2012 MLB Free Agents: C.C. Sabathia Is Top Priority for New York Yankees

Before they add depth to their bullpen or even think about C.J. Wilson, the Yankees have to re-sign their ace, C.C. Sabathia. Losing Sabathia would leave a huge void for the Yankees. He gives them an ace teams fear when they take on the Yankees, one the Yankees won't be able to replace if they allow another team to steal Sabathia away.

Bidders are going to come out of the woodwork when Sabathia hits the market. The best thing for the Yankees to do is shower him in more money than the competition is willing to offer right out of the gate.

Obviously, the team isn't afraid to shell out money if it means bringing them a victory. A stellar postseason performance from Sabathia this October will make the deal even more inevitable than it already is.

Winning a World Series is the goal for the Yankees every single year, without exception. Sabathia gives them the best chance to do so.

Sabathia is the best pitcher in free agency, and the Yankees can't head a different direction without seeing a setback in production. That isn't exactly Steinbrener style, and Yankees fans should expect the team to do everything they can to get Sabathia back in pinstripes.

It's probably going to take over an eight-figure contract to lure him back, but such a deal is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

The Yankees have mainstays like Jorge Posada aging off of the roster. They need as much consistency as possible to avoid dropping off from the previous regime. They have a real shot at winning it all this year, and in order to contend at their best, bringing back Sabathia has to take precedence over everything else.

Having the big fella on the mound is best way for the Yankees to ensure their pitching doesn't suffer a huge setback. The most coveted pitching free agent won't go anywhere as long as the Yankees make retaining him the first thing on the offseason agenda.