The New York Yankees have offered CC Sabathia the richest deal for a pitcher in baseball history, according to a report on ESPN.com on Friday.

The sports website reported the offer is for six years and has a value slightly higher than the record 137.5 million-dollar contract that Johan Santana signed with the New York Mets prior to last season.

The Yankees did not immediately confirm the report.

Sabathia, the 2007 Cy Young Award winner as the top pitcher in the American League, is the prized free agent pitcher on the market this offseason.

At 28 the southpaw is in his prime, and helped lead the Milwaukee Brewers to the playoffs last season after being acquired in a midseason deal with the Cleveland Indians.

The chances that the small-market Brewers will be able to re-sign him appear to be slim.

Earlier this month the Brewers said they had offered a deal in the `neighborhood of 100 million dollars`.