JULY 18: Sabathia will undergo arthroscopic knee surgery on July 18 and miss the rest of the season, Cashman told reporters, including Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). While it’s bad news for the Yankees, it’s not as bad as it could’ve been, as the arthroscopic surgery is less severe than microfracture surgery.
Nonetheless, it’s tough to imagine the Yankees overcoming the loss of Sabathia, Ivan Nova and potentially Masahiro Tanaka for most of the season. The Yankees were likely already prepared for the loss of Sabathia, however, so it’s unlikely that this significantly alters their thinking as the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline approaches.
JULY 4: Yankees hurler C.C. Sabathia has suffered a setback in his efforts to rehab a degenerative condition in his right knee and may now require microfracture surgery, as ESPNNewYork.com’s Andrew Krammer was among those to report. Manager Joe Girardi said that, at present, it is “fair to say” that Sabathia will likely not return this year.
Sabathia will pay another visit to Dr. James Andrews on July 14th for an assessment. “[Surgery] is always a possibility when you have a degenerative knee,” said Girardi. “I’m not exactly sure if he was to have surgery what it would be, that’s yet to be determined.”
The malady is serious enough that Girardi was not willing to rule out the possibility that it could ultimately end the career of the soon-to-be 34-year-old. “I think it’s too early to predict that,” said Girardi. “But whenever you have degenerative issues that cause surgery or things like that, there’s always a little question there.”
Sabathia is under contract through 2016 for a guaranteed $53MM, including a $5MM buyout for a 2017 vesting/club option. But the remaining $20MM on that option becomes guaranteed if Sabathia does not suffer a left shoulder injury which causes him to end the 2016 season on the DL, spend more than 45 days on the DL in 2016, or make more than six relief appearances in 2016.
With the Yankees now seemingly unable to bank on a return to the hill from Sabathia, to say nothing of rotation mates Michael Pineda (who is still inching ahead in his rehab program) and Ivan Nova (out for the year after Tommy John surgery), the club’s need for starting pitching becomes all the more pronounced.
Since when is this a “career ending” injury?
Cashman will still be a buyer at the deadline.
Most likely. Thankfully for them they play in a weak division this year.
Usually a player has to be declared medically unable to perform and then spend the rest of their career on the DL in order for an insurance contract to pay out.
Bad, but not unexpected. Time to accept reality. Plug your holes, but don’t sacrifice what future you might have by taking on gigantic contracts of players past their sell-by date or by emptying yourself of whatever youth you have. The Yankees have to get younger, healthier, more athletic. That means they need to sink a bit more before they can begin to bounce back.
Bad, but not unexpected. Time to accept reality. Plug your holes, but don’t sacrifice what future you might have by taking on gigantic contracts of players past their sell-by date or by emptying yourself of whatever youth you have. The Yankees have to get younger, healthier, more athletic. That means they need to sink a bit more before they can begin to bounce back.
The Yankees “2 playoff appearances” were losses in the ALCS and LDS. Is that really brag-worthy? It’s not like they reached the World Series each time.
This is the year when Sabathia’s original 6-year deal would have expired, if he had not gotten an additional 2 years. That said, the AL East is still wide open with the division mired in mediocrity…but I expect the AL East winner to be bounced from the playoffs early, and so I think that the Yankees should stand pat at the deadline and address their needs in the offseason.
The Phillies contract had a higher AAV than the Yankees contract. Lee is also on the record saying he chose Philly over New York because he thought New York was an older team but in actuality every season he’s been with the Phillies, they fielded a team with an older average of players than the Yankees.
That’s if the Yankees fans will stop spitting on his wife.