CC Sabathia: Lee’s Contract Has No Effect on Me At All
December 8, 2010 · Bronx Baseball Daily · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Via George King of the NY Post:
CC Sabathia said whatever Cliff Lee pulls down won’t lead to the Yankees’ ace exercising an opt out clause in his contract after next year.
“It has no effect on me at all,” Sabathia told The Post yesterday when asked if Lee’s projected windfall could lead the Yankees’ ace to opt out of the seven-year deal that has four years and $97 million remaining.
Sabathia said late last season he wasn’t going to opt out. He has built a big house in Bergen County, which he lives in all year, and enjoys pitching for the Yankees.
After this season Sabathia will have four-years and $97 million left on his contract and can opt-out. He’ll be 31-years-old, or a full year younger than Lee is now. It is very realistic that he could earn an identical contract, plus an extra year, as Lee receives this off-season if he opts-out a year from now.
A lot of people have a hard time believing that he won’t opt-out of his contract and seek an extension of his own if Lee lands a six or seven year deal.
At this point, no major star who has had an opt-out clause has failed to use it, including Alex Rodriguez, A.J. Burnett and J.D. Drew. Sabathia has been as consistent as he has been emphatic when discussing his own clause.
Will he opt-out? He says no, but only time will tell. Personally, I want to believe him, but he could potentially be leaving $65 or so million on the table.
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