11/05/24
July 07, 2008
Brewers make trade for pitcher C.C. Sabathia Minor-league prospect Matt LaPorta is included in the deal: In a bold move designed to end the club’s 26-year playoff drought, the Milwaukee Brewers agreed in principle Sunday night to acquire Cleveland left-handed pitcher C.C. Sabathia in exchange for top prospect Matt LaPorta and three others.Neither side would officially confirm the deal because paperwork still was being completed and medical records exchanged. But a source familiar with the discussions said minor-league pitchers Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson also were in the deal. The fourth player could turn out to be third baseman Taylor Green, the Brewers' minor-league player of the year in 2007.
posted by tommytrump to baseball at 11:30 AM - 12 comments
Also, from a fan's perspective, this trade is a huge sea change for the Brewers, who were on the seller end for nearly 25 years. (Hopefully this will work out better than the Linebrink trade though).
posted by drezdn at 12:42 PM on July 07, 2008
What a start to the trade season. I think making this move this early will definitely pay dividends for the Brewers. They may get up to 4 Sabathia starts more than if they had waited until the deadline to pull the trigger. Will it be enough for them to catch the Cubs? I'm guessing no, but it may be enough to win them the wildcard.
posted by trox at 02:25 PM on July 07, 2008
Im not quite sure what to make of this since i dont really follow the minor leagues, but the Brewers will get a good pitcher out of it.
posted by lsutigers96 at 02:30 PM on July 07, 2008
As a Twins fan, this just makes me a little more upset that we couldn't get the Mets top hitting prospect for Santana.
posted by emoeby at 02:34 PM on July 07, 2008
Will Sabathia be a free agent at the end of this year?
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:14 PM on July 07, 2008
Will Sabathia be a free agent at the end of this year? Yes.
posted by goddam at 04:32 PM on July 07, 2008
I'm going to have to disagree with trox on this one. I now think that the Brewers are the class of the N.L, and not just the central. Just because ESPN doesn't show the Brewers twice a week like certain AL behemoths doesn't mean that they aren't pretty loaded with talent. Look at Fielder, Hart, and Braun just hitting the peak of their careers, pair them with two legitimate Cy Young caliber pitchers and I think they will make a run at it. Chicago has proven to be inconsistent, and the Cards seem to be doing it with smoke and mirrors (not a jab at the Cards, just saying that they are greatly overachieving!), so if Milwaukee can string some six and seven game win streaks together down the stretch (I think they will) they will be on top when the dust settles. I'm even going to stop in at the Peppermill sports book to put a c-note where my mouth is (pray for me.)
posted by tahoemoj at 05:10 PM on July 07, 2008
This could potentially be a very good deal for the Brewers, or it could turn out they screwed up their future. Of course that is usually how it is for all trades. Obviously the Brewers are going for a championship with this trade, and they definitely have the talent to get there. Their hitting is solid, Braun and Fielder are both stellar. Pairing Sabathia with Sheets will make their rotation formidable, especially if they can make the playoffs. Then again, Sabathia would have to deliever a much better postseason performance than what we witnessed last season. The other way I see this trade working out for the Brewers is if they manage to sign Sabathia at the end of the season. Like I said before, that would make their rotation very solid for the next few years (as long as Ben Sheets stays). If Sabathia turns out to be a rental and they don't win a championship the Brewers could get screwed. But that is the risk they take.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:27 PM on July 07, 2008
The Cubs still look strong, and with the way they have been playing, I would think that they are the favorite in the Central and the NL. I don't think CC Sabathia can improve the Brewers enough to win the central. Wild Card, very possible. Whole Sha-bang? Maybe, but they need lights out stuff from CC and Sheets. The Cardinals could also still put up a fight. Wainwright is due to come back in the not too distant future, and I think there is still a chance that Carpenter could get some starts. So if one pitcher makes the difference, then there are still 3 dogs in this fight.
posted by BoKnows at 01:57 AM on July 08, 2008
As a longterm Brewers fan, I can't begin to tell you how excited folks are about this development. I'm not sure if CC alone can take us all the way, but danged if it doesn't seem like Melvin is serious for a change. The Brewer farm system has long been a breeding ground for excellent prospects; it's no wonder Cleveland mined it well for Sabathia. We'll see how it plays out, but the nervousness on the part of other NL teams puts a big grin on our faces.
posted by evixir at 04:30 PM on July 08, 2008
The Cubs have traded for Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin. The Cubs have been the class of the NL Central this year and this is a huge upgrade to their rotation. Then again, chances are good that Harden will make at least one trip to the DL between now and September.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 06:33 PM on July 08, 2008
As of yesterday evening, Green's Agent* wasn't sure if he was included. LaPorta is probably going to be a monster offensively, but unless if he moved back to first, he wouldn't fit with Brewers for a few years.