CC Sabathia OK if Yankees use him in a six-man rotation

Perhaps in an effort to make himself more appealing to the Yankees, CC Sabathia says he would be open to pitching in a six-man rotation.

A little less than a month ago, 17-year veteran CC Sabathia let it be known that if the Yankees weren’t interested in re-signing him, he wouldn’t be upset. He even went so far as to say that if he chose to continue his playing career, doing so elsewhere would be just fine.

As the Yankees ready their bid for Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani, Sabathia spoke at a charity event on Tuesday in Manhattan.

Sabathia, who acknowledged that his representation has yet to speak with Brian Cashman about a reunion, told Mike Mazzeo of the NY Daily News that a six-man rotation would be a good thing, as to allow for more rest of his soon-to-be 38-year-old body.

"“At this point, with my age, yeah, I don’t care,” Sabathia said Tuesday at a Bright Smiles, Bright Futures event on Manhattan’s West Side. “That is what it is. The more rest for me, the better.“I want to be a part of something that I started,” Sabathia said. “I was here with I guess the old guard and kind of here with the new guard so I would to kind of see it through and win a championship with these young guys.”"

Let’s say for argument’s sake that the Yankees do land Ohtani. That would give them a rotation of Masahiro Tanaka, Luis Severino, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery, Otani and Sabathia.

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Tanaka’s arm issues are well documented, as are Sabathia’s knee and lower back problems. Even Ohtani missed a chunk of the 2017 NPB season with an assortment of ailments.

As for Sonny Gray, at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, he too could benefit from an extra day of recovery time following each start.

Young shooters Luis Severino and Jordan Montgomery may also need some protection in 2018, after reaching career highs in innings pitched last season — 209 and 163, respectively.

Despite the giant knee brace Sabathia wears with pride, he managed to make 27 starts last season. As a whole, the Yanks employed 11 different starters in ’17.

On paper, the idea of additional arms in the rotation seems like it’ll work. But to play devil’s advocate, what happens if one of the six hit the DL — and now that the other five guys are accustomed to a certain amount of days off, the club is forced to add Bryan Mitchell or Luis Cessa into the open spot.

Or worse, they’re forced to pull Chad Green or Adam Warren from their all-important reliever roles.

For those who claim Chance Adams would be an option, Cashman has already said he’s in no rush to call up the 23-year-old right-hander (although, this is something I disagree with).

Next: Will Yanks' managerial search ever end?

Bringing back Sabathia, for one season at $8-12 million is something the organization should seriously consider. The leadership value he brings to the table is invaluable. CC just needs to use him in a way that makes sense for everyone involved.

Perhaps in an effort to make himself more appealing to the Yankees, CC Sabathia says he would be open to pitching in a six-man rotation.

More from Yanks Go Yard

Schedule