C.C. Sabathia's Unimaginably Rich $161 Million Contract and How a Normal American Relates

For months, the baseball world watched and waited for the class of mega free agents to jockey for position and find a new place to call home. Endless reports had the soon-to-be unimaginably wealthy headed to a string of big market cities-all bidding numbers that seemed not only unreachable but also completely incomprehensible for the average person. Names such as Manny Ramirez, Mark Texeria, A.J. Burnett, and Derek Lowe flooded the daily headlines; however, one man's services attracted more interest than all the others: C.C. Sabathia.

Formerly thought to have a true sense of allegiance to his home state of California as well as a desire to remain in the National League so he could indulge his wish to swing the bat, Sabathia dangled his talents in front of many; yet, ultimately dollars signs won, and Sabathia became the property of the richest team in all of sports, the New York Yankees. After agreeing to a seven year, 161 million dollar contract, Sabathia will represent for the Yankees a new hope after a year of unrest and failure. He also helps to usher in an expansive new Yankee Stadium, a 1.3 billion dollar replacement for the House that Ruth built.

While the Yankees spending spree has occurred in a faltering economy, Sabathia, like any other American living in a capitalistic society that has its economic philosophies rooted in the concept of a free market, has the right to pursue the money offered. His 23 million dollars a year will compensate him for his ability, a talent set that the Yankees felt was worth the money. Thus, as we all know to well, the value of something in any market is not what a piece of paper says or what an evaluation may report, it is what another person will pay for it.