C.C. no opt-out a treat for Yankees

The Yankees and their ace reached agreement on a new five-year, $122 million deal with a vesting option for a sixth year that can bring the total value of the contract to $147 million, prompting Sabathia not to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract.

The new deal essentially boils down to a one-year extension worth $30 million, plus the vesting option for 2017 that could add another $25 million to the total. The sixth-year option becomes guaranteed if Sabathia does not finsh the 2016 season on the disabled list because of a left-shoulder injury, does not spend more than 45 days of 2016 on the DL with a left shoulder injury or does not make six or more relief appearances in 2016 because of shoulder problems.

Assuming Sabathia's left shoulder remains healthy, he will have earned a total of $216 million over nine years in pinstripes.
 
Had Sabathia opted out, he would have immediately become the top pitcher available on the free-agent market, but in the end, his desire to stay in New York - and the fact that the Yankees' offer might have been higher than anything another team would have proposed - led to him staying put. (continue)