Yankees hope only the contract is hefty

The Yankees chased. The Yankees cajoled. The Yankees even provided him with an escape hatch if it turns out that he hates the big city.

And when the Yankees were finished, the second-best starter in New York had, by far, the richest contract ever for a pitcher.

The Yankees sure must love CC Sabathia.

With Sabathia agreeing to a seven-year, $161-million free-agent deal Wednesday, there’s no doubt the Yankees are better than they were last week. At 6-7, 290, Sabathia gives Joe Girardi a powerhouse lefty at the top of his rotation and he is a tremendous eater of innings (among other things). With a 2007 Cy Young Award with the Indians in one pocket and a remarkable 2008 second half of the regular season with the Brewers in the other, there never was a doubt Sabathia would pocket a nine-figure deal.

Yet, in acting like the fattest of cats in the leanest of times, when partial desperation can be construed as absolute greed, the Yankees may have set up Sabathia to be reviled. If not by Yankee haters, maybe by Yankee lovers.

Maybe I’m off base here. Maybe Sabathia wins 20 in 2009, becomes the darling of the new stadium, and follows it with the special kind of postseason he has yet to enjoy. Maybe he uses his 96-mph fastball, slider and change to win 20 more and keeps on winning through the conclusion of the deal in 2015. Maybe CC, at 28, comes to stand in Yankees lore as carbon copy greatness. Maybe Lowe, Sheets or Burnett join him.

The bottom drops on Wall Street? The auto industry shows up in Washington hat in hand? Newspaper giants eyeball bankruptcy? Folks across the country go unemployed? The NFL lays off 10% of its staff? The Arena Football League suspends operations? Every day brings something new and frightening. The Yankees merely blink, shed some old payroll, ask the city for $259 million more in tax-exempt bonds on top of the $940 million they already were granted for their new palace, and go about their merry way spending like drunken sailors.

The Brewers offered Sabathia $100 million -- a king’s ransom for them -- to keep him. The Yankees rolled in and blew everybody away with a $140-million offer. Sabathia balked. He preferred his native California. He preferred the National League, where he could swing the bat. He had reservations about life in New York. The Yankees had no reservations about overpaying. They were bidding against themselves. They threw in $21 million more and, according to ESPN, none of the $161 million is deferred. And after meeting with him three times, they also threw in an “opt-out” after three years. Suddenly, New York started looking like San Francisco and LA to CC.

The market is down for corner outfielders. Witness Manny Ramirez. The market is down for closers. The agent for Francisco Rodriguez once was talking about five years and $75 million. After a record 62 saves, K-Rod got a three-year, $37-million deal from the Mets.

In a sour economy, starting pitchers and the Yankees evidently do not suffer like closers, General Motors and Joe Six Pack. Despite their astronomical payroll, the Yankees missed the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. The response of the Steinbrenner boys? Rip a page out of their daddy’s playbook and show up with a blank check. Paying $61 million more than anybody else is a doozy even for the Yankees.

CC’s friends have said he isn’t about the money? They’ll have a tough time convincing fans of the other 29 teams. CC stands for Cash Cow this morning. If you add the salaries of Sabathia to Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter, you could fund any small-market team.

But the potential storm for CC strikes much closer than Yankee haters. If he loses early or he struggles for a stretch, his burden will grow with Yankees fans, especially with those who grow cynical about that escape clause.

There will be questions about his weight. Can he carry nearly 300 pounds into his 30s? He’s 1-4 with an 8.61 ERA lifetime at Yankee Stadium. Meaningful or just old numbers? Sabathia is a lively teammate, a standup guy, and how will his personality play in the cold corporate clubhouse of the Yankees?

He has pitched more innings (494) and struck out more hitters (460) than anyone the last two years. He is second with 36 wins. He also has faltered worst when he tries to do the most. He’s an emotional performer. When entering his contract year in 2008, he struggled badly when he tried to make everybody in Cleveland forget Bartolo Colon. He has lost his last three postseason decisions. The Red Sox lit him up in the 2007 ALCS. He gave up a grand slam to Philly’s Shane Victorino this year. His 7.92 career ERA in the postseason will be scrutinized every bit as much as A-Rod’s flops.

For $161 million, Sabathia becomes the flower of Yankee Pride. Many have flourished in that role. Many have wilted. With that 2011 escape clause looming like a giant expiration date on his considerable rear end, CC will have to stand very strong in his own house.