Tuesday, June 17, 2008
NY Post - Sherman: Don’t Expect C.C. Soon
The Gagne non-deal is instructive to how the Yanks are likely to act now. Like Gagne last year, Sabathia is in his walk year. The asking price for a top, one-inning reliever - even in his walk year - was Cabrera and Kennedy. So anybody dreaming up trades should recognize how much greater the demand is going to be for the defending Cy Young winner.
Cashman advised not to go after Johan Santana in the offseason and my suspicion is he is going to advise not to go after Sabathia for the same reasons: He will consider the price in prospects and dollars too large, since the only way to justify surrendering a huge prospect basket is if the Yanks extend Sabathia long-term. And the Yanks will have to convince themselves Sabathia is the current David Wells - a lefty who is durable despite an oversized physique - to even pursue him as a free agent after the season when it would only cost dollars.
Remember that when the Yanks did not land Gagne, they looked within, turning Joba Chamberlain from a starter to set-up man. The Yanks do not have anybody of that pedigree to call as a starter now, so they will give reliever-turned-starter Dan Giese the first shot. Privately, the Yanks feel Giese’s lack of a third pitch will limit him as a starter. But when the choice is Giese or the mojo-negating Kei Igawa, the Yanks will go with Giese.
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