At This Point CC Is Damaged Goods

Throughout his MLB career Sabathia has always been a workhorse as he has made at least 30 starts in a season for 11 of his 14 years as a professional. In each of the past eight seasons Sabathia has gone over the 200 inning mark. Sabathia has won at least 15 games in a season 8 times in his career and he has helped three teams reach the postseason in Major League Baseball. In 2007 Sabathia went 19-7 for the Cleveland Indians who were one game away from winning the American League Pennant. Midway through the 2008 MLB season Sabathia was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. While in Milwaukee, Sabathia went 11-2 and he assisted the Brewers in making their first playoff appearance since 1982. In 2009 Sabathia went 19-8 as he helped the Yankees win their 27th World Series Championship.

At 6’7″, Sabathia has always been a big guy that flirted with the 290 lb. mark. Following the 2010 season Sabathia had knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus and since then he has concentrated on getting his weight down. But at the end of the day Sabathia will be 34-years old in July and he is a pitcher that has mileage on his body.

When Yankees general manager Brian Cashman signed Sabathia to his lucrative deal it was out of need and desperation. 2008 marked the first time since the strike-shortened season of 1994 that the Yankees did not qualify for the playoffs as they were desperate to get back. The Yankees had a need for starting pitching which helped Sabathia that winter as he was coming off of a big season with the Indians and Brewers. Sabathia’s contract was also a win-now deal and the Yankees were able to win it all in his first season there. Now Sabathia is transcending to the next part of his career. 

In 2011 Sabathia went 19-8 with a 3.00 earned run average and 230 strikeouts. Since then Sabathia’s wins and strikeout totals have decreased while his earned run average has increased in each season. Prior to the injury this year Sabathia was 3-4 with a 5.28 earned run average. In his last three starts prior to being placed on the disabled list, Sabthia combined to only pitch 14 innings while surrendering 13 runs. Like many great pitchers before him, Sabathia is no longer going to be the power pitcher that dazzled people as the young kid with the Indians or the grizzled veteran for the Brewers and Yankees. Sabathia has to become crafty while learning to work the corners of the plate and in the process he might slip down the depth chart in the Yankees starting rotation; especially with the emergence of starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka.

Once this season ends the Yankees are still on the hook for $73 million dollars for the next three years to Sabathia who is physically breaking down which means that it is up to Cashman along with Yankees manager Joe Girardi what to decide what to do with their aging star. The Yankees should not rush Sabathia back this season for a postseason push as they must really approach his injury with the kid gloves. But with starting pitcher Ivan Nova out for the remainder of the 2014 campaign following Tommy John surgery and starting pitcher Michael Pineda currently on the disabled list with a strained back muscle, the Yankees cannot afford another loss in their starting rotation. But would the Yankees try to put an ailing Sabathia back on the mound? 

The Yankees are hopeful that Sabathia doesn’t require surgery on his knee, but at this point they should just chalk it up and try again with him in 2015.