If all goes well with the last bits of negotiation between CC Sabathia and the Yankees, he will receive at least two standing ovations before he throws the first pitch ever at the new Yankee Stadium. The first will come when he walks out to the bullpen for pregame warm-ups, the second when he steps out of the dugout to take the field.
After that, the Yankees and their fans will expect nothing less than greatness. If he delivers anything less than a championship, if he doesn't win big in October, he will be deemed a failure. Such is the bargain that's struck when you choose to play in New York.
| Olney's news and notes |
• Teixeira primary target of Red Sox
• Cardinals met with Fuentes' reps
• Brewers have no offers for Fielder
• Giants foresee Molina as cleanup hitter
• L.A. knew Schmidt's shoulder problem
Around the majors with Buster Olney 
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Sabathia will get
the largest contract ever for a pitcher, Joel Sherman reports, and he is embracing the pressure of going into New York as a savior. That challenge eventually destroyed
Chuck Knoblauch and confounded
Roger Clemens for most of two seasons. It's a challenge that still seems to gnaw at
Alex Rodriguez.
A preliminary agreement on a contract has been reached on a seven-year, $161 million deal. "He's now excited about becoming a Yankee," one source said.
Although there were varying signals from the Dodgers (owner
Frank McCourt reached out to Sabathia personally), the Giants (who had talked about meeting with Sabathia this weekend) and the Angels, it was clear in the end that no other team would come close to what the Yankees offered.
Sabathia's personal puzzle will be to find a way to block out the external pressure and not allow it to compound the internal pressure that he already places on himself, and that pressure is as large as he is. He has been at his worst in the past when he has pushed himself too much -- examples include after
Bartolo Colon left the Indians and Sabathia wanted to become the ace, and perhaps at the outset of the 2008 season, as he began his free-agent year. The worst thing Sabathia can do is to try harder.
But he will be remarkably accountable, owning up to his mistakes quickly and adjusting, and I'd bet that he'll figure out the emotional puzzle and pitch effectively for the Yankees. New York remains a serious player in the bidding for
A.J. Burnett,
Derek Lowe and
Ben Sheets, so Sabathia conceivably could head a rotation that would include
Chien-Ming Wang, two of three in the group of Burnett, Lowe and Sheets, and
Joba Chamberlain as perhaps the No. 5 starter. Such a rotation would be as good as any in the American League, and maybe even better, depending on just how good Sabathia is.
Sabathia loved his days in Milwaukee and had great fun with the Brewers, and he loved that the Brewers were invested in him and badly needed him to perform. The Yankees' personality will be different for him. The clubhouse will be different. In the meeting that Sabathia had with the Yankees, a question was asked in the room about whether there was an irreparable split between the two most dominant personalities in the room, A-Rod and
Derek Jeter, and Yankees general manager
Brian Cashman responded by talking about how the two men are just different.
Sabathia already is friends with Jeter, and Sabathia is known for being a great teammate who tends to draw others together. When there was a team cookout in Cleveland, it would be at the Sabathias' house, invariably, with Sabathia's mother dishing out the food. Sabathia will make the atmosphere in the Yankees' clubhouse better, and he will make the team better. Whether that will be good enough in New York remains to be seen.
Before the news of the Sabathia trade broke, John Shea wrote that the Giants' interest in Sabathia is
sincere.
Around the majors with Buster Olney
Buster Olney
