Baseball - Sabathia Ready For Big Pay Day In The Fu

C C Sabathia is too busy concentrating on his play to pay attention to rumors. However, his mother tends to fill in the big left-hander on the rumors that are floating about on the free agent front. Sabathia’s mother also gives him the figures that free agent are suppose to be getting.

Sabathia is 26 years old and he is 2 years away from free agency. He says that he feels excited when he hears that Barry Zito signed a 7 years contract worth $126 million with the Giants or that Jason Schmidt signed a contract for 3 years worth $46 million with the Dodgers. Sabathia said that if he could stay healthy for the next couple of years, then he too would be in the same position as the other free agents who are signing contracts for these amounts.

The fact that this winter free agents have signed such huge contracts will benefit the future free agents like Sabathia who is extremely talented.

However, before Sabathia becomes eligible to make big money in some other team, Indians will have many opportunities to offer him a contract extension. One such opportunity will be during this year’s Spring Training.

Mark Shapira said that he would be having a talk with Sabathia, Jake Westbrook and Travis Hafner about an extension before the 2007 season starts. Westbrook will be eligible for free agency after this season and Sabathia and Hafner will be eligible after 2008.

Sabathia does not let the rumors get to him though he is well aware what his market value is, specially after what he has achieved in his first 6 seasons with the Indians. He is also aware that it will take a major financial commitment from the Indians to keep him.

Soon Sabathia will have make major decisions about his playing future.