According to general manager Ned Colletti, free agent pitcher CC Sabathia wants to be in Dodger blue next season.

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti told ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark on Monday that he ran into the free agent on Sunday night in a hotel lobby and the left-hander told him that he wants to be a Dodger.

Although the New York Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers have made offers to the prize of the free-agent class, speculation continued that Sabathia would want to play near the home he is building in Southern California.

Sabathia did meet with the Yankees on Sunday and Monday, and his representatives spoke with the Brewers on Monday.

According to a baseball man with knowledge of the meeting, Sabathia wanted to meet with the Yankees on Sunday because he’s “trying to gather information” about the franchise and New York.
Sabathia and his agent, Greg Genske, met for about 2½ hours on Sunday with Yankees GM Brian Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and adviser Reggie Jackson. And the main focus of the conversation, the source said, was whether Sabathia wants to be a Yankee.

Cashman met alone with Sabathia and his representatives on Monday.

Many insist that Sabathia will eventually take the money and wind up in New York, but his desire to hit and play in his home state seem to be more appealing at this point. The Dodgers seem like a perfect fit for the three things Sabathia wants – his home state, money and the opportunity to hit. The other two California teams that have shown interest – the Angels and Giants – only seem to be trying to drive up the market value for the ace with the Yankees and Dodgers being the two main players in the Sabathia sweepstakes.

Top pitching free agent CC Sabathia might be heading to a Los Angeles ball club – although not the LA club many thought he might land with.

The Angels, not the Dodgers, have apparently turned their attention from first basemen Mark Teixeira to Sabathia.

The Angels, unwilling to meet Mark Teixeira’s desire for a 10-year contract, are in discussions with CC Sabathia and could offer him a contract that approaches the $140-million bid extended to him by the New York Yankees.

Scott Boras, the agent for Teixeira, represented Carlos Beltran four years ago and set the same asking price: 10 years for $200 million. Beltran did not sign with the Mets until January, for seven years and $119 million. By then, other top free agents had signed elsewhere.

Boras declined to comment on how many years Teixeira has requested.

Milwaukee reportedly has offered Sabathia five years and $100 million to return, with the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants among other interested teams. Sabathia grew up in the San Francisco area and has expressed interest in playing for a California team. Greg Genske, Sabathia’s agent, did not return phone calls.

I see five true contenders in the Sabathia race: Brewers, Dodgers, Giants, Angels, Yankees.

The Yankees will throw the most money at him, but the Dodgers, Brewers and Giants allow him to hit regularly like he wants to. The Angels allow him to play in his home state, but why would he choose the Halos over the Dodgers or Giants and the opportunity to hit?

I say he winds up with the Dodgers. They’ll be able to balance out what seems to matter to him most – hitting, money and playing in Cali. The Giants will eventually bow out because of the Barry Zito gaff and the Brewers aren’t as appealing as the Dodgers.