"CC Sabathia has four years left on his contract with the Yankees, and assuming he opts out, as he is allowed to do at the end of this season, he presumably will want another two or three years tacked on. And the 31-year-old lefty said he can remain an ace for that long.

"There's no reason to think I can't," Sabathia said late Thursday night after the Yankees' ALDS loss.

Sabathia is expected to decide to opt out of his seven-year $161 million contract, unless he and the Yankees agree to an extension beforehand. But assuring a 31-year-old starter six or seven more seasons is a major commitment, especially considering Sabathia already has pitched for 11 years and weighs 300 pounds. That said, he is still young, and his last seven years have been spectacular. "