On Saturday, C.C. Sabathia signed a 4-year contract that includes a club option for a fifth year. He will receive a base salary of $450K this season, $850K in 2003, $2.45M in 2004, $4.5M in 2005, and the 2006 option is worth $7M with a $250K buyout. If Sabathia pitches 405 innings between 2004 and 2005, or 540 IP between 2003 and 2005, the option will be guaranteed. The deal also includes a $1M signing bonus, and incentive clauses that could raise his 2005 salary to $6M and make the option worth $9M.

This contract is a fairly clear-cut example of both sides opting for moderate security at some risk. Sabathia will be underpaid if he stays healthy throughout the length of the contract. However, his heavy workload means that he is at high risk for injury. This deal allows Sabathia financial security. Cleveland is aware of the risk involved, but they also realize that this contract gives them a sizeable bargain if Sabathia does not falter.

Logically, the Indians should take amplified steps to insure Sabathia's long-term health after agreeing to this multi-year deal. However based on their past actions, it isn't clear whether they are even aware of safe usage patterns.

Paul Hoynes of The Plain Dealer, a Cleveland newspaper, recently printed the following disturbing quotes from Indians' Manager Charlie Manuel, which were in response to a concerns about Sabathia's performance this season after pitching an average of 96 pitches per start last season. "We built C.C. up slowly last year," said Manuel. "Ninety-six pitches? That's nothing. Some people throw 96 pitches in two or three innings." Manuel then went on to say, "I'll never overwork a pitcher. I'd like to build C.C. up to about 120 pitches [per start] this season."

If he wasn't just having a temporary memory lapse, brought about by the off-season (similar to the way kids returning from summer break take a while to remember things), then Manuel can't have ever seen any data on pitch counts and injuries.

The one possible silver lining is that Cleveland did replace Pitching Coach Dick Pole (now the MON pitching coach) with Mike Brown. Brown has no major league coaching experience but has been their minor league pitching coordinator. Looking over the IP data for their minor leagues, only ten pitchers had more than 100 IP, no pitcher had more than 160 IP, and of the two who had 160 IP, one was already 24. Obviously pitch counts for individual games would be much more useful data here, but on the surface it looks as though Brown or someone has paid attention to the workload of the minor league pitchers in the Cleveland organization. Brown may be able to protect the pitching staff in the future and potentially ward off injuries.

Ricky Bottalico and the Phillies have agreed to restructure the contract he signed in January. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the games finished incentives in the original deal were identical to those in his 2001 contract. Obviously he would have had little chance to meet those incentives with Jose Mesa as the closer, so in return for adding a set of performance bonuses based on appearances instead of games finished, Bottalico agreed to a club option for 2003 at $1.75M plus the equal of whatever games finished bonuses he earns this season.

He has a base salary of $1.5M this season with a $50K buyout for the option. The structure of the bonuses is as follows: $25K for 15 GF, $50K for 20 GF, $20K for 25 GF, $75K for 30 GF, and $75K for 40 GF, with the addition of $50K bonuses for reaching each of 55, 60, and 65 appearances.

Philadelphia may not need Bottalico in 2003, but this gives them added flexibility if some of their other relievers don't seem ready to take over or if something happens to Mesa this season. Bottalico would have been unlikely to make a lot more on the free agent market next season, so this works well for him as well.

Trenidad Hubbard signed a minor league contract with San Diego on Saturday. Kory DeHaan should be the fifth outfielder for the Padres, but Hubbard could compete with him in Spring Training. DeHaan was a Rule 5 pick in 2000 from Pittsburgh. He wasn't ready for the majors in 2000, but he appears ready now after a full year at AAA last season. He is a capable center fielder and shows good potential with solid speed and acceptable plate discipline though he has demonstrated no power of which to speak. Hubbard played little last season and hasn't done much in a few years, but he is a right-handed batter with major league service time, and since the Padres are a little short on righties, they might give him a chance.

Gant is still their replacement if they trade Bubba Trammel, but whoever of the other two doesn't make the roster will serve as a solid injury replacement. Cesar Crespo can also play the outfield. In the infield the Padres will likely take two of Crespo, Deivi Cruz, and Donaldo Mendez as back-ups to starters Phil Nevin, D'Angelo Jimenez, Ramon Vazquez, and Sean Burroughs.

Cruz is among those whose age has suffered an adjustment this off-season, as he was discovered to be 29 rather than 26. He is among the few players who might actually lose money following these disclosures, considering the extent of the revelation and his already limited potential when he was thought to be 26. The Padres may try to void his $500K, one-year contract.

I think that Mendez, as a younger player with some remaining potential, could easily beat out Cruz for the roster spot anyway. Since Crespo is both a switch hitter and capable of playing the outfield, he will likely break camp with the team.