Brewers Acquire Sabathia

According to multiple sources, the Brewers and Indians have agreed to a trade involving CC Sabathia and Matt LaPorta. This is a good move for Milwaukee as they now have two ace starters in Sabathia and Ben Sheets. The question is whether or not Doug Melvin and company will pony up the dough to keep Saba in Miller Park.

Do Not Trade For The Cornrows

1+ innings pitched. 11 hits. 10 earned runs. 3 home runs.

Just another reason [of many] why Bronson Arroyo does not belong in a Yankees uniform. Regardless of how badly some people want you to believe that he's some sort of dominant AL East warrior, Mr. Arroyo is merely an above league-average pitcher with a 89 mph fastball and a 7.41 postseason ERA.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Great American Ballpark is a great American bandbox. I don't see it holding Edinson Volquez back and I seem to remember Aaron Harang putting together three straight impressive seasons there over the past three years.

Not to mention Tuesday's beatdown of Arroyo took place in the Rogers Centre against a suspect Blue Jays offense that's ranked 18th in batting average, 27th in runs/game, 25th in doubles, 27th in home runs, and 27th in RISP.

Every starter has poor outings. But this just seems to be an exclamation point at the end of a very cautionary sentence.

Tribe Scoping Out Baby Bombers

According to Jon Heyman, the Cleveland Indians are now scouring through the Yankees minor league system with the intent of finding a worthy package for their ace CC Sabathia:

The Indians have begun scouting the Yankees' system to see if they can find anything to interest them in case they decide to trade C.C. Sabathia. They have told teams they have to get better than the two draft choices they'd get if Sabathia left as a free agent. Sabathia, who's likely just a rental pitcher (though a great one), is believed to be interested in a "Johan Santana contract.'' Good luck there. Sabathia's a nice kid and he's lefthanded, but he should get into Johan Santana shape before anyone agrees to give him six years. The Dodgers, Red Sox, Phillies and Cubs also are believed to be interested.

Not that Sabathia is on Santana's level, but Heyman's dismissal is so strong he would have you believe the topic of conversation was Jarrod Washburn and not a 27 year-old southpaw who throws 97 mph and is coming off a Cy Young season.

Heyman seems to really enjoy lauding Santana and the Mets at times and has a little bit of Lupica in him regarding the Yankees. Nothing wrong with that, but the grand slam Felix Hernandez [yes, the pitcher] hit off Santana tonight might make him pipe down a bit on that front.

Wolf Fails Audition As NY Dominates,[A-Jax & Aceves Are Red Hot]

Was at the stadium tonight to witness Andy Pettitte's second straight dominant start and another offensive explosion from the Yankees offense. Over his past two starts Pettitte has tossed 15 innings, struck out 15 batters, walked two, allowed 10 hits and just one run. Looks like that second half trend is beginning a little bit earlier this year.

Out of the visitor's dugout came Randy Wolf, another lefthanded starter who has recently been linked to the Yankees as a potential trade target. Unfortunately for Wolf fans, the lefty's try-out did not go as planned. [I'd like to state that I have zero interest in Wolf and would much rather see McCutchen, Horne, Aceves, for an extended period of time instead]

After retiring the side in the first, Alex Rodriguez welcomed Wolf to New York in the second inning with a bomb to straight away center field. As soon as A-Rod connected I was thinking double off the wall [which he did later in the game], only to watch in amazement as it landed in the Yankees bullpen a hundred feet in front of me. Rodriguez is beginning to heat up - after Tuesday night's game he is now hitting .328 and to lead the team in batting average.

Jason Giambi added two moonshots of his own, and the Wolf-to-the-Bronx experiment met an abrupt finish. The two homers were numbers 16 and 17 on the season and his three RBI gives the Big G a very respectable 40 RBI this season. Giambi has a lot of people, myself included, eating crow considering the type of production many expected from him this year [i.e. a .230 batting average and 10 homers before an extended stay on the DL].

The final line on Wolf: 4 innings, six hits, seven runs [five earned], two walks, two strikeouts and three home runs.


Farm News:
The unbelievable story of Alfredo Aceves continues to grow as the 25 year-old RHP proved tonight he has no challenges left for him at AA-Trenton. Over eight scoreless innings Tuesday night, Aceves allowed just one hit, struck out four and walked two. Over six starts at AA, Mr. Aceves has a 1.64 ERA over 44 innings [7+ innings per start], striking out 33, walking just 5, with 33 hits and a ridiculous WHIP of 0.86.

In the same game, Austin Jackson went 4-for-5, hit his fourth homer in as many games [his seventh] and picked up four RBI [his 45th] while upping his batting average to .283 this year. After a slow start Jackson has shown all the reasons he scorched up prospect lists - interestingly enough, it was last June when A-Jack began to catch fire at Tampa. This is an exceptional athlete who possesses "easy speed," a strong glove/arm, all of which compliments an impact bat whose power is just beginning to emerge.

BL's Sabathia Trade Proposal

As the Yankees universe waits with baited breath to hear how long Chien Ming Wang will be out due to yesterday's foot injury, the trade rumors have begun to circulate with frenetic pace. In the offseason the Yankees passed on a Johan Santana trade because they felt the asking price [players & money combined] was far too steep.

Should Wang be out for an extended period of time or for the season, the need for an ace-type pitcher becomes a necessity and not a luxury for the Yankees. The fact that a Sabathia deal would not demand as much talent as a Santana trade is also interesting.

However, any trade for CC Sabathia must give the Indians more value than they perceive they could possibly acquire in the form of two compensation picks in next year's draft. Essentially, a trading partner looking to pick up Saba must put together a package with equal talent to a couple of first rounders.

Here's my first proposal though I preface by admitting some other players [mentioned later] would also be feasible additions during further negotiations:

Cleveland gets: Jose Tabata; Ian Kennedy; Alan Horne and JB Cox [or Dan McCutchen and Ross Ohlendorf]

New York gets: Carsten Charles.

The Indians would be buying low on Kennedy/Horne who are both working their way back from injuries. But, they would also be getting two young starters who totally dominated last season and are at or on the verge of staying at the big league level.

In Tabata, the Indians will be getting the high ceiling corner outfielder they desire. The Yankees are - like Kennedy - selling a top prospect at a bargain price. The upside on Tabata is still tremendous, and Cleveland scouts know this.

Finally, to offer a little bit of flexibility, the Indians can choose from a high level prospect close to the majors [Horne and Cox] or a more serviceable, versatile starter [McCutchen] as well as a power pitching reliever already with big league experience [Ohlendorf]. Scott Patterson could also be substituted in any deal as a viable reliever on the brink of the bigs.

The Untouchables:
The following players in my mind would be completely untouchable in a Saba deal - Robinson Cano, Phil Hughes, Mark Melancon, Austin Jackson, Jesus Montero, Andrew Brackman.

Tough Sells:
These players should be available to deal, though it may be difficult for the fanbase to accept - Dellin Betances, Zach McAllister, Dave Robertson, Brett Gardner, Humberto Sanchez.

Sabathia Rumors Abound

BL favorite Dan Graziano has a story appearing in Sunday's Star Ledger which describes the increasing buzz around a potential CC Sabathia trade.

The Indians have seen multiple tough injuries hit multiple important players like Victor Martinez and an already slumping Travis Hafner. Combined with a poor start [currently 6.5 games behind a mediocre White Sox squad], the Indians have been forced into entertaining offers for their Cy Young lefty.

About a month and a half ago, The Star-Ledger reported that the Cleveland Indians had told their scouts to pay special attention to the farm systems of certain select teams (Yankees, Red Sox, Cubs, Mets, some others) that would be likely to have interest in ace lefty C.C. Sabathia if the Indians decided to put him on the trade market this summer.

Stay tuned on Sabathia, because if the depleted Indians don't go on a real serious hot streak soon, you're going to be hearing his name a lot.

Graziano also mentions that Boston and Wrigleyville have already expressed interest in Saba, though nobody knows if this is yet another smokescreen [see: Santana, Johan] perpetrated by the Red Sox.

Seems unlikely the Indians will simply accept two first round picks and let Sabathia go without at least exploring his trade value. Whether or not a trade actually takes place is in Shapiro's hands. It would be hard to fathom the Yankees giving up an immense package and mega contract to CC if they wouldn't do it for Santana.

Rest assured, we'll be hearing a lot about Mr. Carston Charles.

Oswalt Says No To Yanks

What began as a muttered comment from Peter Gammons earlier this week on ESPN's Baseball Tonight made its way into the Houston locker room via the local media. During the nightly baseball fix, Gammons mentioned that the Yankees could be the frontrunner for Roy Oswalt's services should the Astros ace find himself on the trading block.

Oswalt's response?

"I don't know where that came from," Oswalt said, referring to Peter Gammons' comments on ESPN that created the furor. "I don't know where he's getting that from. That came out of left field somewhere. I don't know if he just brought it up or if he heard it from somewhere. I don't know where he got it."

Oswalt said if the Astros approached him with a trade proposal, he'd consider it. He didn't specify which teams he'd go to, but it's unlikely the Yankees would be on the short list. The Red Sox, Braves and Cardinals would probably interest him.

"If management came to you and asked you if you'd approve a trade, well, that just goes to show that a team doesn't want you," Oswalt said on Thursday. "So, why wouldn't you? If a team doesn't want you to play there, why wouldn't you approve a trade?"

Astros GM Ed Wade shrugged off the trade buzz, claiming "anything about a trade, it's all news to me."

Guess They're Not Trading For

This guy. There were rumors recently that the Yankees may become very interested in acquiring Rich Harden from Oakland once the trading deadline approaches. However, the extremely talented Harden has one major weakness: an inability to stay healthy due to a right shoulder which has become a ticking time bomb:

For the sixth time in less than four seasons Athletics starting pitcher Rich Harden has landed on the disabled list.

Oakland placed the hard-throwing right-hander on the 15-day DL retroactive to April 3 with a mild subscapularis strain in his right shoulder.

The subscapularis muscle is located underneath the shoulder blade and connects to the front of the upper arm. It works in conjunction with a group of muscles that are used to move the rotator cuff and when injured the subscapularis can cause pain while going through a typical throwing motion.

In his two outings thus far this season, Harden is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA and 15 strikeouts.

In other injury news, Mike Lowell has been placed on the DL due to a sprained thumb. This is certainly nothing major for the Red Sox third baseman and I'm sure he did his best to convince Terry Francona of keeping him off the disabled list. Solid SS prospect [offensively more than defensively] Jed Lowrie has been called up in Lowell's place.

Santana Was Almost A Texan

According to Sports Illustrated, Johan Santana and Torii Hunter were close to becoming Texas Rangers this offseason. Something tells me the Rangers never came quite as close to acquiring the Twins twosome as they lead on.

Several weeks before Santana went to the Mets, the Texas Rangers came very close to making a blockbuster trade for the superstar pitcher, people familiar with those talks say.

The Rangers kept their intentions and progress remarkably quiet this winter, but sources indicate that they were actually the most aggressive early pursuer of Santana, who they viewed him as a rotation-transforming pitcher. Some are suggesting now that they believe the Rangers would have been willing to pay Santana as much or more than the $137.5 million, six-year contract -- or technically, $124 million, five-year extension -- he got from the Mets.

Indications are that Texas' trade discussions with the Twins progressed to the point where there was either agreement or near agreement on the young players going back to Minnesota. At that point, executives involved in the talks believed that the trade was very likely to be consummated if only Santana gave a more enthusiastic response when Twins higher ups quizzed him about whether he'd accept a trade to the Rangers.

Word is, Santana actually thought about the Rangers long enough to have quizzed his long-time Twins teammate Torii Hunter, a free agent, about his own intentions. But it appears that when Hunter, a resident of Prosper, Texas, and close friend of Rangers manager Ron Washington, was noncommittal about whether he'd sign with the Rangers (he eventually signed with the Angels), Santana appears to have followed Hunter's lead.

Also from Jon Heyman's column comes a tidbit on Andy Pettitte in which the SI scribe writes it was Brian Cashman - and not Pettitte - who canceled his last Spring Training start "as a precaution."

Heyman also says "Boston isn't expecting miracles from Bartolo Colon."

Coco A Met?

Ed Coleman of WFAN just reported the Mets and Red Sox are close to a one-for-one deal involving Coco Crisp and Angel Pagan. This deal doesn't seem to make much sense for either side other than Boston's shedding payroll and paving the way for Jacoby Ellsbury.

Crisp is making over $10 million the next two years and though he switch-hits, Coco is much better from the left side. As a result, the Mets have not addressed their need for a righty bat while the Red Sox surrender an elite defensive centerfielder for a decent bench player. Not to mention the presence of Carlos Beltran as New York's everyday centerfield solution.

Sabathia will not be traded this year. Or at least so says the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Should the Indians fall way out of contention before the trading deadline, Mark Shapiro may reconsider dealing CC Sabathia.

"Our priority is to win now," said GM Mark Shapiro on Thursday as spring training officially opened with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp.

Win now means keeping their best starting pitcher even though he can be a free agent after this season. Shapiro has said that all winter.

"Nothing has changed," he said.

On the other hand, the Akron Beacon Journal reports the Indians will not give up on completing a Sabathia contract extension before his impending free agency - though many in Cleveland already believe the lefty has one foot out the door.

Sabathia: Talks Can Wait

If CC is to remain a Cleveland Indian, he will have to work something out at the end of the season as other big market clubs wait to make offers as well. According to his website via an AP report, Sabathia is quoted as saying "there will be time after the season...to discuss my contract status."

From the article:

On Sabathia's Web site, he posted this message: "This offseason, through my representatives at Legacy Sports Group, I have discussed the possibility of a contract extension with the Cleveland Indians. At this time, we haven't been able to reach agreement. Now that the reporting date for spring training is here, it is time to put aside contract discussions so that I can focus all of my energies and attention on preparing for the upcoming season.

"I look forward to a successful 2008 season, both for myself and for the Indians as a whole."

"I will do everything within my power to help the club to its first World Series appearance since 1997 and its first World Series Championship since 1948.

"There will be time after the season for the Indians and my representatives to discuss my contract status. I remain hopeful that these discussions will result in a contract extension that will keep me with the franchise for many years to come. In the meantime, in order to avoid any distractions, my representatives and I will not make any further comment about my contractual situation beyond this statement."

The article also says Sabathia and his agent broke off talks with Cleveland after they offered the lefthander a contract extension of four years at $17 or $18 million per season.

Bedard Deal Finally Done

According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Erik Bedard will finally make his way to Seattle to pass a physical and put an end to another grueling trade. The return for Bedard is expected to be Adam Jones, George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Kam Mickolio, and Tony Butler.

By including Jones [a top 10 prospect in baseball] and Tillman [a top five prospect in their farm system] the Mariners certainly gave up enough to acquire Bedard. However, waiting the Orioles out a bit allowed the M's to lessen the demand. In doing so, Seattle was able to remove top shortstop prospect Carlos Triunfel and powerhitting outfielder Wladimir Balentien from their package.

According to the report, the deal is believed to be announced on Friday.

Melky's Sigh Of Relief,A Visitor To Thurman's Locker

Brian Heyman of the Journal News caught up with Yankees centerfielder Melky Cabrera and was able pull some quotes regarding his inclusion in a trade package which would have sent him to Minnesota in exchange for Johan Santana.

"I was a little worried about getting traded because I wanted to stay with my teammates," Cabrera said through an interpreter last night at the Marriott Marquis, where he was among the honorees at the 28th annual Thurman Munson Awards, a dinner that benefits the AHRC NYC, which works with the developmentally disabled. "I'm really happy the trade didn't go through."

As a footnote, Heyman described a special visitor making her first trip to the hallowed locker kept empty in honor of Thurman Munson following his tragic passing.

Diana Munson has never seen her late husband's locker at Yankee Stadium. It has been kept empty with the No. 15 over it since his death in 1979. But she hopes to come this year on a day when no one is around to take a look, since this is the ballpark's final year of existence.

"To me, it's very touching," she said. "I want this to be a private moment in my life and in the lives of my children."

The article also has some updates on stories which broke yesterday afternoon, including a resolution to Derek Jeter's tax predicament:

According to The Associated Press, Derek Jeter has settled his problems with the state's Department of Taxation and Finance, although the numbers weren't released. The tax people believed Jeter should have paid taxes for 2001-03 as a resident of the state because he had an apartment he owned in Manhattan. Jeter said he was a resident of Florida.

As well as Don Mattingly's bizarre encounter with his drunken estranged ex-wife:

An AP report stated that Don Mattingly's estranged 45-year-old wife, Kim, was arrested on Saturday at his home in Evansville, Ind., and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Police said she wouldn't leave the premises. She posted $50 bond and appeared in court on Monday, the same day the ex-Yankees player and coach was granted a protective order.

Shapiro: Sabathia Won't Be Traded

According to GM Mark Shapiro, the Indians have no plans to trade CC Sabathia before or during the 2008 season.

Here are some of the thoughts Shapiro offered the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

The Indians, short of an early collapse this season, won't trade C.C. Sabathia.

Regardless of Johan Santana's contract with the Mets last week, General Manager Mark Shapiro believes it will be Sabathia's call on whether he stays in Cleveland after the 2008 season.

Shapiro thinks there are other contracts just as relevant to Sabathia's negotiations as Santana's record-setting, $137.5 million, six-year deal.

The five-year contract extension the Indians made to Sabathia at the end of December is not an ultimatum.

"I can't present you with a scenario where it's acceptable to us or to our relationship with our fans that involves trading C.C. or examining trading him," said Shapiro.

From the past week of Sabathia discussion, it seems as though the Indians will make their best offer - which many believe to be vastly inferior to what the Red Sox, Yankees and other big mark clubs can offer - and hope CC allows a hometown discount.

The Jake Peavy extension comes to mind when Shapiro implies other recent contracts given to high caliber pitchers, other than the Johan Santana's $150 million variety.


*Meanwhile . . The Telegraph Forum hopes believes the Indians should follow Minnesota's blueprint and trade Sabathia before he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. This would probably bring back more than a couple of draft picks for the dominant lefthander.

Bedard Deal Only Needs A Bow

Erik Bedard will be a member of the Seattle Mariners come April. According to a Seattle Times report - the same writer who first reported an imminent deal over a week ago - both Adam Jones and George Sherrill have in fact traveled to Baltimore for their requisite physical exams. The post also confirms pitching prospect Chris Tillman will be a part of Seattle's package.

The deal may not be announced tomorrow, though it appears to be done now.

Mariners, Bedard Inch Closer

Considering the biblical nature of the Johan Santana trade talks, the Erik Bedard saga is making its way as a close second this offseason. However, a deal is reportedly inching forward and could be completed very soon. According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Mariners outfielder Adam Jones traveled to Baltimore on Sunday, presumably to undergo a physical."

From the article:

A clean bill of health would be the last hurdle standing between the Mariners and Orioles and one of the most significant trades in franchise history.

The Mariners would get left-handed starting pitcher Erik Bedard in exchange for five players, highlighted by Jones and left-handed reliever George Sherrill. The Mariners also would send three minor league pitchers to the Orioles to complete the deal.

Bedard would give the Mariners a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher to complement burgeoning star Felix Hernandez. Bedard was 13-5 and struck out 221 batters in 182 innings last season, losing a month because of an oblique injury.

With the additions of Bedard and free-agent signee Carlos Silva, the Mariners will have replaced the bottom end of their rotation, Jeff Weaver and Horacio Ramirez, presumably giving them deeper and much stronger starting pitching.

Friday Linx: Santana, Bedard, & Joba

· The Johan Santana contract is expected to be completed by the 5:00 pm deadline. The NY Post says Santana is looking for a contract of at least $150 million and the sticking point seems to be whether or not the final year is guaranteed. The negotiations could come right down to the wire, but it should get done.

· Similarly, the Baltimore Sun reports the Erik Bedard story should be wrapped up "soon." Both the Mariners and Orioles believe a resolution will come within the next couple days; which does not rule out Bedard staying in Baltimore. Supposedly, as was rumored yesterday, the hold up is linked to procedural red tape involving physical exams.

· In the wake of the Santana sweepstakes, RLYW examines the top twenty offensive seasons in Yankee history.

· The Minor League Baseball site released its list of the top 50 prospects who are rookie eligible in 2008. Not surprisingly, Joba Chamberlain and Clay Buchholz are in the top ten. However, Clayton Kershaw, who has yet to throw a major league pitch, and probably will not until a September call-up or not at all until 2009, is ranked above both AL East pitching phenoms.

I understand there is a consensus from scouts that Kershaw is an uber prospect and lefthanded, but it seems inaccurate to rank a pitcher never above AA over two prospects who flew through the minors before flashing dominance at the big league level. Ian Kennedy came in at #26 and Austin Jackson #49.

· Nolan Ryan is considering a job with the Texas Rangers and no, it does not require putting Robin Ventura in a headlock.

Smith Wanted Kennedy And Wang

The post Santana deal fallout begins. The ace lefthander told Minnesota he would invoke his no-trade clause if he was not dealt by Tuesday.

A report in the Bergen Record today reveals that Twins GM Bill Smith came back to the Yankees after Boston removed Jon Lester from any potential package. Smith reportedly informed Brian Cashman that Phil Hughes would no longer be required in a package to attain Johan Santana. However, a Daily News report made more sense, contending that Smith came back to Cashman and did not ask for just Ian Kennedy, but also demanded Chien-Ming Wang.

To this demand Cashman simply offered rejection, content to move forward with the young pitching he assembled last season. There is no proven fact as to why Smith demanded Kennedy - a prospect superior to any player included in the Mets package - and Wang, a two-time 19 game winner in his twenties. However, it would seem Smith was content to demand more from the Yankees (and Boston) because he was instructed to keep Santana out of the American League unless a deal brought back major dividends.

Mets Land Santana, Contract Awaits

The New York Mets have won the Johan Santana sweepstakes with a trade including Humber, Gomez, Mulvey and Guerra according to USA Today via Rotoworld. The deal is pending the Mets working out a contract extension with Santana.

Not having to include Fernando Martinez is a win for Omar Minaya. Much more on this as it unfolds.

The Yankees organization and the majority of their fans received what they wanted: to keep their top pitching talents while ensuring Santana stay out of Boston. The pressure is now squarely on Brian Cashman as well as Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Joba Chamberlain.

Cashman does not and has never appeared to be effected by the prospect of "being on the hook." The GM was under such pressures last season when the Yankees began the season in the AL East basement. He will be under similar scrutiny if Hughes (specifically) does not perform up to his abilities at age 21.

Cashman is also unaware as to what type of climate he will be subject to under the new ownership. Therefore, the embattled general manager could very well decide to move out of the big apple on his own volition and consider the multiple opportunities outside of pinstripe territory.

This is an exciting time for the Yankees farm followers and a declaration that the interlocking NY no longer stands for Not Young.