Sabathia not ruling out return to Milwaukee

Oct 6, 2008 - 8:45 PM By Scott Serrano PA SportsTicker Staff Writer

Maybe CC Sabathia has not made his final appearance in a Milwaukee Brewers uniform after all.

Sabathia, acquired by the Brewers this season from the Cleveland Indians, will be the biggest pitching prize on the free agent market this winter and is expected to price himself out of a potential return to Milwaukee.

Teams with deeper pockets such as the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to make a run at the 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner, and it's widely believed that Milwaukee will be unable to shell out the money to keep the burly lefthander.

But shortly after the Brewers were eliminated by the Philadelphia Phillies in four games in the NL Division Series, Sabathia did not rule out a return to the Brewers.

"Who knows, maybe it's not my last appearance," Sabathia said shortly after the Brewers' 6-2 loss Sunday. "Coming here, meeting these guys, making new friends, that will all factor in my decision.

"This is a great team. I wanted to come in and add to it. Luckily, I was able to do that."

Sabathia did more than just add to the Brewers' run to their first playoff appearance since 1982. After being acquired by on July 7, he went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts for the Brewers.

The 28-year-old also proved his mettle as a workhorse, stepping up down the stretch by making four consecutive starts at the end of the season on three days' rest.

Perhaps even more enticing for a National League team was Sabathia's numbers at the plate. He hit a respectable .235 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 51 at-bats.

Sabathia's prowess at the plate even allowed Milwaukee manager Dale Sveum to use him as a pinch hitter Sunday in Game Four, where he struck out in the third inning while hitting for Jeff Suppan.

Those are the kind of qualities that should fetch Sabathia a huge contract on the free agent market.

Sabathia's financial demands could rival, or perhaps even surpass, the six-year, $137.5 million deal Johan Santana inked with the Mets before the 2008 season.

"I haven't even gotten that far yet and thought about that," Sabathia said. "It's still stinging a little bit, losing the series. I'll go home this winter and make my decision."

Most importantly for Milwaukee, he is not eliminating the Brewers - at least not yet.

"No doubt I enjoyed my time here," Sabathia said. "We accomplished a lot. I'll sit back in the offseason and make the best decision for me and my family."

That usually means going where the money is, but Sabathia has left the door open a crack at being back in Milwaukee.