CC Sabathia has stated on multiple occasions that he wants to pitch in the Bronx next season, but there’s still a possibility of the 37-year-old free agent playing elsewhere in 2018.
According to George King of the New York Post, Sabathia reportedly met with representatives from the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, and last Sunday, King reported that the veteran southpaw has discussed a future with the Los Angeles Angels as well.
CC Sabathia met with Blue Jays on Tuesday
— George A. King III (@GeorgeAKingIII) December 13, 2017
Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone told reporters on Tuesday that the club is “working real hard” to acquire starting pitching this winter, and that they’ve also spoken to Sabathia about a possible return to New York.
In an early Novemeber podcast episode for The Players’ Tribune, Sabathia said that he wouldn’t hold a grudge if the Yankees were to move on from him, but, with New York striking out on the sweepstakes for Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani, bringing back Sabathia would be a cheap and viable option.
“If my run is up here, like Joe [Girardi], I had a great time,” Sabathia said on the podcast. “I was here for nine years with some of the best players on the planet, won a World Series, [had the] greatest fans ever. I was a Yankee. I can say that. But no, I’m good with it.
“It’s weird, I’m good with baseball however it shakes out. If I’m done next year, if I’m done the year after. It is what it is. This is all borrowed time for me. This is extra. I’m just having fun.”
In 27 starts this past season (148.2 innings), Sabathia finished 14-5 with a 3.69 ERA — his lowest mark since 2012. He also allowed just 61 earned runs — his lowest mark with at least 25 starts in his 17-year career. His postseason brilliance this October helped push the Yankees to Game 7 of the ALCS against the Hoston Astros. Unfortunately, in that do-or-die game, Sabathia and his teammates ran out of luck, and Houston advanced and eventually won their first World Series title.
In 17 major league seasons, Sabathia has won 237 games, which is the second-most among active players (Bartolo Colon, 240) and tied for 60th all-time with Hall-of-Famers Clark Griffith and Waite Hoyt.
