Blue Jays reportedly met with CC Sabathia

According to a tweet from George A. King III, of the New York Post, the Blue Jays met with free agent starter, CC Sabathia on Tuesday.

The Blue Jays are continuing their search for roster upgrades, and Tuesday evening we got the latest update. In a tweet from George A. King III, who is a Yankees’ beat writer for the NY Post, the Blue Jays met with 37 year old veteran, CC Sabathia.

The 17 year veteran pitched for the Yankees last season and posted great numbers as he continues a late career resurgence. He went 14-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 27 games, and ended up making some big starts for the Yankees down the stretch as they looked to secure their Wild Card position.

The Blue Jays have four starters locked in for 2018 in Marcus Stroman, J.A. Happ, Marco Estrada, and a hopefully healthy Aaron Sanchez. The latter’s health makes it especially important for the Blue Jays’ front office to secure depth in the rotation, as Sanchez was only able to make eight starts in 2017. The hope is that his fingernail and blister issues are behind him, but either way an arm like Sabathia’s could benefit the Blue Jays’ rotation.

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It’s been widely expected throughout the offseason that the Yankees would bring back their veteran of nine seasons, especially since he performed so well for them last season, and they too have a need at the back of their rotation. However, Brian Cashman and company have been a little preoccupied, what with bringing in the most fearsome slugger in baseball in Giancarlo Stanton in a trade with the Marlins. They’ve also been rumoured to be in on several other players, as well as clearing payroll with some trades, so it’s hard to say if they’re committed to bringing back Sabathia or not. Despite their large investment in Stanton, Yankees’ ownership has been adament about getting under the luxury tax threshold of 197 million, so there are floating pieces.

The Blue Jays’ interest also makes sense because of Sabathia’s history with team president Mark Shapiro, back when they were both with the Cleveland Indians’ organization. Sabathia debuted in Cleveland as a 20 year old, and pitched there from 2001-07 before being traded to the Brewers for a brief, but historic run, and then settling in with the Yankees after that.

Whether you’re a fan of the idea of signing Sabathia or not, I would argue it’s a good sign because at the very least it shows the front office is serious about bringing in another starter. With all due respect to Joe Biagini and company, adding another veteran arm to the fold would go a long way to stabilizing the rotation.

Next: Blue Jays expressing interest in the Marlins' Ozuna

For the right price, Sabathia could be a solid addition to the back of the rotation, so we’ll see if there are any legs to this rumour.