Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said Thursday that he doesn’t expect to have any talks with the Cy Young winner until the 2008 season is over. He was reacting to a message Sabathia posted said on his Web site Wednesday night that said he and his agents have broken off negotiations on a contract extension with the club.
The Indians recently offered Sabathia, who is eligible for free agency after the season, a four-year extension believed to be worth $17 million to $18 million per year. But if they want to keep the left-hander, the Indians may have to approach the six-year, $137.5 million contract the New York Mets gave Johan Santana after his recent trade from Minnesota.
Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA and led the majors with 241 innings in 2007, becoming Cleveland’s first Cy Young winner since Gaylord Perry in 1972. He’s expected to again anchor the pitching staff and is in for a huge payday if he hits the free agent market.
The Indians will likely make another offer, but Shapiro said he knows the club will be competing with teams that have bigger payrolls.
In spring training last season, the Indians signed pitcher Jake Westbrook to an extension and laid the groundwork for a new deal for DH Travis Hafner, which was signed in July. Shapiro was hopeful something similar would happen in this camp with Sabathia.
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