The CC Sabathia thread: Latest - CC a Brewer! (part 1)

[SoCalBrewfan]

LaPorta is the likeliest to be traded, in my opinion...he is the most redundant player in the system, and yet has sky-high value...he's someone that could help a trade partner very soon. Escobar is the least likely to be traded IMO...of the young players in Milwaukee, the middle infielders are the ones we can most easily imagine replacing, and Escobar has defensive value that very few of our prospects can offer. Gillespie and Gwynn are likely also available, along with a number of other complementary pieces.

 

My gut feeling is that they hold on to Gamel and Jeffress as well as Escobar.

 

Another says Huntsville has five legitimate starting major leaguers, and one other called Huntsville "the best prospect team our scout's ever seen."

 

Funny given that the Brewers were ranked so low by BA this offseason. Jacksonville a few years back was probably better, but H'ville is pretty spectacular. Five major league starters...hm...that's Gamel, Laporta, Escobar, and then who? Brantley, probably, then Salome or Gillespie?

 

I know we're all attached to the prospects, and anticipate unhappiness almost regardless of the deal, but one of the uses of a farm system is to acquire major league talent. If you look at the extended roster (majors + high minors), there's a lot of corner guys who can't play D, and a need for pitching...the talent is in serious need of realignment. The roster skews RH as well, and Gamel's lefty stick is almost unique at the higher levels. There's a coming need for some fixes in the infield as well, which is why I don't see Escobar and Gamel going anywhere unless there's an IF coming back. (I recognize that Gamel is not yet a major league 3B, but the team is sending signals that they think he can pull it off. Sounds familiar, of course, but if that's what they think they'll give him some more time to prove them right or wrong.)

[sbrylski]

If we were to add Sabathia, I really don't think its that far fetched that we are able to retain either him or Sheets. In fact, I'd be a little more willing to trade for and then extend Sabathia, and take two picks for Sheets. Sabathia is younger and has been more healthy, I'd feel more comfortable with a 5 year deal for him than Benny.

 

And I hate to torture everyone, but imagine what could have been - Sheets, Sabathia, Gallardo playoff rotation...

 

EDIT: For the record, I would use LaPorta if that's what it took - but only if we would be serious about trying to resign Sabathia. LaPorta plus a lower level prospect. Otherwise, three of the following prospects would be my max: Gillespie, Braddock, Cain, Gindl, Brewer. And really, I think this would still be very competitive with offers by other teams.

 

EDIT 2: Nobody will see this and nobody will really care, but I meant to add one of the catcher prospects to the available prospect list - either Salome or Lucroy.

[jjfanec]

I think the comparison to the Santana trade is valid. The Mets gave up their 2,3,4, and 7 prospects to get Santana for a full-year (even if they did not sign him). I dont think the Mets top guys are as good as the Brewers. Gomez (#2) was ranked 52 overall. Guerra (#3) was actually 35, and neither of the other two were in the top 100. I would guess both Gamel and LaPorta would be considered around top 25 talent, Laporta was already 23rd at the start of the year and Gamel will skyrocket up the rankings. So, I think this deal should be able to get done without either of those guys and should only be made if you dont have to give either of them up

 

Edit. The other reason I like the comparison is because the if the deal is made to trade for CC locking him up before free-agency would take a lot of money. I am not saying he going to get what he is asking for but he definitely test the market unless a team gives him a huge offer. He does not have a no trade clause like Santana did but in a similar case only a handful of team will really be pursuing him hard.

[Invader3K]

If we were to add Sabathia, I really don't think its that far fetched that we are able to retain either him or Sheets. In fact, I'd be a little more willing to trade for and then extend Sabathia, and take two picks for Sheets. Sabathia is younger and has been more healthy, I'd feel more comfortable with a 5 year deal for him than Benny.

I agree. I'd probably rather sign Sabathia than Sheets at this point as well. I just don't know how realistic it is...but you have to figure that between Sheets and Sabathia, the Brewers would be able to re-sign at least one of them. There's only so much money to go around out there.

[SeriesFinale]

I know the Huntsville Stars have been talked up a lot but does anyone think a major-league Brewer might be dealt along with one of LaPorta/Gamel as well?

[wallus]

I know the Huntsville Stars have been talked up a lot but does anyone think a major-league Brewer might be dealt along with one of LaPorta/Gamel as well?

We have a former Cy Young award winner in the bullpen if they want a major league player.

[Invader3K]

Gwynn or Hall seem like possibilities, but I don't know if Cleveland would have any real interest. Other than that, I can't see anyone the Brewers would be willing to part with at this point.

[jjfanec]

To me the only way the Brewers give up a major league guy is if neither Gamel or LaPorta are involved. However, I dont see Melvin trading for a SP to help us in the race but then trading away a starting position player.

[And That]

If Cleveland wants a starter back, Villanueva is a possibility, but trading a guy who is a big part of your winning for a different guy doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

[endaround]

Major league players that could be traded are Hall, Dillon, Kapler, Rivera and Stetter/Dillard if either are on the team at that time. Not exactly great shakes

[wallus]

Hall wouldn't look too bad for them at second base.

[SeriesFinale]

Even as one of the few Hall fans still out there, if we can trade him in lieu of sending both LaPorta and Gamel I am all for it.

[pogokat]

How about Lucroy+ Periard+ Gillespie for Sabathia

 

and Gamel+Pena for Greinke

 

hell of a pitching staff we'd have ...and with nowhere for any of those guys to play, assuming gamel just cant stick at 3b...we've done well

[wallus]

How about Lucroy+ Periard+ Gillespie for Sabathia

 

and Gamel+Pena for Greinke

 

hell of a pitching staff we'd have ...and with nowhere for any of those guys to play, assuming gamel just cant stick at 3b...we've done well

I would do those trades in a second but I do not think the Indians would take that for C.C.

[endaround]

And I really doubt KC takes that for Greinke. They don't have to trade Greinke any time soon so they'd need to be blown away.

[rotoherb]

The Indians don't really have much of a choice in what they will take and I think that's one thing that people are missing when discussing this trade. There are really only a handful of clubs who are willing and able to trade for two months of Sabathia and the Indians have no choice but to accept the best offer they get, even if it's not very good. All of those clubs know that and no one is going to budge much from a low offer. During the offseason the trading team can always use the "we'll just keep him if that's your best offer" leverage, but Cleveland doesn't have that at all. If they don't trade him then they end up like the Nationals two years ago when they didn't trade Soriano and claimed that they weren't offered anything to make the trade worthwhile.

 

The difference between Sabathia and Sanatana is that the team who signed him knew they had to sign him to a longer contract so the trade really wasn't for just one year. Trading for Sabathia comes with no guarantee that he'll sign for longer.

[SeriesFinale]

Is anyone starting to feel that Sabathia indeed will be wearing a Brewers uniform at some point in the next couple weeks? I'm still not sure how I feel about it and I know how the grist-mill works but there does seem to be an awful lot of smoke surrounding this rumor right now.

[jwill535]

For me the more I hear about a possibly deal the likely hood of said deal goes down. See Carlos Lee to Detroit rumors.

[Invader3K]

Is anyone starting to feel that Sabathia indeed will be wearing a Brewers uniform at some point in the next couple weeks? I'm still not sure how I feel about it and I know how the grist-mill works but there does seem to be an awful lot of smoke surrounding this rumor right now.

I think it's sounding more likely than unlikely at this point, but I don't want to get my hopes up yet. I think a lot will depend on how the Brewers perform in the next couple weeks. If they keep playing .500+ baseball, the likelihood greatly improves, I would think.

[And That]

I was just about to make the smoke/fire comment myself. There must be some shred of truth to the rumors if it keeps getting reported on and if Melvin denies it. In fact, that Melvin denied it AND said he was motivated to get a pitcher in the same JS piece almost confirms the Brewers' interest for me.

 

I don't know if Sabathia will be enough to put the Brewers over the top, but honestly, I've waited my whole life for the Brewers to get to the playoffs and I no longer care if we sacrifice a little of the future for a little better shot today.

 

The only thing that makes me nervous is a team like the Rays or Phillies jumping in ahead of us.

[splitterpfj]

The only thing that makes me nervous is a team like the Rays or Phillies jumping in ahead of us.

 

The Rays have prospects all day, do the Phillies?

[JohnBriggs12]

The Brewers will want a deal done by no later than July 20th so that Sabathia is available to face both the Cardinals and the Cubs in July. The Indians have some nice young pitchers knocking on the door, but I wouldn't be surprised if they wanted Villanueva in the deal. So if I had to guess, it would be LaPorta, Villanueva, and one lower level prospect (Columbus, OH native Fryer?) for Sabathia and some obscure class A pitcher from Cleveland.

[And That]

Instead of an obscure class A pitcher, the Brewers might want an obscure rookie ball outfielder just so they can field a healthy club in Helena. But LaPorta, Villanueva and someone like Bobby Bramhall or Fryer or Brendan Katin looks about right, JB12.

[brewerfan82]

I was just perusing CC's statistics and noticed this nugget of bonus that makes me want him in Brewers blue just that much more:

 

Career: 40 ABs, 12 H, 1 2B, 2 HR, 300/317/475

 

I love pitchers that can swing the bat a little! Anyone seen him atbat? Does he look legit or is it just a small sample size?

[SeriesFinale]

For me the more I hear about a possibly deal the likely hood of said deal goes down. See Carlos Lee to Detroit rumors.

Yeah, there's certainly that, too. See also Adam Dunn.

 

I do agree that if it happens it'll happen as soon after the AS Break as possible...I'd assume the Brewers are going to want to get as many starts from Sabathia as they can. It doesn't seem to make sense to me from either perspective of the Brewers to wait until the deadline.