The New York Yankees Offer CC Sabathia Seven Year $160 Million Contract but Can't Pay for New Stadium?

You know it's the off season in Major League Baseball when you hear a story like this. The New York Yankees and pitcher CC Sabathia are reportedly very close to signing a deal that will pay the 28 year old left-handed hurler a reported record breaking $160 million over the next seven seasons. While singing the biggest name available in the free agent pool for an egregious amount of money is nothing new for the New York Yankees, what is new is that just days earlier it was the Yankees asking the city for help. Yes just a few days ago it was the New York Yankees and the New York Mets asking the city for another $450 million to help build their new stadiums after already being granted $1.5 Billion from the city (source:espn.com). With times as economically tough as they are now, such a move seems outrageous.

How can the upper brass with the New York Yankees feel good about this? It seems they are saying, "Hey fans, go ahead and pay for the stadium and oh by the way give us more money. Pay no attention to the fact that we will now charge you seven dollars for a hot dog and ten dollars for a beer, you love us remember?" Well that's all fine and dandy until you go out and pay almost half the money you are asking from the city (public) to one player. This is not a knock on CC Sabathia. I am not saying he shouldn't take the money being offered to him, I know I would. But it just seems that if the New York Yankees can afford to pay one player so much money, than they can afford to pay to have their own stadium built. Why are the Yankees asking the public for money when times are the way they are and then going right out and spending lavishly for one man?

Make no mistake; it is the fans that will pay for Sabathia with the extra fees for parking and concessions that are sure to follow this deal. But in such tough economic times the Yankees could really be shooting themselves in the foot. Again I stress the bad economy. The average Joe (or Sally) is going to get priced right out of the ballpark. If moves like this continue, baseball will start to be viewed as Americas "high-crime" instead of Americas Pastime. So good luck Yankees, the fans wish you well. But we are still all wondering (though an answer will probably never come), how can you afford $160 million for one player but you can't afford to build your own stadium?