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Love might not conquer business for CC Sabathia.
The Yankees ace — a possible free agent — reiterated yesterday he loves being in New York. But though Sabathia admitted it would be hard to leave, he said that won’t necessarily carry his decision.
“Of course it would be [difficult to leave]. It was difficult for me to leave Milwaukee. But you understand that baseball is a business,” Sabathia told The Post outside Yankee Stadium yesterday. “I do love it here. My family loves it here. But we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
That Sabathia cited his time with the Brewers could be an ominous sign and an indicator the lefty is prepared to play hardball with the Yankees.
The Indians dealt Sabathia to Milwaukee during the 2008 season, and after he went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts with the Brewers and helped them make the playoffs, he signed with the Yankees when he became a free agent following that season, inking his seven-year, $161 million deal.
Sabathia now must decide whether to opt out of that contract within three days of the end of the World Series.
“The business side, I can respect that,” general manager Brian Cashman said.
Speaking for the first time since he addressed the media after the Yankees lost the ALDS last week, Sabathia said yesterday there was no further update on his decision, saying: “It’s been two days.”
The Yankees could try to pre-empt his opt-out by signing him to an extension, but Sabathia said the team has not reached out to him. Cashman confirmed the Yankees have not begun talking with the pitcher.
“Not yet. Just waiting to see,” Sabathia said. “This is really the first day. Just waiting for the weekend to get over, so we’ll see what happens.”
Sabathia did not give any timetable for the decision and was unsure whether Cashman’s status would affect things. The general manager’s contract expires at the end of this month.
Sabathia has four years and $92 million remaining on his deal ($23 million annually). At age 31 and considering the level of pitcher he is, he could almost certainly get more than that on the open market.
Last offseason, the Yankees offered Cliff Lee seven years and $146 million (approximately $20.9 million per season), and Lee was a year older (32) than Sabathia is now and had not enjoyed as much success in New York as Sabathia.
Sabathia went 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA this season and has gone 59-23 with a 3.18 ERA in 101 starts over three years with the Yankees, averaging a 20-8 record and 34 starts per season. He declared after Game 5 of the ALDS last Thursday he believes he can be an ace for another six or seven years, saying: “There’s no reason to think I can’t.”
Sabathia lives in New Jersey, and he will be here during the offseason “[hanging] out with the family and [watching] some football.”
Sabathia said he will not be visiting Yankee Stadium much, though.
“This will be the last time you see me here for a while,” Sabathia said jokingly. — Additional reporting
by George A. King III