Does Anybody Want to Play for the Yanks?

We've already heard that Derrek Lowe wants to be a Red Sock and Jake Peavy "hates" New York. Today, both the NY Post and NY Daily News had articles about CC, and both had some bad news if you're a Yankees fan who hopes he ends up pitching in the Bronx next April.

First there was this from Anthony McCarron's article in the Daily News:

The 28-year-old Sabathia is the No. 1 starter available for the Yanks' No. 1 need and many in baseball believe if Sabathia is simply interested in getting the biggest, longest contract, he'll be fitted for pinstripes.

But nothing is certain - ex-Yankee Doug Mientkiewicz was quoted in USA Today in September saying that Sabathia had told him of New York, "I'm not going to go there."

Those who know Sabathia - the same people who talk glowingly about his sweet, easygoing nature and his "big ole smile," as Abe Hobbs, his high school coach described it - say money won't be Sabathia's only consideration. Sabathia, who is married with two kids and another due this month, is looking to build a house near Los Angeles. Some believe he'd prefer to play in California, in the National League, because he loves to hit.

"I know he wants to put on some World Series rings before he leaves the game and do some special things," Hobbs says. "He's a guy who, in a couple years, people will start talking about the Hall of Fame. He's smart enough to know that it's a much shorter road to the Hall of Fame through New York. I could see him playing in New York.…I don't think anything in California is a lock right now."

"This is just my guess, but the challenge of playing in New York might be intriguing to him, knowing him the way I do," adds Paul Cogan, the scout who signed Sabathia as the 20th pick of the 1998 draft. "He could handle it. But he really likes to hit, too. In the past, he's grabbed me and said, ‘Tell these people that I can hit!'"

"The only team who can pay him out there (California) is the Angels, unless the Dodgers do," said a major league executive who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It might get to be like Kevin Brown with the Dodgers - the Yankees might be the only team bidding in that neighborhood.

"Most of the time, the highest bidder is rewarded, if the highest bid is enough. This guy can ask for Mars and take the moon this winter."

At least the people who spoke to McCarron left open the possibility of CC heading to New York.

In George A. King's article from the Post there is nothing new about CC, just more speculation that he doesn't want to pitch in the AL or the east coast. The same stuff we had been hearing prior to his post season statements about playing anywhere, which obviously could have been made just to keep everyone in the future bidding war.

King also mentioned that "word is spreading that A.J. Burnett will shy away from The Bronx, too," but then went on to write,

Burnett's agent, Darek Braunecker, denied his client has ruled out the Yankees.

"That is 100-percent wrong," Braunecker said. "If he does indeed opt out of the deal [with Toronto] he will see if the Yankees are interested."

Again, the agent is probably just saying this to make sure the Yankees are in the bidding for Burnett regardless of whether he wants to play here or not so they can drive the price up.

Initially this post was just supposed to be based on McCarron's article, but then I stumble upon the King article and then this one from Bill Madden of the Daily News:

But while reports have widely circulated that Sabathia wants to pitch for a West Coast team, preferably in the National League, that Burnett would like to pitch for Baltimore, where his wife's family is from, and that Angels owner Arte Moreno is resigned to spending over $100million to retain Teixeira (also a Boras client), there are mitigating factors to consider.

Sabathia, who is building a home in L.A., is going to be pursued by both the Angels and Dodgers - the latter especially if they are unable to re-sign Manny Ramirez. In addition, the Giants, despite owing Barry Zito another $100 million over the next five years, are said to be prepared to be players for Sabathia, who, in the end, likely will command a six-year deal in excess of the $137.5 million the Mets gave Johan Santana. Said one baseball exec: "The Giants are the wild card here, but the Dodgers, if they lose Manny, will have no choice but to get heavy into Sabathia.

"The problem for all of those teams, including the Brewers (for whom Sabathia finished 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA after being acquired from Cleveland in early July) is that, if the Yankees go to $150 million, they're probably all going to be out. Then it will be up to Sabathia to decide if he wants to take less for pitching where he wants, and, in that case, it probably won't be his decision because the union will put too much pressure on (his agent, Greg) Genske not to sign for under market."

He also had this to say about Mark Teixeira:

As for Teixeira remaining with the Angels, a National League GM speculated: "He's a terrific player, but let the buyer beware. He's drunken Boras' Kool-Aid and has no loyalty to anything other than the highest bidder. In that sense, he's just another mercenary."

That should be some good news for the Yanks.

A lot of speculation going on this morning, huh? At least there were some good quotes from real sources, even in the George King article.

There seems to be two schools of thought on this one; either a player will be loyal to their heart and go where they truly want to play, or a player will be loyal to money. I'm hoping greed prevails.