CC Sabathia Files For Free Agency

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NEW YORK -- CC Sabathia, the prize pitcher on this year's market, filed for free agency Saturday.

Sabathia was acquired by Milwaukee from Cleveland on July 7, then went 11-2 with seven complete games, three shutouts and a 1.65 ERA in 17 starts to help the Brewers make the playoffs for the first time since 1982. Overall, the 28-year-old left-hander was 17-10 with a 2.70 ERA for the Indians and Brewers.

Milwaukee plans to make an offer soon. Sabathia's new deal could top Johan Santana's $137.5 million, six-year contract with the New York Mets.

"He's not going to be a guy who is going to have 27 phone calls. He's only going to get five," Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said Thursday. "If he's going to demand the money he's going to demand, he'll get a lot less phone calls than maybe even Ray Durham or somebody like that that we have."

Reliever Tom Gordon became the first member of the World Series champion Phillies to file for free agency after Philadelphia declined a $4.5 million option and chose to pay a $1 million buyout. The right-hander, who turns 41 on Nov. 18, had bone spurs removed and his ulnar collateral ligament repaired in his arm on Oct. 16.

He went 5-4 with a 5.16 ERA in 34 games, then was put on the 15-day DL with right elbow inflammation on July 6 and missed the rest of the season.

Twenty-three players filed for free agency Saturday, raising the total to 130 in three days since the World Series. Up to 50 additional players potentially are eligible to file.