CC Sabathia has one year remaining on his current monster contract with the New York Yankees. The left-hander is nowhere close to as dominant as he was four or five years ago, but that does not mean he is considering retirement.
Sabathia, who has been with the Yankees since 2009, knows for certain that he wants to continue pitching beyond the 2017 season. If he can do it in New York, even better.
“I know I want to pitch after next year, but I haven’t thought about where or what,” the 36-year-old told Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. “Hopefully it will be here. We’ll see.”
While his 8-12 record and 4.02 ERA this season is hardly vintage Sabathia, he pitched significantly better this year than he has in the previous two or three. The 2007 AL Cy Young Award winner may no longer intimidate opposing pitchers, but he is still very confident in his abilities.
“It’s definitely been an improvement. Health has been a big factor in that,” he said. “I feel like I’ve made big strides in becoming the pitcher I’ve been trying to become. I’m excited about it. As long as I’m healthy, I feel like I’ll be able to get big-league hitters out. I’ve proven that.”
Between his diminishing arm strength and the well-documented issues he has had in his personal life, Sabathia won’t be in line for a big contract when his current deal expires in a year. However, he is a left-hander who made 29 or more starts in each of the past two seasons. If he can do the same next year, he shouldn’t have trouble finding work.
“I just know myself,” Sabathia said. “I know I feel like it’s not my time yet. Barring any crazy injuries, I know I can pitch past next year. I feel like this is just the beginning of what I’m trying to do. I feel like there’s a lot more still to learn and a lot better to get. It’s exciting.”
We shall see.
