It looks like the next time C.C. Sabathia takes the mound he'll be donning a Milwaukee Brewers jersey.

The Brewers and the Cleveland Indians agreed in principle to a deal for the reigning AL Cy Young on Sunday, sources told ESPN's Buster Olney. The deal is contingent on paperwork being finished and the exchange of medical records.

The trade was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

In a text message to ESPN.com's Amy K. Nelson, Sabathia all but confirmed the deal.

"I'm good, excited," Sabathia wrote. "It's weird leaving these guys."

Cleveland would get Double-A outfielder Matt LaPorta, who is hitting .288 with 20 homers and 66 RBIs in 84 games for Huntsville, and others. The other players do not include top prospects Alcides Escobar or Mat Gamel, according to the Journal Sentinel.

The Brewers wanted Sabathia, who rejected a $72 million, four-year extension from the Indians during spring training, on their pitching staff in time to get him two starts before the All-Star break, according to multiple media reports. Sabathia, who is 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA this season, could debut in Milwaukee against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday.

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Back in 2002, when Bartolo Colon was traded, I said that the three of the players received in the deal (Grady Sizemore, Brandon Phillips, Cliff Lee) would become all-stars someday. That's how much I liked the trade.

I believe that prediction came true today.

As far as this deal is concerned, I don't like it near as much. I've heard some comparisons between Matt LaPorta and Albert Pujols, which I will believe when I see, but I really wish the Tribe had gotten Escobar or Garnel as well.

But, we have to face facts here. Sabathia wasn't re-upping with the Indians, because of their payroll. The Tribe will be far better served in the future developing more players than paying $18 million to one pitcher. I say they should sink every cent of that sum into player development, and to get ready for when Cuba opens up after the Castro brothers pass on in the next few years.

Supposedly LaPorta is the real deal, and is one of the top power-hitting prospects in all of MiLB, not just in the Brewers' org (I've seen him ranked as high as no.5 in all of baseball.)

From everything I've read, the Brewers told Shap that there was no way Milwaukee was going to give us LaPorta and Gamels/Escobar. The latest I've seen is this:



I'm not hearing great things about Zach Jackson, but apparently Bryson is a hot prospect and GReen is very promising but is probably a ways off (Class A Brevard County this year.)

As for CC's salary and signing - I agree, and I'm still wondering why we gave such a big contract to Hafner before he proved himself as someone who would be healthy and effective a few years down the road.

But that "CC money" needs to be split between scouting and player development, because we have not drafted well in a long time, and don't have any hitters to show for our drafts for the last 10 years or so.

LaPorta could be a real good pickup for the tribe. He's a true power hitter. I've seen him play a handful of times down here at FSU, which brings me to the only significant knock on him...he's dirty gator filth.

I like the trade for both teams. Indians are going nowhere this year and the Brewers can make a serious run now (and will rake in a lot of compensatory picks when CC signs elsewhere).

This will seriously help the Brewers in their quest to be the NL team that eventually loses in the World Series to the Rays, Red Sox, White Sox, or Angels.

I mentioned the same thing to my wife and she had the same reaction.


Don't forget, that gives the Brewers a very good 1-2 punch in the rotation with Sheets and CC. If CC figures out how to pitch in the postseason, they could cause a lot of problems for most teams.

There's also talk that the Dodgers have been talking to Cleveland about Jhonny Peralta, and the A's are hot n' heavy over Casey Blake. If Shapiro could pull off those deals I'd be very happy.

I think this trade was handled very poorly by the Indians.

Why trade him this early? Philadelphia wanted him, you could have made the Cubs and Brewers fight and possibly the Yankees and Red Sox fight to keep uping the ante. I think they should have waited to do this trade, and they would have gotten a lot more in return. One good player? Who's hitting .280 this season in the MINORS? Come on Tribe, should have waited.

LaPorta is the real deal. He's a power hitter, not an average hitter, so the .288 is no biggie. He's got 20 HRs and 66 RBI after 80 games. I would have liked Gamel to be either the centerpiece or included in the deal, but they didn't get Milwaukee bidding against anyone so there was no pressure to include him.

The rest of the package - Bryson seems to be a good, live relief arm (possible closer?) and Jackson seems like a throw-in. The PTBNL will really determine whether this is a great trade, a good trade, or if we got robbed. I personally would have liked to see them get a bidding war going, but then again Santana didn't get the haul everyone thought he'd bring in trade.

But when you consider the moves this FO has made (or hasn't made) it just looks like another iffy move by the Tribe's FO this year.

Here's what Shapiro said in the presser:

* Seven teams initially showed interest in Sabathia. It came down to the Brewers, Phillies and Dodgers on Sunday. The deal was done on Sunday afternoon.

* Shapiro said that only one other team offered them a package with a pitcher who they considered on an even par with LaPorta. It may have been the Dodgers.

Gamels, as good as he is, is not the guy you want. LaPorta is the true stud of the Mil system and it was a great trade for Cle, assuming the PTBN is the 3B. Philly did not have the prospects. Dodgers could have given you a decent package, but they are gun-shy about their elite guys. LaPorta, IMHO, is the best prospect in the minors.