As you might expect, that next guy is CC Sabathia. The article I posted earlier from the LA Times goes into more detail about the deal they may be ready to offer up to him.The market for both of the winter's top two free agents has shifted dramatically, with the Angels deciding to drop their pursuit of Mark Teixeira and go after CC Sabathia instead.
The Los Angeles Times reported the shift this morning, and a major-league source with knowledge of the Angels plans confirmed it to CBSSports.com. But while the Times said that Teixeira "remains the Angels' top priority," the source said that's no longer true.
"They're moving on to the next guy," the source said.
Here's some more about the Angels' plans:
Even if they sign Sabathia, there's a chance the Angels would still try to complete a Jake Peavy trade with the Padres. As CBSSports.com reported last week, the Angels are strongly interested in Peavy, and think they have enough to offer the Padres to get a deal done. Peavy has veto power over a trade, and hasn't listed the Angels as a team he would agree to. But since he plans to keep his permanent residence in San Diego, there's a chance that pitching nearby in Anaheim could be attractive to him.If the Angels do end up signing Sabathia the Yankees will have to sign Teixeira. It also has been written many times that if the Yanks don't sign the pitchers they want they will go hard after Teixeira. I believe they should go after him anyway, but you already knew that.The Angels will likely move fast after Sabathia. As a major-league general manager pointed out, it was a year ago today that they made their offer to Torii Hunter, with a 48-hour deadline. Hunter signed late the night before Thanksgiving.
There were two main reasons for the Angels' decision.
First, and probably most importantly, agent Scott Boras has been seeking a 10-year deal for Teixeira. The Angels are unwlling to go more than six years, in part because their team doctors are concerned about Teixeira's knee holding up for that long.
"There's something in his knee that really bothers their doctor," the source said.
Second, the Angels don't see a quick end to the Teixeira derby, and they started to get worried that they wouldn't get either of their two top targets. They remember waiting too long for Paul Konerko in the 2005-06 winter, only to lose Konerko to the White Sox and be left without a backup plan.
The Angels front office was always split on whether to make Teixeira or Sabathia the top winter target.
7 Comments:
The Angels make me nervous. They proved last offseason that they're not just kicking tires. CC could very well end up in CA, where he's wanted to be all along.
And I still don't trust Cashman.... We might know something soon.
Mike
Yanks need to get a strong 7yr 175mil offer out there with a hard deadline. Otherwise I could see Sabathia accepting the Angels offer with the idea that it's close enough to the Yankee current offer and in Calif........
That's a HUGH offer, I don't know if they have to go that far. I don't even know if I'd want him at that price.
I'm thinking something like 6 years $150 is the max I'd be happy with. It's still a huge offer, but at least they're avoiding that 7th year.
Even if he is available, if he's insisting on 10 years or even 8 I think the Yankees pass.
Sabathia on the other hand, the Yankees should do whatever it takes.
It kills me to say this, but CC will definitley accept the Halo's offer. No way would he pass on this big contract; which also includes him playing where he's always dreamed of.
So now, our only garunteed starters for '09 are Wang and Pettitte (and even Pettitte's not too sure).
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