ESPN’s Buster Olney is the guy to go to for baseball knowledge, particularly when it has to do with that team that plays in pinstripes in the Bronx. Well, Olney branched out a little today, giving out the inside scoop that LeBron James just might be headed to New York in 2010. Alright, we know that you’ve read that one before … 10 times. What you haven’t heard is that CC Sabathia is more likely to seriously consider a move to the Yankees because he figures old buddy LeBron will be in town soon.

(The owner on the left wants to give CC more than $100 million.LeBron wants him to go to New York. Smart money’s on LeBron.)

That’s right, not only is LeBron a Yankees fan, his own presumed move to the Big Apple for marketing reasons might help land his favorite team their biggest offseason target. As Olney notes in his ESPN blog, James and Sabathia have hung out in New York together in the past, and their kinship was forged in being transcendent stars for two teams in the same city. Why not just transport the city, rather than wait for conditions to conspire to bring them back together again.

Sure, there are plenty of other factors that could keep Sabathia from suiting up for the Yankees. He loves California, where he grew up and still lives. His best baseball friend (Brewers reliever David Riske) plays in Milwaukee, where Sabathia has already made himself a bit of a legend by strapping the Brewers to his back and leading them to the playoffs. Everyone knows the Brewers would love him back, they just don’t have the $140 million the Yankees are trying to shove down Sabathia’s shorts.

So will all the money work? With baseball players it tends to. Then again, as Olney astutely points out, there could be something more at work here. After all, how can you quantify having a 3 a.m., drunken partner for greasy Chinese? We all know that Sabathia loves him some greasy Chinese. And cheeseburgers (Don’t discount the In N Out factor for any team in Southern California).

And what can we make of any LeBron move if Sabathia signs with the Yankees? Well, keep an eye on his wardrobe. If you see big CC sporting a Knicks (or Nets) “23″ jersey, you can probably connect the dots from there.