Today was a big day for my favorite team, the New York Yankees, as they re-signed GM Brian Cashman for 3 more years and extended the contract of CC Sabathia by 1 year. They did add guaranteed dollars to Sabathia's deal, and the number has been reported to be in the $30 million range. I really like both of these deals for the Yanks and I think they will pay dividends in the near term.
After signing a new extension with the team, Sabathia will be a Yankee until at least 2016 (there is a vesting option for the 2017 season). When his contract is up, CC will be 37 years old, and more than likely will be in serious decline. Although the end of the contract may seem onerous if Sabathia does not age gracefully, I think the Yankees needed to make this move, and get it done quickly. The one constant the team has in the starting pitching staff is CC, and he has actually been very successful in his 3 years with the Bombers. He has a record of 59-23 (.720 winning percentage), with declining ERAs each season (3.37 in 2009, 3.18 in 2010, 3.00 in 2011). Sabathia is also the horse that drives the rotation, having pitched over 700 innings since his arrival in the Bronx. Without CC, the Yankees rotation is an even bigger mess and one that could not be adequately addressed via free agency. However, I think that the team still needs to acquire, by trade or signing, at least 2 other good starters to backup the big man before the Yanks can be considered a serious WS contender. By locking up Sabathia before he could opt out and become a free agent, the Bombers' front office accomplished their biggest goal this offseason and can now focus on improving the existing squad by filling out the starting rotation and bench.
As important as it was for the Yankees to avoid a Sabathia opt-out, it was even more crucial to re-sign long time general manager Brian Cashman. Cash has been fantastic for the team and has put together 4 World Series champions. Since 2006, when Cashman successfully lobbied the late (great) George Steinbrenner for more power & organizational control, I have been a huge proponent of the new strategy. Gone (mostly) were the days of foolishly & blindly throwing dollars at old (Kevin Brown), decrepit (Carl Pavano), and downright horrible (Jaret Wright) players. The Yankees still spend the most money in the MLB, but it is more wisely invested now in quality free agents and retention of young home-grown talent. The one thing that Cashman has done since 2006 that I liked above all else was the focus he has put on developing the farm system. Before the organizational change in 2006, the Yankees farm system was often maligned as being weak and for good reason: the team had been dealing top prospects for pricey veterans for the previous few years. In 2005, the Yankees had only 1 of Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects (#36, Eric Duncan). In 2011, the team had 5 players on this list, including the number 3 player overall, catcher/DH Jesus Montero. Cashman has built this farm system through aggressive scouting and signing of Latin American players, as well as a strong commitment to preparing for the future of the big league squad. Montero is a great example of both of these initiatives. The Yankees signed Montero, a native Venezuelan, at the young age of 16, which demonstrates how aggressive the front office is in evaluating foreign talent and taking risks by signing players this young. Montero rose quickly through the organization and was looked on as one of the Yankees' top prospects by 2008. Cashman repeatedly declined possible impact trades (Johan Santana, Cliff Lee) over the past few years because they included Montero, a player the front office sees as being a future franchise cornerstone. Jesus rewarded his GM's confidence by hitting 4 home runs and batting .328 with the MLB club in albeit limited action as a September call up. Look for Montero to be the favorite for the DH position going into training camp next spring. Altogether, re-signing Brian Cashman was the biggest and best deal the Bombers are going to make all offseason.
Even though the Yankees didn't change their team at all today, they make a huge splash and set themselves up for immediate success next season. I look forward to having CC Sabathia anchor the rotation for the next few years, but I am even more ecstatic that the Yanks decided to keep the real franchise cornerstone: Brian Cashman.
-Cote
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