CC Sabathia still mulling his options

ST. LOUIS

In anticipation of CC Sabathia's likely upcoming free agency, there are two precedents we'd advise you to keep in mind.

The first is Roger Clemens. The second is Cliff Lee.

First, a brief update: There have been no discussions between Sabathia and the Yankees since the Yankees' ALDS loss. They told Sabathia to take his time in sorting things out, and while the Yankees hope to engage in discussions before Sabathia's opt-out must be triggered (three days after the Series), a deal probably won't be worked out before then.

OK, now those names. Before Clemens' agents Alan and Randy Hendricks even began negotiating for the righthander's memorable half-seasons of 2006 and 2007, The Rocket came to strong conclusions -- let's call them 90 percent -- about where he desired to play.

He wanted to rejoin the Astros in 2006, as they defended their NL title, and he wanted to follow Andy Pettitte back to the Yankees in 2007. The Hendricks brothers worked the system to get the best deals they could from Clemens' top choice.

Every indication is that Sabathia wants to return to the Yankees. He, his wife Amber and their children have made good friends in New Jersey and they talk like they intend on being in the area for a very long time.

Yet Sabathia's representatives Greg Genske and Brian Peters hold an industry reputation for being particularly tough negotiators. If you're wondering whether Sabathia will return to the Yankees or whether his agents will play hardball, the answer very well could be "both."

Which brings us to Lee. Contrary to what has become accepted fact, Lee didn't leave a boatload of money on the table when he chose the Phillies over the Yankees and Rangers. Rather, Lee took a higher annual salary -- $24 million -- for a shorter period of time, five years. The Yankees offered Lee $147 million over seven years. Lee essentially bet on himself, gambling that he'd still be great at the end of his deal and ultimately make more money than the Yankees' proposal.

Would Sabathia consider a similar arrangement? The Yankees, who owe Sabathia $92 million over the next four years, would rather give the big lefty an annual raise than tack on too many years at the end of his current contract.

We'll see if another team (Washington? The Cubs? The Angels?) outbids what should be a respectable Yankees package by a few more total dollars. And we'll see if that would lure the Sabathias away.

By the way, here's a leftover quote from my interview last month with Amber Sabathia, discussing her husband's free agency from three years ago and the notion that the Sabathias didn't want to leave California:

"It's so funny because, there's an article that said I don't want to leave. So not the case. I was like, 'Let's go to the furthest place away from home.' Our ticket count in Oakland is 200 tickets. Furthest away from home would be great for me."

Yankees go East

Major League Baseball and the Players Association didn't have to work very hard to recruit high-profile Yankees Robinson Cano and Curtis Granderson for their upcoming All-Star trip to Taiwan.

Granderson is highly involved in union activities, and he loves to travel. And Cano is turning it into a business trip. Upon the conclusion of the Taiwan series, Cano will go to Japan with his father, former big-leaguer Jose Cano, for some appearances.

The other big name is Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, whom the Players Association helped get through a February arrest for drinking under the influence and resisting a police officer without violence