In Risky Move, Yanks Sign Burnett

Sport re-evaluates its pay structure

(NEWSER) - Looking at baseball, you’d think the country wasn’t in a recession—clubs are charging exorbitant ticket prices and shelling out tens of millions of dollars on top free agents. Will the bubble ever collapse? Probably not, writes Nate Silver for Esquire. MLB is, after all, a legally protected monopoly. But more importantly, the sport already has taken steps to add a dose of reality its out-of-control pay structure. More»

(NEWSER) - Yankees officials are confident that pitcher CC Sabathia will sign with the team, the New York Times reports. The seven-year, $160 million deal is the priciest ever for a pitcher. Yankees GM Brian Cashman recently met twice with Sabathia in Las Vegas and again yesterday in San Francisco. Sabathia had reportedly wanted to play in California, but no offers emerged. More»

Joba Chamberlain lost so much blood he could have died: Daily News

(NEWSER) - Yankees relief pitcher Joba Chamberlain is likely out for the season and possibly done with baseball after suffering a bizarre and gruesome ankle injury, reports the Daily News . He damaged his right ankle while playing with his young son and lost so much blood that his life was in danger, a team insider tells the newspaper. "I believe it was a trampoline," says GM Brian Cashman. The gruesome part: The bone pierced the skin, ala Joe Theisman. More»

Deal is for 10 years, $250 million

(NEWSER) - The Los Angeles Angels made two huge splashes today, snatching up two of the biggest free agents on the market: Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. Pujols has agreed to a 10-year deal worth between $250 and $260 million, a source tells Yahoo! Sports . Depending on the exact number, it may be the second-biggest baseball contract ever—behind Alex Rodriguez's $275 million deal with the Yankees—and according to ESPN, it includes a full no-trade clause. More»

We're all tired of talking about NY payroll, but it stifles baseball hope

(NEWSER) - Yes, writing about the New York Yankees’ ginormous payroll is “like writing about the heat in Phoenix. We all know it’s there, and we don’t really want to talk about it anymore,” Joe Ponanski says in what he admits is a “screed.” And though baseball’s playoffs are designed to add volatility, when you can spend $52 million more than the next-biggest spender, you’re eventually going to buy a(nother) World Series. More»