deal they like that makes CC's offer unaffordable they will just drop the offer and sign the player.

 

People read WAY too much into this stuff.

[Hate those Rodents]

I hope you're right Ennder, but I actually think Attanasio has grown attached to CC to the point where there's a chance his thinking is "don't spend any money until we know for sure that we are not getting CC back".

[brwrsfan]

The Giants article's headline says "Brewers emerging as frontrunner" but he says absolutely NOTHING in the story about the Brewers. Also....if that were the case, or even a remote possibility...wouldn't someone else have said SOMETHING similar to that by now???

[PeaveyFury]

The Giants article's headline says "Brewers emerging as frontrunner" but he says absolutely NOTHING in the story about the Brewers.

 

First line of the article:

An executive close to the CC Sabathia talks told me the perception is that the Brewers are emerging as the frontrunner.

[Tbadder]

This the Brewers--the modern day St. Louis Browns. He'll sign with the Giants. (reverse voodoo-jim)

[brwrsfan]

The Giants article's headline says "Brewers emerging as frontrunner" but he says absolutely NOTHING in the story about the Brewers.

 

First line of the article:

An executive close to the CC Sabathia talks told me the perception is that the Brewers are emerging as the frontrunner.

But why? Because if he really did say no to the Yankees we're the only team left?

[nate82]

I'm guessing here but what really was said that CC said he isn't that interested in playing in New York and would prefer pitching somewhere else. That probably got twisted and rearranged to become CC declines Yanks offer.

[StearnsFTW]

At least the Brewers will get a 1st round pick if the Dodgers, Yankees, or Angels sign him but if the Giants get him the Brewers only receive a sandwich pick.

 

Not sure if this was a typo, but the Brewers still get the Giants' 2nd round pick.

 

Ideally, he'll sign with the Dodgers, which I actually think will happen.

[sheetskout]

Rosenthal now says there was no truth for any Yankees/C.C. Meltdown...

http://msn.foxsports.com/...P=OTC-K9B140813162&ATT=49

 

(I don't think this hit here yet. Sorry if it has already)

[areacodes]

The Giants article's headline says "Brewers emerging as frontrunner" but he says absolutely NOTHING in the story about the Brewers. Also....if that were the case, or even a remote possibility...wouldn't someone else have said SOMETHING similar to that by now???

There was an article posted by tigerbrew (post #680) from the New York Post:

 

Prior to Yankees GM Brian Cashman's meeting with CC Sabathia yesterday in Las Vegas, there was a feeling in the baseball universe the stud free-agent lefty would eventually re-sign with the Brewers.

 

This is from yesterday and was the first that I had heard of the Brewers being considered front runners. This was before there were the quotes about the Dodgers and the Giants if I remember correctly, and definitely before anything about him turning down the Yanks.

[dpapo]

In Haudricourt's latest blog, he has a link from a Newsday articles which is reporting that,

"The Brewers don't intend to raise their offer to CC Sabathia, a person familiar with the situation told Newsday.

Milwaukee has offered Sabathia, who pitched for the Brewers in the second half of the 2008 season, a five-year deal for about $100 million. Some industry people believe that there is some deferred money in the package."

 

Haudricourt himself has this to say,

"...let me tell you what I know from the Brewers' end. I can't speak for what the Giants or Angels might be planning or if Sabathia is bold enough at this point to punt the Yankees, but here's my information from the Brewers end:

*They have not increased their original offer of five years and $100 million (which they haven't publicly confirmed by the way), despite reports that they added a sixth year, raised the money, included "opt out" clauses, etc.

*They are scheduled to meet with Sabathia's agents in a couple of days, and have until then to decide if they want to increase their offer. They might decide to goose it up a bit and see if Sabathia is intrigued. Or they might decide it makes no sense from their end. I understand they are wrestling with that decision now, and I think it's premature to report they've definitely decided they won't boost the offer.So, that's my information from the Brewers' end. They're still trying to figure out what's best.

As for what happens from the outside, my hunch is Sabathia would love to come away from his meetings this weekend with the Giants thinking they'll be making an offer he can accept."

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/brewers.html

 

I still think it's coming down to a California team or the Yankees. If Sabathia does sign with the Giants, guess who the Brewers open up the season against, the Giants. Which would mean the Brewers will probably face Sabathia on opening day, then Tim Lincecum. Oh yeah, along with not getting a first round pick for Sabathia, well if you don't count the sandwhich pick.

 

[endaround]

They get the second round pick of the Giants. Now that's like the 70th pick instead of the Yankees 26th or whatever, but its still a pick.

[mothershipconnection]

but giving CC the right to get out of the contract is ridiculous if we receive no protection. The Blue Jays were dopes for letting Burnett have a one way opt out contract. For Burnett it was a no lose situation; pitch well and get paid even more or get injured and still have the security of a long term contract. Situations like this creates a no win situation for the team and a no lose situation for the player. If CC insists on this we should just let him walk.

 

A "lose-lose" for the team is the entire point, though. Opt-outs and other clauses like it have subjective financial value. Let's say the team can only pay $X for a player over 3 years and the player wants $Y. If $Z is the subjective value of the opt-out clause and enough to cover the gap between X and Y, the team may add it in lieu of money to make the overall value of the contract high enough for the player to sign. If it's either $110MM over 5 years or $100MM over 5 years with an opt-out, you've gotta decide if saving those $10MM is worth giving up that kind of power to the player.

 

So in this situation, you can either add real dollars, or modify an offer to include something with a subjective financial value. My employer giving me more vacation time is a "lose-lose" for them. I'm not productive and at work, AND they have to pay me. But the alternative is giving me a raise, which costs money they don't want to spend.

[RyDogg66]

mlbtraderumors now reporting that a Sabathia to the Yankees deal is closer than ever to being accomplished. This entire thing is a joke. I think this guy is a Favre and is loving the spotlight and having a hard time figuring out where to go and what he is going to do after he signs and he isnt the top story any more.

[PeaveyFury]

mlbtraderumors now reporting that a Sabathia to the Yankees deal is closer than ever to being accomplished. This entire thing is a joke.

 

There are so many "live winter meetings feeds" and blogs and rumors and columnists throwing so many details out there, it's no wonder there's so much conflicting information. I don't ever recall false transactions being reported like they have been this year. I really wonder if some of these guys hear a whisper and run with it, truth be damned, just to try and get a scoop and readers.

[PeaveyFury]

Tom H Reports that Cashman is flying to SF to try and convince Mrs CC on New York (despite Macha's continued optimism):

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/35844834.html

[rluzinski]

It's almost all just blind speculation, sprinkled in with a few "friend of a friend" opinions thrown in.

[lukevan]

I love how all these sources are not identified but are very close to whomever is important.

[brettac1]

I really hope that the Brewers knew all along that they had no shot and that this stuff the past couple days has just been lip service.

[RyDogg66]

Tom H Reports that Cashman is flying to SF to try and convince Mrs CC on New York (despite Macha's continued optimism):

 

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/35844834.html

Are we to read between the lines then and assume that he has convinced CC himself that NY is the right fit?