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Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia share so much in common. They are lefty aces. They were traded from the Indians into the NL midway through the season after winning the Cy Young. They entered free agency as — by far — the dominant pitchers on the market.
In both instances, they were the Yankees’ main free-agent targets at a time when the team recognized it might have to convince the respective families that New York would be a good place to play for a long time.
Nevertheless, when it came to Sabathia, the Yankees delivered an instant financial salvo designed not only to lure him, but to defuse other suitors. Within 24 hours of when bidding was allowed after the 2008 season, the Yankees offered Sabathia a six-year, $140 million contract, topping the then-pitching record of six years at $137.5 million the Mets had given Johan Santana.
More important, the Yankees blew away the five years at $100 million Milwaukee had proposed to retain Sabathia. Brewers general manager Doug Melvin publicly criticized the offer. But the Yankees reasoned that the final number would end up north of Santana, so why encourage others to go along incrementally? Instead, they delivered a muscular bid designed to scare suitors out of contention.
General manager Brian Cashman finished off the negotiation during the December 2008 Winter Meetings by flying to Sabathia’s northern California home to quell any of the well-publicized worries Sabathia and his wife, Amber, had about New York. He also added a seventh year to the proposal, signing Sabathia for $161 million.
Now, Cashman might be following the Sabathia model — but somewhat in reverse.
Cashman flew to Lee’s Arkansas home, not to finish off a deal like with Sabathia, but to take steps yesterday to convince the pitcher and his wife, Kristen that New York is for them. Remember, Kristen publicly chastised the boorishness of Yankees fans during the ALCS. Nevertheless, Darek Braunecker, Lee’s agent, has said he cannot see that mattering in negotiations.
Cashman had made contact with Braunecker on Sunday night shortly after outside teams could begin negotiating with free agents and, at that time, Braunecker delivered an open invitation for Lee to visit New York or Cashman to visit Arkansas. It was believed the Yankees were the first team to visit.
This time, however, there has been no gigantic initial offer. That is mostly because of the belief that Lee and Braunecker want to work to create a bidding war to drive up the dollars.
Besides — unlike Milwaukee and Sabathia — the Yankees see the Rangers as potentially more formidable competition to fight to keep Lee.
Rangers officials, however, have told friends in the industry that they assume the Yankees will go to a place financially — specifically in years offered — that Texas probably cannot follow. The Rangers might be able to afford it, but unlike the uber-rich Yankees, they cannot absorb it on the payroll if Lee’s performance declines steeply because of age and/or injury.
The wild card is viewed as team president Nolan Ryan, who outside executives see as more voracious to keep Lee at giant dollars than is general manager Jon Daniels. Could Ryan convince the two rich oilmen behind the new ownership to dig deep for Lee? The Angels covertly bid on Sabathia two offseasons ago and it would not be surprising if there was a darkhorse — Washington or Boston — doing the same with Lee.
Once the bidding begins in earnest, Sabathia will be the touchstone as Lee shoots for record dollars. In the three years before free agency, Lee and Sabathia have remarkably similar numbers across the board, including that Sabathia was 48-28 with a 3.03 ERA from 2006-08 with a Cy, and Lee was 48-25 the last three seasons with a 2.98 ERA with a Cy. Lee has postseason achievements that tower above what Sabathia had heading into free agency, but Sabathia was 29 when he hit free agency and Lee is 32.
The age will move most teams, including the Yankees to try to keep the commitment in years down. I imagine the Yankees will offer four or five and — like Sabathia in the end — use adding an extra year (probably five to six) as the inducement to get Lee signed.
joel.sherman@nypost.com