New York Yankees: Earlier ‘Courtship’ of CC Sabathia Now Posing Problems
February 16, 2011 · Tom Au · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
One of the telltale signs that your spouse or significant other may be planning to leave you is when that person loses weight. In the case of the New York Yankees, that “spouse” may be CC Sabathia.
To carry the “marriage” analogy further, most marriages are made “for life,” a construct honored more in the breach than the observance. But some cultures allow “term marriage” for a specified time period, meaning that relationship would automatically terminate after a specified period of time, unless renewed.
The Yankees might not have thought about this angle when they signed a contract that committed THEM for seven years, but Sabathia for only three, with an opt-out at HIS discretion after that term.
In 2009, this seemed like a match made in heaven; a World Series won by a hard-hitting team, led by a Cy Young winning pitcher at the top of the rotation, with the prospect of more to come. In 2010, this match became attenuated as both hitters and pitchers took a step backward and the Yankees made it to the playoffs, but only as a wild card, and only through the wild card round.
The test of a marriage occurs when reality sets in, and this “marriage” was no different. The one “spouse” Sabathia, loses weight in order to be more effective, while the other one, the Yankees, tries to “get younger” (with new players) and fails to do so. “Real” marriages are often strained when one partner succeeds in this endeavor, and the other doesn’t.
The test will come this season, when the effects of Sabathia’s weight loss are felt. If he continues to produce at his 2010 level, he might not command more as a free agent than he would be making from the Yankees. But if his weight loss makes him more “attractive” (by pulling him back up to his 2009 performance level), he’s gone, or at least in a position to negotiate a new, more lucrative contract in the Bronx.
The Yankees got into this bind by giving Sabathia a one-way option. According to news reports, this was part of General Manager Brian Cashman’s “courtship” of Sabathia, without anything being asked in return. It was like saying “Marry me, and I’ll let you out at the end of three years with no penalty if it doesn’t work for you.”
In fact, the writer (seller) of a option USUALLY gets “paid,” up front, but loses a lot of flexibility down the line. It’s the holder of such an option that stands to profit it a big way, if it makes sense to “opt out.” His position is “heads I win, tails I don’t lose.” That person is CC Sabathia.
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