Epstein Would Have Gone To Thanksgiving

Are Yankees Doing Enough To Get Sabathia?

The Yankees came into this off-season with one goal in mind, CC Sabathia. They liked the lefty so much that they offered him a deal they thought he couldn’t refuse – a six-year $140 million deal.

He might not have refused it but he also hasn’t accepted it yet. That worried new Yankee owner Hal Steinbrenner enough for him to come out and say it wouldn’t last forever. The problem is he didn’t say exactly how long it would last. And who really believes that if he waited until March 1 to accept the offer the Yankees wouldn’t take it?

The Yankees 2008 season was a disappointment, they missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993 and none of their young starters took a significant step forward in their development. Now the Yankees need Sabathia to fix their situation. They need him to the same thing for them that he did for the Brewers. Nobody else will make as big an impact. Not AJ Burnett, not Ben Sheets, and not Derek Lowe.

When the Red Sox knew they needed Curt Schilling to put them over the top 2004 or else risk losing to the Yankees again Theo Epstein stepped his game up. He sent him a letter essentially laying out the fact that he was their off-season plan and what exactly they could achieve together. Then Epstein went and had Thanksgiving dinner with Schilling and his family.

“If we didn’t sign Curt, it probably would have been the worst Thanksgiving of my life,” Epstein said.

I can’t imagine a worse Thanksgiving at the Cashman house than if the Yankees failed to sign the lefty. Since Sabathia’s decision isn’t likely to come before Turkey Day Cashman might have to settle for the worst Christmas of his life if he doesn’t step his game up.

I’m not saying he has to go to carve the turkey for the guy, but maybe just metaphorically.

Article orginally appeared at Bronx Baseball Daily.