PAVANO AVAILABLE TO OTHER TEAMS AFTER ONE START
By GEORGE A. KING III
Posted: 3:04 am
August 28, 2008
Could "The Idle" be moving?
Carl "American Idle" Pavano is scheduled to start tomorrow night against the Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium - unless another team wants him.
The Post has learned Pavano was put on waivers within the last 24 hours and available to be claimed and then traded if the New York Yankees find a match.
Pavano, who returned to the big leagues last Saturday in Baltimore after being out since April of last year because Tommy John surgery on the right elbow, is in the final season of a four-year, $40 million deal.
The Yankees are dead in the AL East race - they are 10 ½ games back of the Rays - and are seven lengths behind the Red Sox in the wild-card chase with 30 games to go. They would be wise to see what they could get for Pavano before he leaves via free agency when the Yankees don't pick up a $13 million option.
With John Maine a strong possibility to be done for the season because of a shoulder problem, the New York Mets might be interested in Pavano if the Yankees agree to pick up some of the $3.78 million left on the contract. There is approximately $1.83 million remaining this year and a $1.95 million buyout on his contract.
In order to be eligible for the postseason a player has to be with a team before Sept. 1.
Infielder Cody Ransom joined Pavano on waivers.