Yankees CC Sabathia Thinks ‘Rotation Can Be Really Good’

On Tuesday evening against the Rays, CC Sabathia looks to get the Yankees into the win column. It certainly sounds like he’s ready to do just that.

On the eve of his first start of the 2017 season, Yankees No. 2 starter CC Sabathia believes the club’s current rotation can be very good… wait for it… if everyone stays healthy.

Speaking with Newsday, Sabathia said:

“We definitely have the talent and the arms in here to do it. So it’s just staying healthy.”

This isn’t exactly a bold statement, as I’m sure almost each one of the remaining 29 teams in baseball believes the same to be true of their staff.

Alas, the Yankees have tabbed the 36-year-old lefthander to be their counterpunch to Masahiro Tanaka. An interesting move, indeed — this time last season Sabathia barely made the rotation out of Spring Training.

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So the Yanks are either really high on their former workhorse, following up 2016s decent showing (9-12 record, 3.91 ERA, and a 1.319 WHIP in 179.2 innings pitched) — are concerned with youthful inexperience (Luis Severino, Bryan Mitchell, Chad Green, Jordan Montgomery, Luis Cessa) — or are simply trying to temper varying levels of ineffectiveness (Michael Pineda). Perhaps it’s all of the above.

Sabathia who is in the final year of his contract, and has dealt with the effects of a degenerative knee condition, says that he’d like to continue pitching after this season. Whether that’s in New York, remains to be seen.

“I feel healthy,” he said. “I feel good. My bullpens have been good. My pitches have been doing some good things. So I feel like I’m ready to go.”

Following Sabathia in the rotation will be Pineda, who will close out the opening series against the Rays, before the Yankees head to Baltimore, where Severino will take the ball for the first of a three-game set.

Next: First Impressions of the New Season

Since the Yankees deemed a fifth starter unnecessary until April 16, Tanaka will get the opportunity to make up for the worst start of his career on Saturday — before Sabathia rounds out the week, the following day.