New York Yankees: Sabathia’s Future and Starting Rotation Possibilities
By Dylan Smith
The New York Yankees need starting pitching for 2019. Does C.C. Sabathia fit into their offseason plans?
C.C. Sabathia has been a legendary pitcher for the New York Yankees. The hefty lefty dominated in his first four seasons with the club, then was forced to reinvent himself as his health and stuff proved to be elusive.
In his ten seasons in pinstripes, Sabathia helped win 129 games and has pitched to an ERA of 3.74 and an ERA+ of 115. Over his long 18 year career, Sabathia has a career record of 246-153, an ERA of 3.70 and an ERA+ of 117.
In 2018, Sabathia proved to still be useful as he posted an ERA of 3.69 and an ERA + of 120. While the results were not there in the playoffs, it is reasonable to assume that the lefty can still be a solid four-five starter, especially for a Yankees team that needs starting pitching.
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This offseason will mark the second consecutive year where Sabathia will enter free agency. Will the New York Yankees bring him back for 2019?
Late in 2018, Sabathia told the New York Post’s Dan Martin that 2019 would be his final season, one last run with the Bronx Bombers would be a very fitting end to the fringe Hall of Famer’s career.
This begs the question, does C.C. Sabathia fit into the Yankees offseason plans?
I feel like there is a mutual desire from both sides to reconnect for 2019, but Brian Cashman and Co. will likely wait to see how the offseason progresses before committing to the aging lefty.
C.C. deserves a rotation spot, if the Yankees splurge on, let’s say, Patrick Corbin, Nathan Eovaldi, and reconnect with JA Happ, then C.C will likely go elsewhere. Sabathia’s stuff and resume will not translate into a bullpen role, the lefty is clearly a starting pitcher.
My heart tells me that Sabathia will be back with the club as their fifth starter, but we also have to remember that the Yankees still have Jordan Montgomery on the mend, with Domingo German, Justus Sheffield and Chance Adams waiting in the minor leagues.
I would expect the Yankees to pull in one of the market’s biggest starting pitchers, either Corbin or Keuchel, and sign JA Happ. This would leave the club with one open rotation spot. Even though Sabathia has been a long time Yankee, will he sign a contract with the club knowing that they have Montgomery, German, Sheffield, and Adams waiting to show their stuff at the big league level? I do not think so… One injury or one tough stretch could cost the lefty in his “final season.”
As mentioned, I wouldn’t be surprised if the New York Yankees went into 2019 with a rotation of Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Patrick Corbin/Dallas Keuchel, JA Happ and a fifth starter from within their organization.
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C.C. Sabathia has proven to be a Yankees’ legend. With that said, another reunion would make sense, but I do not think that their current roster situation would allow for the Bombers to employ the soon to be 39-year-old starting pitcher.