To secure CC Sabathia, the Yankees had to go farther west than Las Vegas and further north than $140 million. Nevertheless, it was worth every frequent-flyer mile and dollar to the Yanks to secure their top offseason target.
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HARDBALL AT THE WINTER MEETINGS
The Yankees and Sabathia reached agreement on a seven-year, $160 million framework late Tuesday night. That they did so in northern California brought a memorable touch to this prolonged negotiation. The final contract language was still being finalized and Sabathia had to pass a physical before the largest pitching package in history is complete and the Yankees officially can say they have landed their No. 1 target of the offseason.
Until Tuesday, the Yankees still were sitting on a six-year, $140 million deal and GM Brian Cashman still was doing business at the Winter Meetings at the Bellagio. Nevertheless, during face-to-face sitdowns on Sunday and Monday with Sabathia in Vegas, Cashman had floated the idea of wanting to go to the big lefty’s northern California home and meet his whole family. At about 3 p.m. Tuesday, Cashman received a call from Sabathia’s reps saying the invitation was accepted.
“I’ve been wanting to get in front of him for a while and also wanted the opportunity to meet his family,” Cashman said. “They welcomed that idea so I bolted. When the opportunity is given, that is an opportunity I have to take.”
Cashman flew into Oakland, went to the Sabathia home to meet the pitcher, his wife Amber and their children. At around midnight, he increased the Yankees’ offer by $20 million. And for the first time, Cashman heard Sabathia say there was a deal, he wanted to be a Yankee. It had been a rather stealth enterprise by the Yankees GM until The Post exclusively broke the story at 4:15 a.m.
Cashman had flown with one of Sabathia’s reps, Brian Peters, and returned yesterday around 9 a.m. The addition of Sabathia will make the Yanks more formidable in the AL East, and the round-trip flight gave Cashman an avenue to tweak the club’s great rival. “Commercial,” Cashman said when asked how he flew. “We’re not the Red Sox.”
Still, the Yanks are not done building their team for the AL East. They are attempting to add two more starters to join Sabathia, Chien-Ming Wang and Joba Chamberlain.
The Yankees have plans to see shortly what Andy Pettitte’s intentions are. They have offered him a one-year deal for $10 million that he currently is unwilling to accept. A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe also are on the Yankees’ radar.
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The Yanks were continuing mild dialogue with Milwaukee about center fielder Mike Cameron, a pal of Sabathia. A Yankees official did not think it was a front-burner issue, but a source outside the organization thought a deal could happen.
With the nation’s economy sagging, Cashman was asked how the Yankees could afford to sign the largest pitching contract ever. He said, “We had a lot of money coming off our payroll,” said Cashman, who shed about $88 million from last season’s tab.
Because a six-year, $140 million offer was presented to Sabathia on Nov. 14, Cashman was asked why it took almost a month to sign even though the only other offer was a five-year deal worth $100 million from the Brewers?
“Like anything else in life, you want to get it right,” said Cashman, who believed he was making progress from the first meeting and was encouraged the pitcher wanted to meet for a third straight day.
– Additional reporting by Mark Hale