As reported earlier in this ESPN story, New York Yankees starting pitcher C.C. Sabathia has agreed to a contract extension that will keep him from testing the free agent waters and remain in pinstripes through at least 2016, when he will be 36 years-old. The extension increases the value of his previous deal from 4 years and $92 million to 5 years and $122 million, a cool $30 million for the extra year. Provided he stays on the disabled list for less than 45 days in 2016, the contract has a vesting option that will guarantee the big fella an additional $25 million in 2017.
I’m not knocking Sabathia’s hustle, because I don’t knock anybody’s hustle. No matter what your profession is, you are entitled to get as much as the market will pay you no matter what the market or the currency is, as long as you don’t infringe on others peoples’ rights. However, the economics of baseball blow my mind. I know the Yankees print money like they’re running a counterfeit operation out of Wonder World (Beverly Hills Cop III reference for the uninformed) but guaranteeing a currently overweight pitcher an additional $55 million five and six years from today? I hope MLB legalizes the use of golf carts to get pitchers back and forth between the dug out and the mound because that shoulder injury out clause for 2017 will be the least of the Yankees’ worries by then.
Follow Geoff on Twitter @snglemarriedguy and see more of his views on sports and pop culture at popflyboys.com
