Yanks very close to signing Sabathia

The news that CC Sabathia would join the New York Yankees broke early this morning. Joel Sherman was the first to report it and claimed that both parties have agreed to a deal. ESPN added weight to the report, and revealed that the deal would be worth $160 million over seven years - the largest contract in major league baseball history. According to Jayson Stark, there are "zero" road blocks for the Yankees to overcome here, and it appears as though a deal could be finalized very soon. The ever-reliable Jon Heyman has also confirmed the report, which suggests that this is completely for real. The Yankees will sign CC Sabathia before the day is through.

I guess Cashman was able to convince CC's wife Amber that New York was not so bad, especially considering that her husband will likely pitch the first regular season game at the new Yankee stadium. That, and the fact the he'll receive the largest pitching contract in MLB history. The Yankees have their ace - something they haven't had in years. More analysis and Winter Meeting coverage to come later. I have a final.

Update: On my way out, i decided to check the computer. Apparently the Yankees are very close to signing Derek Lowe to a four-year deal worth something like $70 million. Can't say I'm a huge fan of this, but the Yankees would certainly have a strong pitching staff next year.