It’s the “WHAT IF” that’ll cause CC Sabathia to end up with another team in Free Agency.

You see, the Brewers would gladly pay the money that CC’s asking ($22 million a year on avg.) the problem is the length of the contract CC’s seeking (6 years). That’s a lot of money to commit for that period of time.  If you have that kind of cash eating up your payroll for a year, you can withstand an injury or a “down year” if you know that you’re going to get out of the contract in 6 months.  However, it’s the “WHAT IF”, the what if CC blew out his arm in the first or second year of that contract and you still owed him $88 to $100 plus dollars over the next 4 years when he’s not producing for your team?  The Yankees, the Red Sox, the Dodgers, the Cubs, they could afford that kind of dead money in their organization but the Brewers and Mark Attansio could not allow that kind of cash to remain on the books for that period of time, it’s not financially smart for a small market team.

Don’t get me wrong, if CC were to fulfill the contract and make almost every start and give you the innings he tends to eat up and be the inspirational leader that he is now, he’d be a steal for that kind of money over a 6 year period.  Again, it’s the “WHAT IF” that’s disconcerting for Brewers management.  On the surface, it would be the perfect PR move for this team to keep the fans believing in the commitment to winning.  The reality is, Doug Melvin and Mark Attanasio would be holding their collective breaths every time CC threw, hit, ran, drove a car, stood in the shower, you name it, for fear that he would injure himself in some devastating fashion.  For a small market team, the risk is just too large.