Yankees Unlikely To Sign Sabathia This Winter?

Newsday’s Ken Davidoff has an interesting take on the Yankees’ chances of signing CC Sabathia this winter.  He finds the Yankees an unlikely match for the big lefty, for a couple of reasons.

By Davidoff’s estimate, the Yankees will have over $60MM off the books for ’09 even if they bring back Jason Giambi and Andy Pettitte.  Breaking off a third of that for Sabathia wouldn’t seem to be an issue, but that does not seem to be Brian Cashman’s preference.  Davidoff puts the chances of Cashman re-signing at about 65%, by the way. 

The other issue is Sabathia’s preference.  Sabathia has some talkative friends, because they’re always being anonymously quoted.  Davidoff talked to "two people familiar with his thinking," who see him choosing the NL and the West Coast.  The Dodgers are named as his first choice.

Perhaps the Yankees will sign a decent starting pitcher who does not require a $100MM outlay – Derek Lowe or Ryan Dempster, for example.