Yankees, left-hander Sabathia agree to one-year, $10M deal
Dodgers trade four players, cash to Braves for Kemp.
The reunion that made too much sense not to happen finally did Saturday when free agent CC Sabathia agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the Yankees, a source confirmed.
The deal is contingent on the left-hander passing his physical.
Re-signing the 37-yearold Sabathia, respected and beloved in all corners of the Yankees clubhouse, was targeted quickly as an offseason priority.
And even with the addition of Sabathia, the Yankees will still explore opportunities to add one more starter to a group that, as of now, includes Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, Sonny Gray, Jordan Montgomery and Sabathia. Prospects Justus Sheffield and Chance Adams are among the young arms who are slated to make a push this spring.
After going 18-26 with a 4.42 ERA in the previous three seasons and battling issues with his right knee, Sabathia turned back the clock this past season. While not entirely recapturing the form that made him an ace much of his career, Sabathia was mostly terrific, going 14-5 with a 3.69 ERA, his lowest ERA since 2012, when it was 3.38.
Sabathia went 1-1, 2.37 in four postseason outings, including Game 7 of the ALCS against the Astros when he was wild over 3⅓ innings (he threw 36 strikes and 29 balls) but allowed just one run.
Dodgers-Braves trade: Matt Kemp is returning to the place where he began his major league career, reacquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of a fiveplayer trade with the Atlanta Braves.
The Dodgers sent first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, oft-injured starting pitchers Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy, infielder Charlie Culberson and cash to Atlanta for the 33-year-old Kemp. Gonzalez then was designated for assignment by the Braves.
After sitting on the sidelines during the recent winter meetings, the Dodgers moved quickly to dump nearly $50 million in salary committed to Gonzalez, Kazmir and McCarthy for 2018. Kemp is owed about $43 million over the next two seasons.
Los Angeles was looking to reduce baseball’s highest payroll of $240 million last season as a way of lowering exposure to higher luxury taxes.
Kemp played for the Dodgers from 2006-14, hitting 182 home runs, fourth-most in Los Angeles history. The outfielder hit .276 with 19 homers, 64 RBIs and 23 doubles in 115 games last season with the Braves.
The 35-year-old Gonzalez helped the Dodgers win five straight National League West division titles after being acquired from the Red Sox in August 2012. He was an AllStar in 2015 and led the NL in RBIs in 2014, but went on the disabled list with a herniated disk in his back last season for the first time in his career. He was usurped at first base by NL Rookie of the Year Cody Bellinger.
Gonzalez is owed $21.5 million in the final year of a $154 million, seven-year contract that the Dodgers absorbed in the 2012 trade with Boston.
Kazmir didn’t pitch last season because of a hip injury, one of many in his career. The 33-year-old lefthander went 10-6 with a 4.56 ERA in 26 starts in 2016, his first with the Dodgers. He is owed $15 million in 2018.
McCarthy was 11-7 with a 4.51 ERA in 29 starts over three seasons with the Dodgers. The 34-year-old righthander missed most of 2015 and 2016 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He went on the DL three times last season. He is owed $12 million in the last year of a $48 million, four-year deal.
Culberson is known for a pair of memorable homers with the Dodgers. His game-ending drive against Colorado in the 2016 regular-season finale clinched the NL West title. He also went deep in Game 2 of the World Series last season.