Sabathia: Staying Healthy Necessary For Yankees' 2015 Success

Yankees' Pitcher CC Sabathia sees staying healthy as the key to the team's 2015 success.

Sabathia said so during a recent interview with the YES Network, in which he also commented on what the Yankees should do this offseason. Sabathia is coming off an injury-shortened 2014 campaign, and expressed his eagerness to return to the field.

However, he still made it clear that more players than just him have to stay off the disabled list in order for the Yankees to contend again next season, namely their other big arms. 

“Just to be healthy, I think, [would make a difference],” Sabathia said. “I don’t know how much we need [in terms of new additions] — I don’t evaluate the talent or anything like that – but I know myself, [Ivan] Nova, Big Mike, if we can stay healthy for a whole year, I think we have a better chance of making the playoffs.”

Yankees fans probably hope that's true, as the team has now missed the postseason for two consecutive years. The last time they did that was from 1992-1993, before Derek Jeter arrived.

And Sabathia, with his wounded knee, may just be another reason for their decline. He had a 4.78 ERA in 2013 and a 5.28 one this season, yet said that he can still be as a 200-inning, 30-start guy for them in the future. 

“Yeah, for sure,” he said. “I feel like I can. If you asked me that a couple of months ago, I would have said, ‘I don’t know,’ but the way I’m feeling now and being able to work out, definitely.”

Sabathia is likely guaranteed a spot in next year's rotation, so it's a safe bet he'll get a chance to back up that statement. He may not be in the front half of it for the first time in pinstripes, but nonetheless, he'll be throwing every five days. 

Sabathia, 34, was 74-29 with a 3.22 ERA with the Yankees from 2009-2012, but has noticeably lost velocity on his fastball since.