CC Sabathia figures to sign a contract well over the $100 million mark this offseason, but history indicates that may not bode well for his team's playoff chances. None of the four previous $100 million pitchers - Kevin Brown, Johan Santana, Barry Zito and Mike Hampton - has pitched in the playoffs for the team he signed his mega-deal with. "The dangers in these kinds of deals are tremendous," said a baseball executive. "How old is the pitcher? What is his history of injury? Based on his age, how fast will his performance decline, because most pitchers, as they get older, they lose their velocity and have to become more of a pitcher and mix it up, change. "You weigh how good the pitcher is, what is your team's need, how long do you think he can sustain his performance? There are pros to CC - he's a big guy, a good athlete, a horse. On the other hand, he's pitched a lot of innings."