The Anatomy of a Yankees Spending Spree

The Yankees are spending more for free agents this off-season, despitethe recession due to a number of factors.As the New York Yankees go, most everything they’ve touched since George Steinbrenner purchased them in 1973 has been done on a grand scale. Few, if anything, is done small, and this off-season is no exception. To say that the Bronx Bombers have been on a free agency spending spree may redefine the term. The signings of C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett total $243.5 million, if the contracts run their full course (and according to The AP, by the time the Yankees open at Baltimore on April 6, Sabathia already will have received $6 million of that bonus plus $3.5 million of next year’s salary). And, the Yankees may not be done as there are reports that they are in the mix for Mark Teixeira, a deal that may garner close to $200 million, and/or Manny Ramirez, who is rumored to have been offered a 3-year, $75 million deal by the club. With the money being thrown around, one can l...