MLB

Sabathia opt-out could make Yankees offseason interesting

All the free agent talk has centered on Jose Reyes. It’s a no-brainer for the Mets to keep Reyes, if they are serious about being a representative New York team.

If the Mets really want to make a splash and turn this city upside down, though, it’s sitting right there in front of them on a CC platter.

CC Sabathia most certainly will opt out of his contract at the end of the season. When he becomes a free agent, the Mets should make a run at him. It’s probably a pipe dream, but imagine holding onto Reyes and adding Sabathia. Imagine the excitement that would create in Mets Land.

BOX SCORE

PHOTOS: YANKEES IN JUNE

Even if the Mets don’t sign him, just by making a play on Sabathia it would show that they are in it to win it for a change and are not the same old Mets. It worked for the Phillies.

Sabathia would dominate the NL like he dominated the Brewers yesterday in the Yankees’ 5-0 victory, the final tune-up before Round II of the Subway Series begins tonight against the Mets at Citi Field.

Sabathia, who admitted he was nervous pitching against his old team, equaled a career high with 13 strikeouts over 72⁄3 innings as he improved to 11-4. This marked the most strikeouts by a Yankees left-hander since David Wells struck out 13 on Sept. 1, 1998, vs. Oakland.

Pitching at Citi Field would be a piece of cake for Sabathia, and he would get the chance to hit, too, something he said he loves to do. Sabathia loves the pinstripes, and his wife Amber loves the Yankee life as well, but anything is possible in this business of baseball.

The bottom line here is that Sabathia is the kind of anchor every championship-caliber team needs. Bernie Williams knows that.

“He’s a very special player to have. A guy like that is a great luxury to have, a guy that you can rely on every five days and give you such a great quality start,” Williams told the Post at the launching of his new book “Rhythms of the Game.”

“Pitching is the most important ingredient to building a championship,” Williams added. “CC is just so much fun the watch.”

Sabathia toyed with Milwaukee, the team that has led the NL Central since June 12. The Yankees are a combined 24-9 this season against the NL and the AL West — which is the closest thing to the NL in the AL.

This was Sabathia’s first meeting against his old team. He was 11-2 with the Brewers with a 1.65 ERA during his stint there in 2008. He loved his time there.

All you need to know about the National League is that left-hander Randy Wolf came into the game with a better ERA than Sabathia. Wolf started the day at 3.20 while CC was at 3.25. Sabathia ended the day with a 3.05 ERA while Wolf’s ERA rose to 3.33.

The Mets should at least get in the conversation, if for no other reason to raise the price for the Yankees. No matter what, the key for the Mets is to find superstars who relish the New York spotlight, players like Reyes and Sabathia.

Sabathia loved being a Brewer and an Indian, too. He’s one of those players teammates rally around.

“CC could spend a week on a team and you’d fall in love with his personality. That’s the type of guy he is,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

The Mets’ recent success shows that it doesn’t take much to turn it around. They can become a force in the NL if they just play the financial game the way a New York team should attack the market.

The Phillies have done that, and look at all the success they have had — posting the most wins in baseball after going out and stealing Cliff Lee away from the Yankees. The Mets should take their best shot, too.

This is New York, not Milwaukee. Sabathia has made the most of his time here and is 51-19 as a Yankee.

Bottom line, he’s a difference maker.

kevin.kernan@nypost.com