The Yankees have re-signed CC Sabathia to a one-year, $10 million deal. The move helps to stabilize the Yankees rotation, and Sabathia gets paid.
The 37-year-old hefty lefty gave the Yankees more than they expected last season. With his 3.69 ERA, he recorded a win (14) in more than half his starts (27), helping them go deep into the playoffs. He’s a reliable back-of-the-rotation option.
Sabathia was almost out of the league in 2014 when he posted a 5.28 ERA. Since then, his ERA has dropped each season, and his fastball velocity is up two ticks to 91 mph. While his strikeout rate (7.3 K/9) is below league average, the total package makes him a nice late pick or reserve-round option, especially for the wins. As long as Sabathia stays healthy and can keep the velocity gains, he should be ownable in most 15-team or deeper leagues.
Since Sabathia is going back to his previous spot in the rotation, no one really loses or gains value. One of the young arms gets blocked for now. If a prospect forces himself into the rotation at some point in 2018, the Yankees can just release Sabathia since it’s just a one-year deal.
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