Yankees fans have been told time and time again this winter that re-signing DJ LeMahieu is the No. 1 priority and that LeMahieu likes to play in New York.
But that does not necessarily mean LeMahieu has to play in the Bronx to stay in New York, says former Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia.
Sabathia, who appeared on WFAN’s “Boomer & Gio” on Monday morning, was asked by Boomer about the new Mets owner Steve Cohen and if he could lure LeMahieu to Queens.
“I think it’s gonna be good for baseball, obviously, to have another team in this market bidding for free agents,” Sabathia said. “All things being equal, DJ loves playing in the city. If the Mets can offer him the same thing as the Yankees, what’s stopping him from playing over there?”
It is obviously not the answer Yankees fans wanted to hear, but while Sabathia won’t exclude the Mets, he still believes the Yankees have the inside track despite the two sides reportedly far apart in negotiations.
“Right now, [the Mets are] gonna have to offer him more,” Sabathia said. “I think the Yankees have an advantage of signing DJ because he’s played in the Bronx already. If he was coming from Colorado and the Mets and Yankees were bidding, and the offers are equal, he’ll get to choose. [But] him already playing in the Bronx and being a part of Yankee culture, you’re going to have to pry him away from that.”
Sabathia, who was promoting his new HBO documentary, "Under the Grapefruit Tree: The CC Sabathia Story," certainly knows the allure of being a Yankee.
When asked by the guys what his proudest moment was, he cited memories that did not necessarily involve him individually.
"Winning the World Series for sure, but there were so many other cool moments," he said. "Like watching Jeter 3K, his last at-bat, watching Andy [Pettitte] throw a complete game in his last game. I got a chance to play with so many greats that it’s hard for me to pick a favorite personal experience. It was just being a Yankee."
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