SIMULATION: Yankees transactions at FanSided Winter Meetings

Re-sign CC Sabathia

The big fella is back for one more go in the Bronx!

I’ll be honest with you, had we signed Ohtani, Sabathia was not part of the plan in 2018. He was a huge part of our success last season and we’re forever grateful for The Warrior’s time in pinstripes. But this team needs to continue getting younger, piece by piece.

My focus here is on the chemistry of the clubhouse and the particular players that would lead by example. With Todd Frazier out of the picture, the role of mentor would fall solely on the shoulders of Brett Gardner.

While this is fine for position players, we need someone with a bulldog mentality to speak to the pitchers.

With this in mind, the choice was clear — Sabathia for one more year.

My first offer was a bit low considering CC made $25 million in 2017. I low-balled Sabathia’s rep for 1-year, $6 million. Right off the bat, his rep regurgitated Sabathia’s 2017 stats (like I didn’t already know them). This gentleman assured me he fully expected offers closer to the $12-$15 million range.

I waited a full day without any further contact. Glancing at the spreadsheet of offers some 24 hours later, Sabathia’s name was nowhere to be found. So I emailed a final contract offer. If this one was rejected, then I’d sign a low-cost free agent shooter with upside and let No. 2 prospect Chance Adams know his time had arrived.

Within a few minutes, the 1 year, $8 million offer was accepted. But I did add a clause to the deal. The wording of the contract states that barring any trips to the DL, or stretches of lousy performances during the season, the possibility of Sabathia being moved to the bullpen does exist.

Still, the soon-to-be 38-year-old was ready, willing and able to prove his best one last time.