Now, thanks to ESPN's Buster Olney, Yankees fans can already start worrying about next offseason.
That's because CC Sabathia, who is right now the only top-of-the-rotation starter employed by the Yanks, has an opt-out clause written into his contract after next season. Even if he doesn't want to leave New York, it may be in his best interest to exercise the option.
"He has the chance to become a free agent next fall, when the Dodgers will either have a better ownership situation or perhaps new owners, when the Angels will again be looking for a way to get better, when the Cubs and the White Sox and Rangers could be looking for ways to upgrade their pitching," Olney wrote. "If Sabathia stays healthy in 2011, he would be in position to command a deal at least as great as the seven-year, $154 million contract that the Yankees dangled to [Cliff] Lee."
Olney compares the Sabathia situation to that of J.D. Drew, who passed up $33 million over three years to land his monster deal with Boston (five years, $70 million). Sabathia's Yankee teammate Alex Rodriguez acted similarly following the 2007 season, when he decided to forego the guaranteed $81 million from 2008-10 and eventually signed for $275 million from 2008-17.
Drew was 31 that offseason, Rodriguez was 32 and so is Lee. Sabathia will be 31. As insane as it may seem to pass up $115 million and become a free agent, It makes too much business sense for him to not try to cash in for one last time.
"Why wouldn't Sabathia opt out of his current contract and take advantage of what will be extraordinary leverage?" Olney wrote.
That's a question that New York fans don't want to even fathom.
