Subway Series: Mets want in on CC Sabathia

If you thought the Subway Series were heated, or even last season's pursuit of Johan Santana, if the Mets are really in on CC Sabathia, things between the two teams are about to get crazy.

Four different writers in the Daily News note that the Mets look like they're going to be players in the bidding war for the portly Sabathia.

Bill Madden / Anthony McCarron / Adam Rubin:

A high-placed Yankee source Thursday reacted to the development by saying: "The Mets are in it? Great. Bring it on."
---
Such a deal with the Mets likely would require backloading some of Sabathia's salary, at least until Carlos Delgado's $12 million and Billy Wagner's $10.5 million salaries for 2009 are cleared.

I don't like the sound of that at all.

John Harper:

And the Mets are going to slug it out with them? I'll have to see it unfold to believe it, partly because they don't have the resources to go dollar for dollar with the Yankees, and partly because they have never shown much of an appetite for this kind of fight for fear of being embarrassed.

All of which makes it all the more fascinating, of course, if the Wilpons truly are willing to go to war with the Steinbrenners over Sabathia.

Me too, Harper. Me too.

The Mets have to focus their money and attitude toward fixing the bullpen. Santana is the ace of the staff, and he can tell you all about how a poor bullpen will ruin games. Santana could have easily been the Cy Young Award winner, if only his bullpen could have converted those six blown games.

A great starting pitcher can only do so much. I hope whatever team signs Sabathia doesn't expect him to repeat his complete game performances from last season -- notching 10 last season, and seven in 17 games for Milwaukee.

It's not that I don't want Sabathia on the Mets. I'd love to see his stomach stretching those blue pinstripes on the mound at Citi Field. The team needs to remember where their problems came from the last two seasons, and figure out how to fix it. I know they have two holes in their rotation, but they have about eight holes in their bullpen.

Bullpen first, (cheaper) starting pitchers later.