What’s stopping Yankees from just paying CC Sabathia $500,000?

Several sources explain why it could be a “slippery slope” for the Yankees to just pay CC Sabathia the $500,000 bonus he missed out on when he was ejected from Thursday’s game.

BOSTON — It’s the Yankees‘ call if they want to pay CC Sabathia the $500,000 in bonus cash he may have cost himself by getting ejected from Thursday’s game, three league sources told NJ Advance Media on Friday.

“It’s perfectly within their right if they think he earned the bonus,” one source said.

But just giving him the money could also be problematic, the sources said.

The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity because they didn’t want to speak publicly on the team’s decision-making.

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If the Yankees wanted, one source said, they could just amend the 38-year-old’s contract, effectively shortening the goalposts for him.

Sabathia is at 153 innings for the season. He needs 155 to reach the mark.

Or, a couple sources suggested, they could make a charitable donation to the PitCCh-In Foundation, Sabathia’s non-profit that helps inner-city youth.

An MLB spokesman declined comment. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t immediately responded to a message seeking comment.

Umpires tossed Sabathia on Thursday immediately after he plunked Jesus Sucre on the hand in the sixth inning in retaliation to a Rays pitcher buzzing the head of Yankees backup catcher Austin Romine at Tropicana Field. Manager Aaron Boone was also ejected.

Benches had been warned after Tampa Bay pitcher Andrew Kittridge threw a fastball near Romine’s head in the inning’s top half. Romine’s helmet came off trying to dodge the ball. 

Sabathia had pitched five innings at that point.

Afterward, he said he didn’t care about the money.

“I don’t really make decisions based on money, I guess. I just felt like it was the right thing to do,” he told reporters.

Reliever Dellin Betances went to bat for Sabathia, saying he should get paid.

“Hopefully management looks at this and rewards him that money. He deserves it,” Betances said.

Sabathia signed a deal worth $10 million for this season that includes $500,000 performance bonuses for reaching 155 innings, 165 innings, 175 innings and 185 innings, according to Cots Baseball Contracts.

He’s made about $253 million over his career, according to Baseball Reference.

But paying Sabathia could be a “slippery slope,” one source added, with the Yankees potentially worried that it could be used against them.

Other players who have narrowly missed performance benchmarks could file grievances. Or future players who finish near incentive benchmarks could ask to get Sabathia treatment.

There’s also the problem of the Yankees rewarding a player who knowingly and purposefully broke the rules by throwing at a hitter following an umpire warning. The league office might not appreciate that.

Of course, the Yankees could also just try to get Sabathia a couple innings vs. the Red Sox this weekend in Fenway Park.

The Twins tried that with Phil Hughes in 2014. He was two innings shy of a $500,000 incentive bonus. He declined their offer of having him pitch two innings to reach the mark, citing worry that he’d get hurt. He also said he didn’t want to just be given the money out of concern it would set a bad precedent.

In the NFL, the Patriots gave defensive lineman Lawrence Guy $500,000 after he fell 0.2 percent short of a 55-percent playing-time threshold in his deal in February.

Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.