Sabathia chooses the Yankees, 1050 ESPN Radio New York says 7 years $160 million

[Bruce Ciskie]

AJ Burnett is like the hot but psycho girl who the guys all fawn over until they realize she's psycho. At that point, only a few decent guys hover around her, thinking they can "fix" her.

 

Burnett has a million-dollar arm and a ten-cent head. Oh, and his throwing mechanics will probably lead to his arm falling off at some point in the near future. But, hey, yeah, give him $100 million guaranteed. BRILLIANT!

[clancyphile]

The Brewers have to add one starter, and could certainly use two of them, Doug has said he thought any changes would come through trades if they lost CC....so...let's see it.

Pull off a trade with one of the Japanese teams, perhaps? The Brewers have some AAAA-ceiling players that could probably use a chance to play at a level higher than Nashville, and there might be some good starting pitchers in Japan.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Ugh. I hate the Yankees.

 

Bring back Sheets, do what it takes to find another starter. If Tom H is right about the Cubs getting Peavy, then the Brewers' only shot at the playoffs will be the Wild Card.

 

The Brewers need two starters. If Gallardo's the ace in `09, I don't see them making the playoffs.

I believe the Sheets ship has sailed, too. For a team like the Yankees, he's a luxury item that they really don't need to coun't on. For the Brewers, he'd be their ace. Can we really depend on Sheets to be the ace of a playoff-calibur baseball team? Given his injury history, I don't think so.

 

I do think that we need to let things play out, and let cooler heads prevail. Now that CC is a Yankee, it wouldn't surprise me in the least to see Cameron and a minor piece (minor league SP, maybe Dillard or even Bill Hall) shipped to NY for Ian Kennedy and Melky Cabrera. It also wouldn't surprise me to see a 3B come to the Brewers via trade. Supposedly there are whispers that Scott Rolen is somewhat available. I also wouldn't mind seeing Garrett Atkins come to Milwaukee.

[Fatter than Joey]

Pull off a trade with one of the Japanese teams, perhaps?

 

Dude! Totally! -- Let's trade with a Japanese team and then move Braun to 3rd, and then redraft Gary Sheffield (before he became jaded to Milwaukee).

 

I think that is our path to greatness -- Let's think outside the box, in fact so outside the box, we are doing things we cannot do.

[brewerfan82]

Go CC!

 

While I still hate the Yankees, it's pretty awesome to see that CC made them outbid the competition by $60mil to get him. If any of the west coast teams would have stepped up and made him a decent offer, I'm sure he'd have gone there instead. I was hoping for the Dodgers, with their high draft pick (#17), but maybe they'll take a flyer on Sheets.

 

We definitely need to go grab an arm or two though.

[Crew2323]

Pull off a trade with one of the Japanese teams, perhaps? The Brewers have some AAAA-ceiling players that could probably use a chance to play at a level higher than Nashville, and there might be some good starting pitchers in Japan.

I'm fairly certain that it has been stated numerous times that trades cannot happen between MLB teams and Japanese teams. It would be nice if that fact would be taken into account before that suggestion continues to be made.

[Ennder]

Gallardo, Parra, Bush, Suppan is absolutely fine as a 2, 3, 4, 5. We need a #2 quality type starter and maybe a depth type guy that can slot in for injuries though that could be McClung or Capuano if healthy.

 

For the lineup all we really need is a left handed 4th OF and maybe some IF insurance that can play 2B and 3B(though I wouldn't turn down a full time 3B and Hall becoming the IF insurance guy). Then we need one solid bullpen arm.

 

All this talk about needing to rebuild the entire team is just going overboard.

[Tbadder]

I think the reality of the situation is that the Brewers will have to settle for being competitive every five or six years, and then rebuild. As nice as the last year was, even with Sheets back, were only competitive for the Wild Card, although I see us dropping a little probably to a very interesting 3rd or 4th. Next year will be a rebuilding year, and the faster the Crew realize this the better. They need to get younger (I know, I know) and they need better control of over their contracts ala Braun. If a player doesn't want to be signed long term they need to dispense with him for maximum benefit (get rid of Hart and JJ quick they don't want to be here, they want to cash in). This last wave of minor leaguers was nice (Hart, JJ, etc) but it's got to continue and it has to include pitching--both starters and relievers. Well, it's not. You know it and I know it. We've got a bunch of fill-ins and potential guys with big warts. Gamel is a semi-powerful player who is terrible at defense. Escobar can play defense but his hitting is suspect at best, and probably below the major league average, and Jeffress has a ton of talent but will it ever come together. Our money needs to be spent in player development and scouting. We're throwing it away on the major league level. The signing of CC, and more importantly the absurd contract of people like Suppan have only proves that we can't compete in the marketplace, so lets not, and really put our money where our future is.

[Fatter than Joey]

All this talk about needing to rebuild the entire team is just going overboard.

 

Right -- we weren't good enough to catch the Cubs last year, and probably won't be this coming year either -- but we should be in the WC race from start to finish.

[giffted1]

Thanks for the memories, CC.

 

I wish him the best, but my hatred of the Yankees will never falter. It's sad to see him go, but this gives us much more flexibility this winter and in the future.

[markedman5]

I have a source that told me how it all went down..........

 

CC: I really don't want to play in New York Mr. Cashman.

 

 

Cashman: Ok I get that C.C. but what would it take to get you to play here anyway?

 

CC: hmmm....I don't know......I guess if you went to 7 years and oh.....160 million.......I know that seems a little high but......

 

Cashman: Done.....Welcome to the Yankees!

 

CC: Its always been my dream to wear pinestripes Brian............

[ttsather]

The deal is now being reported at 7 Yrs, $161 MM, with an opt-out clause after three.

 

It seems clear to me that the Brewers were used as a bargaining chip here.

[Bring Back the Stein]

May he pitch in good health and win just as many championships as he did in Cleveland and Milwaukee.

[MillerParkSouth]

opt out clause after 3/$69mm according to mlbtraderumors.com. I find it very hard to believe that we couldn't have competed with that, but in the end, if he gets hurt, he'd leave a lot of dough on the table over the life of the full deal.

[Marc Newfield of Dreams]

May he pitch in good health and win just as many championships as he did in Cleveland and Milwaukee.

HA! That sums up my thoughts exactly!

 

Well played.

[markedman5]

We could have come close to 3 years 69 million but the Yankees gave him much much more. They gave him the option of earning 92 million more no matter what his health or performance is over the next 3 years or opting out if he is still at the top of his game and he feels like leaving. His choice not the Yankees. He gets a ton of money, flexibility, AND security.

 

CC got a sweet deal.

 

Congrats to him.

[jhpc12]

Tbadder[/b]]I think the reality of the situation is that the Brewers will have to settle for being competitive every five or six years, and then rebuild...

Sometimes the statements on this forum completely confuse me. Both JJ & Corey have said repeatedly that they want to remain with the Brewer's long term. Not once have they mentioned wanting out of Milwaukee.

 

If trying to get the best deal they can for themselves and family is wrong, then we probably need to ship out everyone and start all over because every player wants the maximum they can get in a long term contract.

[monty57]

Gallardo, Parra, Bush, Suppan is absolutely fine as a 2, 3, 4, 5. We need a #2 quality type starter and maybe a depth type guy that can slot in for injuries though that could be McClung or Capuano if healthy.

 

For the lineup all we really need is a left handed 4th OF and maybe some IF insurance that can play 2B and 3B(though I wouldn't turn down a full time 3B and Hall becoming the IF insurance guy). Then we need one solid bullpen arm.

 

All this talk about needing to rebuild the entire team is just going overboard.

 

Well put, ennder. People seem to forget that we were in the running before signing CC and after Yo went down early. Basically we had the current lineup plus Sheets, but without Yo, and we were leading the wildcard race and close to the Cubs. If we can add a good young pitcher to complement Yo, Parra, Bush, Suppan, sign one of Hoffman, Wood, Fuentes, and shore up 3B and the bench, we should deifinitely be a good team this year. And, who knows, if we are in the thick of it come July, who's to say we don't trade for next year's CC. We had a boatload of top draft picks last year, and we'll have another boatload of top draft picks this year, so our minor league system isn't drying up.

 

If a player doesn't want to be signed long term they need to dispense with him for maximum benefit (get rid of Hart and JJ quick they don't want to be here, they want to cash in).

 

While I for the most part agree with your sentiment, Hardy just made an appeal to Melvin not to trade him because he's "always wanted to be a Brewer." I say sign him up long-term and move him to third when Escobar's ready to step in. If you need to trade someone, use Hart, Cameron, Hall, Weeks, Fielder and prospects as your trade bait.

[dpapo]

Looks like we may end up getting the Yankees 1st round pick and still possible get a 1st round pick for Sheets, depending on who he signs with, according the latest reports from the mlb.com blog. Also the Yankees deal with Sabathia isn't officially finalized yet, but the Yankees are moving forward as if it is.

 

"A seventh year and significantly more compensation -- roughly $20 million more -- apparently is what prompted CC Sabathia to accept the Yankees' offer early Wednesday morning, MLB.com has learned. Though the agreement isn't finalized and neither the widely reported offer of $140 million nor the final figure of $160 million is precise, the Yankees are moving forward as if they have their hands on the pitcher they wanted most.

 

And forward, in this case, means pursuing two other free-agent pitchers -- Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett -- though the club wants to sign one, not both.

 

A person familiar with the Yankees' thinking and early-morning maneuvers explained that Wednesday. He said the club extended its offer to Sabathia from six to seven years to influence the free-agent pitcher at about 3 a.m. ET. The Yankees' rationale was essentially how great a difference is seven years to what they initially had proposed. The additional $20 million, of course, is a rather significant and, it seems, persuasive difference. It also increased dramatically the difference between the Yankees' offer and any other offer -- the Brewers' -- that Sabathia had received.

 

The source said the Yankees believe they can top the Braves' offer to Burnett if it is five years for $15 million per and that the Yankees' interest in Mark Teixeira has waned."

 

http://hotstove.mlblogs.c...s_for_sabathia_and_t.html

[Schlitz001]

I'm happy for CC and the Yankees. I'm happy for the Brewers, that they didn't go overboard with their offer and I'm happy for the compensation pick and the ability to move on from CC.

[RyDogg66]

The Yankees and Yankee fans must be thrilled to have a guy who truly wants to be there putting on the uniform everyday. It only took an extra two years a 70 million dollars to do it. I love how the Post reported it as it being official the Sabathia wanted to be a Yankee. Seems to me that he'd prefer to be about anything but, hence the ridiculously excessive contract they had to dole out.

 

Im not bitter at all, never had any illusion that we would resign him from the day we traded for him. Just seems so odd that people could actually proud or excited in NYC.

[JohnBriggs12]

All this talk about needing to rebuild the entire team is just going overboard.

 

Right -- we weren't good enough to catch the Cubs last year, and probably won't be this coming year either -- but we should be in the WC race from start to finish.

That's wishful thinking. The WC involves beating out 12 teams. As currently constructed, that's a very tall order for this team. To accomplish that feat, they need Gallardo to emerge into a true ace in his first full major league season. They also need either Parra or Bush to become a number 2 type starter. That's a taller order than Gallardo becoming an ace. They also need the back end to be solid. They have no depth so any injury would be disasterous.

 

They also need significant improvement from several of their everyday players. That's possible but the lineup still has the same flaws it had last year. It's too righthanded. It doesn't make enough contact and it doesn't get on base at a high enough rate.

 

That leaves the bullpen where considering the loss of starting pitching, they need an upgrade. That's with several key guys gone.

 

Attanasio had a lot of hutzpah to raise prices.

[TooLiveBrew]

For the Sheets angle... if the Yanks sign him is the comp pick we'd get for Ben still a sandwich btw. Rds. 1 & 2?

 

 

So I wonder if Melvin will spend the $15 - 20 million he had earmarked for CC next year? Does this open things up to take on salary all over the place?

 

Adam Dunn, please. I guess my ideal right now is that we'd sign Dunn & flip Hart for SPing.

 

 

EDIT: "The source said the Yankees believe they can top the Braves' offer to Burnett if it is five years for $15 million per and that the Yankees' interest in Mark Teixeira has waned."

 

If those tidbits are actually true (hard to believe any reports until they're official), that's excellent news for the Crew.

 

 

As currently constructed, that's a very tall order for this team.

 

Well good thing its's December 10th then. To try & analyze any playoff or WC races right now is almost pointless. But it seems to make people feel better that they can complain. Melvin has said since well before CC signed that if they miss out on him, the SPing would be addressed via trade.

[Roderick]

I know they are the Yankees but I don't think they can afford Tex too. Atleast i can't comprehend that one.

The Yankees could afford CC and Tex and Sheets and still run a profit (excluding any new stadium financing costs that would be amortized). They had a lot of expiring contracts and have a ton of local media revenue.

[trwi7]

For the Sheets angle... if the Yanks sign him is the comp pick we'd get for Ben still a sandwich btw. Rds. 1 & 2?

Yes. All comp picks that are not surrendered by a team are between the 1st and 2nd round.