Originally Posted by pan6467

As I stated during the playoffs, CC has a hard time winning the BIG games but he's still young. If he can build confidence and win the big games while pitching lights out to lesser teams.... he'll be worth every penny. It has been interesting and fun to watch CC grow this far, it'd be great to see him mature win us a few rings and become the face of the Indians pitching staff for many years to come.

That said, if he flounders and can't get over the hump and chokes at the big games, then we have problems and have to see that even though he is one of the best pitchers in baseball, if he can't win the big games is he worth the money?

Also, the talk of getting a deal worked out, shows CC is serious about staying here, unlike Jim "I'll be an Indian till they rip this jersey off me" Thome, plus it demonstrates the Dolans and Shapiro were true to their word and meant it when they said "when these kids come up and perform to the levels we believe they can we'll pay them."

I've never been one for outlandish contracts, especially to pitchers who can blow out arms, and kill your budget for years. But CC does nothing but get better every year and other than out of shape Spring Training fat causing oblique muscle problems (which if CC works out a little during the Winter, won't happen) he's probably one of the best conditioned pitchers in baseball.

I say give CC the 4-5 year contract with a couple mutual option years. Then go out and sign Bartolo Colon cheaply to a 1 or 2 year deal... yes, we have pitching but you put 2 Cy Young winners with Carmona and Sowers, trade Lee for a 3rd baseman or Left Fielder...... now the caveat to all this would be Colon would have to work with Carmona and Sowers helping them mature, because as a pitcher Colon at 35 is pretty much done, he's never been healthy or the same since winning the Cy Young, but he could still have some stuff left.