By all indications, it seems like the Yankees offseason plans are going to really start to take shape over the next week. The Braves reportedly offered A.J. Burnett a 4 year deal with a vesting 5th year and the Yankees will be submitting a counter offer. I, for one, am perfectly happy to see A.J. go to Atlanta. Either way, there is a good chance Burnett will be signed prior to the start of the winter meetings.
On the Sabathia front, Cashman is heading to meet with him directly. I think it’s obvious Cashman won’t let Sabathia hold the Yankees entire offseason hostage.
It also seems that the Sabathia market really isn’t as great as many speculated it would be. Jayson Stark lays out the Sabathia rumors, and it doesn’t look like anyone is going to even approach the Yankees’ initial offer. This could be part of the reason why Burnett is willing to sign now. The original thinking was that he should wait until Sabathia signs, but what if Sabathia ends up not getting as much as everyone thought? That could hurt Burnett’s contract.
Lastly, Joe Torre says Pettitte will be back with the Yanks. The Yanks want to give him $10 million, he wants the $16 he got last year. Expect them to settle on 12 or 13 in the coming days.
