Yankees likely to non-tender Wang

Right-hander has been hampered by injuries since 2008.



NEW YORK -- The Yankees appear likely to non-tender Chien-Ming Wang by Saturday's midnight ET deadline, a move that would make the two-time 19-game winner a free agent.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that the club is still considering their options regarding Wang, but he is the only one of New York's four non-tender candidates who has not been mentioned by Cashman as part of the club's outlook toward Spring Training.


Outfielder Melky Cabrera and pitchers Chad Gaudin and Sergio Mitre are the other non-tender candidates, all of whom should be retained. Cabrera is currently the Yankees' starting left fielder and Cashman has spoken about Gaudin and Mitre as candidates for the back end of the rotation.

Wang's agent, Alan Nero, said on Friday that he has been led to believe that the Yankees will non-tender Wang, at which point he will begin to engage any interested clubs on the open market.

Nero said that his expectation is that Wang will be ready to pitch in Major League games by May 1.

"He is way ahead of schedule," Nero said. "He started his throwing program on Dec. 1 and is under the supervision of Dr. James Andrews with his physical therapy. I'm very optimistic that he will be in the best shape of his life."

Wang, who will be 30 by Opening Day, was considered by many to be the ace of the Yankees' staff as recently as last year. The sinker-baller has never recovered from a June 2008 right foot injury that has jarred his promising career.

After returning from that Lisfranc tear, Wang struggled mightily, and some speculated the foot injury had altered his motion. Wang was eventually sent to Tampa, Fla., to work on his mechanics, but he was sidelined for good after a July 4 start against the Blue Jays, having Andrews perform season-ending shoulder surgery.

Wang finished the year 1-6 with a 9.64 ERA in 12 games (nine starts) and is expected to be Major League-ready at some point between April and June, according to Cashman. But because Wang made $5 million in 2009, the largest pay reduction the Yankees could offer him if they tendered a contract would be 20 percent, or $4 million.

Given his uncertain outlook, the Yankees may believe they are better served to non-tender Wang and then attempt to re-sign him to a lesser contract.

Nero would not rule out the idea that Wang could return to the Yankees under that scenario, but he said that his agency would then view the situation by taking all other options into consideration.

"I think it's difficult to rationalize a non-tender as further building a bridge with a team, but we'll see," Nero said.

Should Wang become a free agent, it is thought that the Dodgers -- managed by Joe Torre, a consistent supporter of the pitcher -- would have some interest.

Wang said in October that "hopefully I will be here next year," but he was aware that he may not be.

Watching from the bench as the Yankees went on to win the World Series, Wang said, "I don't know what will happen in the future. I'm just waiting to see. ... I can't worry about it. Right now I'm just focusing on rehab and getting healthy."