LAS VEGAS – Brian Cashman has been having difficulty convincing CC Sabathia to give up his California dream. So, of all things, Cashman flew to San Francisco yesterday to intensify his case.
And suddenly it is looking much better that the Yankees are going to get their No. 1 target.
Cashman slipped out of the Winter Meetings to meet for the third straight day with Sabathia. But rather than meet in Vegas, Cashman went further west, two sources confirmed to The Post.
The reason was to talk not only with Sabathia, but with the pitcher’s wife, Amber.
A person familiar with the negotiations said Cashman was more optimistic than ever yesterday about the Yankees landing Sabathia.
It was possible, the source said, that Cashman could be doing more than selling New York and the Yankees again. He could actually begin the process of finalizing a contract.
The Yankees extended a six-year, $140 million bid to Sabathia nearly a month ago. As the weeks passed and Sabathia did not accept the deal, a feeling began to pervade that the 2007 AL Cy Young winner was trying to avoid The Bronx.
It was clear his preference was the West Coast and/or the National League. But it was possible that Sabathia’s preferred teams and/or the money was not going to be there, and that made Cashman’s appeals more alluring.
The team the Yanks had been fearing the most in the Sabathia sweepstakes, the Angels, all but publicly bowed out yesterday, another symbol that the Yanks were moving closer to securing their ace.
The Yanks long had believed they were most serious stalking horse for Sabathia. The theory was that if Mark Teixeira signed elseWhere, the Angels would refocus their dollars and energies on Sabathia.
But yesterday their owner, Arte Moreno, told SI.com that “Teixeira’s my guy. .Ñ.Ñ. I wouldn’t say we’re in the Sabathia picture at all. We have four pitchers. And we’re not getting into a long, drawn-out process. He has a very good offer on the table. And we’re not in that ballpark.”
If the Angels were eliminated, the potential suitor pool would shrink. The Dodgers have shown no desire to spend this significantly on Sabathia. The Giants lurk potentially to offer a big payday, but not nearly to the scale of the Yankees. Brewers GM Doug Melvin said the club has yet to raise its five-year, $100 million offer, but it’s possible Milwaukee still might.
But the Yankees suddenly were feeling much better about Sabathia at a time when they were trying to make sure they would not be shut out of the premium pitching market if Sabathia did spurn them.
Cashman had met Monday night with A.J. Burnett’s agent, Darek Braunacker, and expressed a willingness to exceed the four-year, $60 million bid by the Braves and that they would seriously consider going to a fifth year.
“We never doubted their sincere efforts,” Braunacker said. “I have maintained that if A.J. wants five years, he will get five years.”
Cashman also met with Scott Boras and the Yanks appeared willing to go to the four-year, $60 million plus range for Derek Lowe.
In addition, the Yanks have talked with agents for several other starters, including Andy Pettitte, Randy Wolf, Oliver Perez and Ben Sheets. The Yankees received medical records on the oft-injured Sheets and were studying them. One person in the loop described Cashman as really pushing in a much more forceful way to begin closing deals, with or without Sabathia.
The Yanks know the worst scenario would be to be completely shut out on the top-tier pitching buffet. That would be humiliating. That would be the entire sport essentially saying the Yankees have the money, but no one wants to take it as a first option any longer.
Obviously, the Yanks have prioritized Sabathia, imagining him as the ace in their new stadium. But if they were able to secure two or three starters from the group of Burnett, Lowe, Sheets and Pettitte, then they would still feel they had a strong rotation entering the 2009 season.
More and more, however, it looks as if they will get Sabathia and fill in with one or two others around him.