Kuzul

One of the telltale signs that your spouse or significant other may be planning to leave you is when that person loses weight. In the case of the New York Yankees, that “spouse” may be CC Sabathia.

To carry the “marriage” analogy further, most marriages are made “for life,” a construct honored more in the breach than the observance. But some cultures allow “term marriage” for a specified time period, meaning that relationship would automatically terminate after a specified period of time, unless renewed.

The Yankees might not have thought about this angle when they signed a contract that committed THEM for seven years, but Sabathia for only three, with an opt-out at HIS discretion after that term.

In 2009, this seemed like a match made in heaven; a World Series won by a hard-hitting team, led by a Cy Young winning pitcher at the top of the rotation, with the prospect of more to come. In 2010, this match became attenuated as both hitters and pitchers took a step backward and the Yankees made it to the playoffs, but only as a wild card, and only through the wild card round.

The test of a marriage occurs when reality sets in, and this “marriage” was no different. The one “spouse” Sabathia, loses weight in order to be more effective, while the other one, the Yankees, tries to “get younger” (with new players) and fails to do so. “Real” marriages are often strained when one partner succeeds in this endeavor, and the other doesn’t.

The test will come this season, when the effects of Sabathia’s weight loss are felt. If he continues to produce at his 2010 level, he might not command more as a free agent than he would be making from the Yankees. But if his weight loss makes him more “attractive” (by pulling him back up to his 2009 performance level), he’s gone, or at least in a position to negotiate a new, more lucrative contract in the Bronx.

The Yankees got into this bind by giving Sabathia a one-way option. According to news reports, this was part of General Manager Brian Cashman’s “courtship” of Sabathia, without anything being asked in return. It was like saying “Marry me, and I’ll let you out at the end of three years with no penalty if it doesn’t work for you.”

In fact, the writer (seller) of a option USUALLY gets “paid,” up front, but loses a lot of flexibility down the line. It’s the holder of such an option that stands to profit it a big way, if it makes sense to “opt out.” His position is “heads I win, tails I don’t lose.” That person is CC Sabathia.

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A majority of MLB position players will be at the site of their teams’ Spring Training camps by the end of the day Wednesday, and that certainly includes Albert Pujols. The St. Louis Cardinals and Pujols remain far apart on a potential contract extension, meaning a Jamesean (LeBronian?) season of media hoopla lies ahead.

In the meantime, though, there will be real live baseball, with bats and balls and gloves and (hopefully) other things to talk and think about than Albert Pujols’ contract. Read on for some fun and fascinating tidbits from around baseball.

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Just when you thought the offseason couldn’t get any worse for the New York Yankees, there is now talk of CC Sabathia possibly opting out of his contract after the 2011 season.

Considering Andy Pettitte’s retirement last week, that would be very, very bad news for Yankees fans with AJ Burnett projected as the team’s ace in 2012 were CC to leave.

Sabathia originally signed a seven-year $161 million contract with New York prior to the 2009 MLB Season. The contract includes an opt-out clause after the third year (2011) which would allow the lefty to become a free agent again or pursue an even better extension with the Yankees.

In October during the team’s playoff run, CC Sabathia told reporters that he had no intentions of opting out of his contract. Now on Monday in Tampa, FLA with a new season looming, Sabathia is changing his tune.

When asked if he would opt out of his contract, Sabathia replied,”I have no idea. It’s still in my contract, anything can happen.”

It is possible that Sabathia truly doesn’t know what he will do following the 2011 MLB Season, it is also possible that his agent instructed him to say that in order to get the New York Yankees thinking about life without CC and what they would do not to lose him.

I think he knows exactly what he intends to do next season. Like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh scheming to join the Miami Heat in 2010, it is my best guess that CC Sabathia intends to partner with friend and former Cleveland Indian teammate Cliff Lee and join the Philadelphia Phillies in 2012.

It might seem unlikely, but did you ever think Lee would be going to Philadelphia instead of New York or Texas? I didn’t think so.

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Before anybody gets excited here, this is just a hypothetical situation. 

It’s a situation created in order to prove a point, and to create an awareness of the value of top prospects.

But are they really worth the insanely high price tag placed upon them?

That’s what I hope to accomplish with this article. 

By the time you are done reading this, I want you to question the train of thought of general managers around the game when they deem a minor league kid untouchable. 

That’s probably a good place to start—deeming minor leaguers untouchable.

General managers always declare their first round draft choices untouchable. With all they hype surrounding the “future star,” teams hope to bank in on the potential of their newest player. But “potential” is clearly the most important word here.

Prospects like Matt Bush (2004), Brien Taylor (1991), Bryan Bullington (2002), Jeff Clement (2005), and Eric Munson (1999) were all number one overall picks in their respective drafts. They all failed to be quality Major League players. 

They were all untouchable.

Teams rely heavily on their farm system. Whether they actually depend on it for talent, or for exploiting the other team’s desire for prospects, is a question that will continue to be asked for as long as prospects have value in the sport.

The high tier prospects who aren’t untouchable, though, are often shipped off to other teams for established Major Leaguers.

Oftentimes, these deals leave me utterly confused. 

For example, when the Brewers received several months of CC Sabathia for “the next great power hitter” in Matt LaPorta, I was left speechless. Sabathia went on to pitch absolutely lights out, leading Milwaukee to the playoffs, and LaPorta has still yet to make anything of himself in the bigs.

It happens every trade deadline. Countless prospects are shipped out to bring in veterans who already have a good reputation around the league.

This is my question for the teams giving up the established talent: why would you ever do such a thing?

Sure, sometimes GM’s are so enticed by the hype that they salivate when another GM offers their top prospect for a veteran player on their team. But, come on.

Who would you rather have, the player who has actually hit 30 home runs in each of the past three seasons, or the player who has the potential to hit 30 home runs for several years to come?

By now I’m sure you can all tell what my answer is, but think about it. 

What do you think?

So herein lies the question—if you are Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, and Nationals GM Mike Rizzo were to offer you his best prospect, 18-year old Bryce Harper, for the decade’s best slugger, Albert Pujols, would you make the deal?

Harper has been compared to the second coming of Jesus Christ, and everyone in the baseball world expects him to be the next Babe Ruth.

Pujols, on the other hand, is arguably the best player in the game today. He’s already being considered one of the greatest first basemen of all time, and he still has several years ahead of him.

Harper may very well turn out to be the games next legend, but he isn’t one yet— but Pujols is. He is every bit one of the best players this game has ever seen.

So, the game’s best prospect for the game’s current best player. 

Would you pull the trigger?

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After a 2010 free agent market that, aside from Cliff Lee, really was not all that impressive, the 2011 free agent market is starting to look incredible.

Albert Pujols talks with the St. Louis Cardinals are not going well, and the odds of him signing a contract before the noon deadline tomorrow is virtually nil. It has become known as well that CC Sabathia has an opt out clause in his contract, and can become a free agent after this season and look for more money elsewhere.

Having the best hitter of this era and one of the best pitchers of this era in the same free agent market will undoubtedly cause fireworks should it actually happen. Then again, both players could easily re-sign with their own teams and knock down this upcoming free agent class’s quality.

Which one of these two superstars is actually more likely to leave?

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When the New York Yankees signed pitcher CC Sabathia to a seven-year, $161 million contract, they included opt-out clauses in each of the first three years of the deal. Why? Because Sabathia wasn’t sure he wanted to pitch in New York, so to lure the hefty left-hander into pinstripes, the Yankees gave him an out.

Yesterday, when asked whether he would opt out and become a free agent at the end of the upcoming season, Sabathia said, “I have no idea. [The opt-out clause] is still in my contract. Anything is possible.”

Let’s get one thing straight: If Sabathia has another great season for the Yankees, he’s going to opt out. How do we know this? Because he’s not an idiot.

In two seasons in New York, Sabathia is 40-15 with a 3.27 ERA. He finished third in the AL MVP voting last season. Let’s be honest: considering the state of the Yankees’ starting rotation, the Yankees need CC more than he needs them.

So if Sabathia puts together another great season, he’ll either opt out of his his current contract and become a free agent, or use that possibility as leverage against the Yankees to add some more years and more dollars to his contract.

Sabathia isn’t going to announce his decision during the playoffs, a la Alex Rodriguez, but he is going to opt out.

That said, if Sabathia becomes a free agent, the New York Mets have got to get on the phone and sign this guy. There are a million reasons why they should and almost no reasons why they shouldn’t.

Sabathia is a workhorse, something the Mets probably wouldn’t know what to do with if they had him. Sabathia has thrown a minimum of 230 innings in each of the last four seasons.

He’s pitched through five trips into the postseason, granted to the tune of a 4.66 ERA, but he’d still be one of only two Mets’ starters with postseason experience—the other being Johan Santana, of course.

Sabathia will turn 31 in July, so he’s still well in his prime, making a long-term deal about as low-risk as they come.

And let’s be honest: the Mets need to make a splash. The 2012 free-agent pool is thin on starting pitching, the Mets’ biggest need, and bringing in Sabathia would give the Mets an immediate boost, not to mention they will have stolen the No. 1 starter of their cross-town rival.

When you start talking dollars, that’s where things get a little difficult. Most recently, the Philadelphia Phillies signed ace Cliff Lee to a five-year, $120 million contract, far less than Sabathia’s current deal. Lee will make just $11 million this season, but then it jumps to $21.5 million in 2012 and $25 million from 2013-2015.

If Lee is making $25 million at the age of 35, Sabathia certainly deserves as much at 32.

The Mets will have $55 to $60 million coming off the books after this season. They’ll need to make a decision regarded shortstop Jose Reyes, but that could come during the season so we may have a clearer picture of the Mets’ finances if they re-sign Reyes.

The other question is just how much of that available money will be reinvested in the team. Until the Piccard lawsuit is settled, we wont know what affect it will have on the team’s operations. General Manager Sandy Alderson has also said that the Mets payroll is “significantly” higher than he’d like.

Right now, the Mets’ payroll will be between $145 to $150 million. So what’s the number they’d like to have—$125 million? $130 million?

Sabathia has another five years and $115 million left on his contract. Could the Mets afford to make that seven years and $180 million?

Johan Santana will make $22.5 million in 2011, $24 million in 2012 and $25.5 million in 2013. Combined with Sabathia’s potential salary, and that’s a lot of payroll committed to two players, something Alderson may not be in favor of.

But the Mets are more in need of a big move than almost every other team in baseball. Their fanbase is opting more and more to stay home instead of going to the games, they’re looking at hundreds of millions being sent back to the victims of Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme, and every day that Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez remain on the roster, the team loses credibility.

And what would energize the fanbase more than adding a pitcher like CC Sabathia, especially when you take him from the Yankees, leaving their rotation in ruins?

If Sabathia hits free agency, the Mets have to try to sign him. It’s a no-brainer, guaranteed beneficial move. It gives the Mets one of the best one-two punches in baseball, with Sabathia and Santana at the top of their rotation, and a hugely popular New York baseball player to energize the fanbase.

Sabathia has reportedly dropped 25 pounds to start this season; he’s going to have a great year once again. That means he’s going to opt-out of his contract and he’s going to want more money and more years.

The Mets have to give it to him.

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Courtesy of Yankees ‘n More

As you likely know by now, thanks to reports in Tuesday morning’s New York Daily News and New York Post, CC Sabathia currently holds a GIGANTIC hammer—by way of his end-of-season opt-out clause—over the heads of the entire New York Yankees organization.

What’s most interesting about this…oops…I’m sorry. Did I say interesting?

I meant what’s most damning about this whole thing is that general manager Brian Cashman is not only the one who basically forced Sabathia to hold the hammer, but also the one responsible for making it so ginormous.

When asked about Sabathia’s opt-out clause on Monday, Cashman again admitted that the whole thing was his idea. He just “threw in” the opt-out clause, he says, as a way of making sure Sabathia was “comfortable” with New York.

And remember, after Sabathia signed his deal, he said was “100% committed to New York” and that he neither asked for or even needed an opt-out clause.

It was all Cashman’s brilliant idea.

Now, sources from those previously mentioned reports say Sabathia will indeed use that opt-out clause, but not because he doesn’t like New York.

He will use it because, quite frankly, he’d have to be a moron if he didn’t use it.

At the end of this season, Sabathia will be 31 years old and have four years and a total of $94 million remaining on his current deal. Consider that Cliff Lee, who is 32, just signed a five-year, $120 million contract with the Phillies and many believe he left at least some money on the table.

So, what does Sabathia get, assuming reasonable health, when he opts out of his current deal? A conservative guess would be at least six years and $140 million. That’s a minimum of two extra years (at ages 36 and 37) and another $56 million worth of risk the Yankees will be forced assume thanks to Cashman’s opt-out idea.

And here’s the real kicker: Thanks to Cashman’s inability to provide the Yankees with any real options over the last two-plus years since Sabathia signed his deal, New York’s ace has the team completely over a barrel.

In this story from Tuesday’s Journal News, the Yankees’ current rotation was referred to as “remarkably thin.”

So short of something really dramatic, the Bombers are going to be forced to give Sabathia basically whatever he wants or go ace-less.

What we are really dealing with here is multiple levels of incompetence on the part of Cashman compounding themselves into a real problem for the Yankees.

First, Cashman gave Sabathia the hammer by volunteering the opt-out clause, then he turned it into a sledgehammer by failing to provide any other options for the franchise that provides Cashman with never-before-seen resources with which to do his job.

There is a sliver of good news for the Yankees in all of this. At almost exactly the same time Sabathia figures to be wielding his GM-provided and enhanced weapon, Cashman’s current contract will expire.

Here’s hoping Hal Steinbrenner has been paying attention to just how much Cashman’s incompetence has cost and damaged his late father’s most-prized possession. After all, not only is Cashman the one who gave Sabathia his giant hammer, he’s also the one who turned the Yankees into a $200 million underdog.

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Last season, New York Yankees ace CC Sabathia stated to the press that despite having the option to do so, he would not opt out of his contract.  Joining the team in 2009, the big lefty’s seven-year, $161 million deal has a clause that allows him to opt out after three years, should he want to.

Just yesterday, however, Sabathia hinted that he might exercise that clause after the season.  Being a Yankee fan, I just had one response.  WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Sabathia is, for all intents and purposes, the top dog of the Yankees pitching staff.  Were he to opt out for more money, there aren’t any other big market teams who would be able to swing the funds to do so.  Long story short, it would be the stupidest career decision he could possibly make.

Hell, while we’re at it, let’s have a look at some other, less idiotic things that could happen!

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“Athlete” and “in shape” are often thought of as going together. It’s part of the requirement, right?

You can’t be one without the other.

Unless, of course, you are a major league baseball player. Then being fat is okay.

Maybe it’s part of the appeal millions of Americans still have to what was once the national pastime, but baseball is a sport that can be played by the short or tall, fast or slow and in-shape or out of shape.

However, some players have taken the inherent advantage of being able to coast to a whole other level. There are some diamond stars that believe it’s not just about what you do on the field, but how much you can eat off of it.

Maybe it’s the constant travel, or the need to unwind before and after the games, but these 25 players could use a little more time at the gym.

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After finishing in second place last season and not adding another world championship to their collection, the popular thought was that the Yankees would reload over the offseason. All signs pointed toward yes during their pursuit of Cliff Lee, but as it turns out, money really ISN’T everything to some people.

The challenge the Yankees will face this year will be their rotation. While CC Sabathia is a solid ace, once you get past him there are a lot of question marks. Phil Hughes looks like a solid starter, maybe not a No. 2 which is most likely where he will fall in the rotation this year, but solid.

AJ Burnett is looking to bounce back from a down year which seemed more related to his mental approach than his stuff. Joba Chamberlain, we’re being told, won’t be a starter and Andy Pettitte has decided to retire. The recent signing of Freddy Garcia at least moves either Ivan Nova or Sergio Mitre out of the rotation, thankfully for all those Yankee fans.

If Cashman can find another arm, Burnett find his way back into form and Hughes continues to develop, they could have a very good staff; if all those things don’t happen, it will be below average. Unless of course you’re holding out hope for Bartolo Colon to round into form.

Notable Losses: Javier Vazquez, Lance Berkman, Marcus Thames 

Notable Pick-Ups: Freddy Garcia, Rafael Soriano, Andruw Jones, Russell Martin, Pedro Feliciano

While overall I still see a 90-plus win team here, the concern is not that the Yankees have declined, but how much the Red Sox have improved. On paper I would see the Yanks finishing in second once again, but this year it will be behind the Sox. Of course, that’s just on paper and there’s a reason they still play the games.

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