Yankees to introduce Sabathia on Thursday

Dec 16, 2008 - 8:11 PM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- CC Sabathia is set to officially don pinstripes for the first time.

The New York Daily News on Tuesday reported that the Yankees will introduce the soon-to-be highest pitcher-paid in baseball at a news conference Thursday.

According to the report, Sabathia will undergo a physical and do some house-hunting over the next two days, then be unveiled at a news conference in the Bronx on Thursday.

The most coveted pitcher on the free-agent market, Sabathia last week agreed to a reported seven-year contract worth $161 million with the Yankees. His deal eclipses the six-year, $137 million contract that Johan Santana received from the New York Mets last offseason.

There had been reports that Sabathia was unsure about wanting to pitch on the East Coast for the Yankees, who reside in the media capital of the world.

However, Sabathia became convinced he could be happy in New York when Yankees general manager Brian Cashman flew to California last week for three days of face-to-face meetings.

The Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Boston Red Sox all were believed to have made offers for Sabathia. But none of those teams had the financial means of the Yankees, who seemed poised to do whatever it took to sign Sabathia after they missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 1993.

In his prime at 27, Sabathia led the Brewers to the playoffs after a midseason trade in 2008 when he went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA. The hefty lefthander won the American League Cy Young Award the previous season with the Cleveland Indians.

Sabathia will be the clear ace of the New York rotation, which still has plenty uncertainty.

In addition to throwing a boatload of cash at Sabathia, the Yankees also are on the verge of finalizing a five-year, $82.5 million contract with free-agent righthander A.J. Burnett, who went 18-10 with a 4.07 ERA for the Toronto Blue last season.

The rest of the New York rotation is expected to include Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain and either another free agent, Andy Pettitte or Phil Hughes.