Hal Does CC a Favor

You know, if you're CC Sabathia, you have a problem. It's not a bad problem to have, but it's a problem all the same. That problem is what to do about the gazillion dollar offer from the Yankees.

This is a problem because Sabathia has something of a conflict. On the one hand, he's a guy who, according so some reports I've read, really does care about his personal contentment as much as money and would thus like to be on the West Coast. On the other hand, some stuff he's said over the years gives me the impression that he's a union man and thus he may very well feel obligated to take the top offer, which will almost certainly be the Yankee offer. Hell, even if he isn't a union man, it may be psychologically impossible to say no to that kind of scratch even if the reasoning side of your brain is telling you that it may not be the best overall decision.

Enter Hal Steinbrenner:

"We've made him an offer. It's not going to be there forever"

For what it's worth, I think that's a pretty empty threat. Sure, maybe it won't be there forever-forever, but I have this feeling that if CC said he needed a few weeks to consult whatever God he believes in, Hal wouldn't pull the thing off the table (UPDATE: Mind meld alert!).

But maybe he will! Maybe Hal is going to play hardball and force a situation in which CC can say with a straight face to both his union brethren and that emotional part of the brain "hey, I tried. I was gonna take the Yankees' big money, but they rushed me and I wasn't comfortable, so my taking less dough to go to San Francisco is totally defensible."

If I was a betting man I'd still say that CC goes to New York, but as I've said before, I'd like to see him go elsewhere. Moreover, I don't know that signing CC is in the Yankees' best interests either, especially at that price (ask yourself: have you heard any smart Red Sox fans worrying about CC in pinstripes? I sure haven't). Maybe Hal is even having second thoughts about the giant offer and is trying to walk it back. I have no idea.

Whatever the case, I'm wondering if Hal's moderate application of pressure is going to create an escape hatch for everyone involved.