On Sunday, July 6th, Milwaukee GM Doug Melvin and Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro agreed on a trade that sent C.C. Sabathia to the Brewers for four prospects (I'm loosely considering Zach Jackson a 'prospect'). The terms of the deal are as follows.
Milwaukee receives:
SP C.C. Sabathia
Cleveland receives:
OF Matt Laporta (Double-A)
SP Zach Jackson (Triple-A)
SP Rob Bryson (Class-A)
Player to be named later (rumored to be a list of 2, to be determined by the end of the minor league season)
Recent reports suggest the Brewers' reigning Minor League player of the year Taylor Green could be the player to be named. Green plays third base at Class A.
Assuming Taylor Green is in the mix for the player to be named, I think the Indians made a smart move. Some argue Mark Shapiro didn’t wait long enough for teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, and Phillies to drive up Sabathia’s price tag. Cleveland owner Larry Dolan touched on the logic behind the deal in a radio interview on Monday. Dolan said every start Sabathia made in an Indians’ uniform was a legitimate risk. C.C.'s trade value hinges on his health, and the number of starts he can make before the end of the season. An untimely injury might break off trade talks.
Mark Shapiro found a deal that makes sense for the organization and didn’t hesitate to take action. Laporta is the type of power corner outfielder the Indians were looking for. Rob Bryson is showing potential to be a high strikeout pitcher at the major league level. Only time will tell if Cleveland made a good trade, but one thing's for sure... we will all miss our beloved C.C. Sabathia. Thanks for the memories big guy, and good luck.
