CC's challenge is to keep the weight off

TAMPA, Fla. -- Brian Cashman didn't include a weight clause in CC Sabathia's new contract because it's been the general manager's experience that "they don't work."

But that doesn't mean Sabathia's weight, which steadily increased as the 2011 season went on, wasn't a concern.

And so, after Sabathia's contract, which had an out clause in it, was redone early in the offseason, Cashman called the pitcher to the Stadium for a meeting that included manager Joe Girardi and trainer Steve Donohue.

"It was a good conversation, just an honest dialogue," said Cashman, mentioning former Yankees Bob Wickman and Jim Leyritz among those who had weight clauses in their contracts that proved counterproductive. "It wasn't part of the negotiating process whatsoever. It was separate and distinct. When I was dealing with his contract, weight stuff didn't come up. We wanted CC, we needed CC, we love CC. And now it was, all right, that's behind us, going forward, what areas can we be better in? It was a free-flowing conversation."

Sabathia reported to camp Sunday at 290 pounds, down 10 to 15 pounds, he said, from the end of last season. When he reported to camp in 2011, Sabathia said he was around 290, having lost 25 pounds in the offseason.

The lefty's challenge is to keep the weight off, something he hopes to do with the help of strength coach Dana Cavalea.

"Just making sure I stay healthy and keep it off and be able to maintain it the whole year," he said. "Just make sure I get with Dana, doing the right things on the road, make sure I eat the right things in the clubhouse. That shouldn't be hard."

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But it's not easy, either, not with the odd hours of a baseball season and the sometimes lavish pre- and postgame clubhouse buffet spreads.

"Our schedule's so crazy," Sabathia said. "Wake up at all kind of crazy hours, go to bed at different hours, so it's just up to me to get a good routine, keep it and make sure I maintain it during the whole season."

Sabathia went 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA last season, a good year by any definition. But he had a much better first half -- 13-4 with a 2.72 ERA -- than second half, when he went 6-4 with a 3.44 ERA.

Breaking the numbers down further, after going 4-1, 0.92 in July, Sabathia went 3-2, 4.68 in August before settling a bit in September at 1-1, 3.08.

Could weight gain have impacted his second half? Sabathia said no. Cashman isn't sure.

"I can't tell you it did or didn't," he said. "I just know, obviously I thought it was important enough to have the conversation nonetheless, because in the second half, he got bigger after the All-Star break and I know he was having some patella problem with the [right] knee. We discussed the possibilities."

Cashman said the conversation was a difficult one to decide to have but was easy once it began.

"CC's never let us down," Cashman said. "He's the type of person that's fully committed. The only hard part is to have those conversations and then the easy part is watching him follow through. CC's the type of person who will make it happen."