Yanks make offer to Sabathia

Nov 14, 2008 - 10:32 PM BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) -- The New York Yankees have offered CC Sabathia the richest contract for a pitcher in baseball history, ESPN.com reported Friday.

According to the report, the offer is for six years and has a value slightly higher than the record $137.5 million deal that Johan Santana signed with the New York Mets before last season. The Yankees failed to confirm the report.

The 2007 American League Cy Young Award winner, Sabathia is the prized free agent of this offseason.

Sabathia, 27, in his prime, helped lead the Milwaukee Brewers to the playoffs last season after being acquired in a midseason deal with the Cleveland Indians. However, his chances of re-signing with the small-market Brewers seem to be remote.

At the general managers meeting earlier this month, the Brewers were believed to have submitted a contract proposal to Sabathia's representatives in the the neighborhood of $100 million.

As expected, the Brewers' was going to dwarfed by the Yankees, who likely will go all-out this offseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

The Yankees also are expected to make offers to free-agent pitchers A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.

A three-time All-Star, Sabathia went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA with the Brewers, almost singlehandedly leading them to their first playoff appearance since 1992. The hefty lefty was 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA with the Indians before being traded.

Sabathia owns a career record of 117-73 with a 3.66 ERA in 254 starts