Report: LHP Sabathia to sign with Yankees

Dec 10, 2008 - 11:08 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Prized free agent CC Sabathia has decided to wear pinstripes, according to published reports.

Sabathia has accepted a six-year, $140 million contract offer from the New York Yankees, the New York Post reported on its web site Wednesday.

If the figures are accurate, it is the largest contract ever given to a pitcher, surpassing the six-year, $137.5 million deal Johan Santana inked with the New York Mets last season.

ESPN reported Wednesday morning that the deal could be worth as much as $161 million over seven years.

Sabathia's decision to sign reportedly came late Tuesday night after Yankees general manager Brian Cashman left the Winter Meetings in Las Vegas to speak with Sabathia and his wife Amber at the lefthander's home in San Francisco.

During the meeting, Sabathia expressed that he wanted to come to the East Coast, play in the American League and shoulder the responsibility that comes with being a superstar in New York, the report states.

Tuesday's meeting between Cashman and Sabathia was the third this week. The first took place on Sunday, when the Yankees brought along manager Joe Girardi and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

There are still some minor hurdles to clear before the deal is finalized, including a physical.

Barring any unexpected problems, however, it appears the Yankees have finally landed the ace they so desperately were seeking.

The 28-year-old Sabathia posted a 17-10 record with a 2.70 ERA and 251 strikeouts between the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers last season.

That performance came one year after he won the American League Cy Young Award by registering a 19-7 record and 3.21 ERA, leading the Indians to the AL Championship Series, where they lost in seven games to the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Sabathia owns a 117-73 record and 3.66 ERA lifetime, spending his first eight seasons with Cleveland before he was acquired by Milwaukee for a package of five players in early July.

After joining the Brewers, Sabathia won each of his first four starts, logging three complete games over that span, and earned victories in his first nine decisions.

That performance was key in the Brewers winning the National League Wild Card, the club's first playoff appearance since 1982.

A native of Vallejo, California, Sabathia had sought a contract with a West Coast team in order to be closer to home. However, it appears that no such club stepped up and offered Sabathia what he was seeking, prompting him to accept the Yankees' lucrative offer.