The Official C.C. Sabathia Trade Entry

It will be long and it will be painful. But, here is the official C.C. Sabathia trade entry.

Why don’t we start with the official deal. Before we get to all the outside opinions.

Milwaukee Gets: C.C. Sabathia and the two draft picks he will net a team after he signs with a team not named Milwaukee.

Cleveland Gets: Outfielder Matt LaPorta, LHP Zach Jackson, RHP Rob Bryson, PTBNL

The Player To Be Named Later is a very important part of this deal according to Mark Shapiro. His press conference was very informative and he let us know more than I thought he would.

He said that the PTBNL was the key to this deal happening. LaPorta was obviously the center-piece, but without the PTBNL that WILL be a supposedly Major League Prospect, then Shapiro wouldn’t have signed off.

The PTBNL is assumed to be a list that Doug Melvin said there are two dates for the Indians. He didn’t let the media in on those dates of course, but Shapiro supposedly has a list of players that can become an impact at the Major League level that include Third Baseman Taylor Green and Outfielders Michael Brantley and Lorenzo Cain.

The sticking point of the PTBNL is whether Green can make the move to second. I will tip my hat to Shapiro in this part. The fact that he can be flexible to this part of the deal is huge. I’m hoping Green is the player, but if Michael Brantley is the player when all is said and done. I won’t have any problem with it.

The next player is Rob Bryson. Bryson is a right handed relief pitcher who Baseball-America said could be the Brewers closer by 2011.

Brewers Nation has a great profile on him here.

Zach Jackson is probably considered a throw in. Mark Shapiro didn’t have many great things to say about him. He looked at him as a “depth option this year” and who knows what. So, I think he is a project. They need to see if a change of scenary will do him some good, but looking at his stats, I’m not expecting much.

This isn’t the “near-major league ready” pitcher I was thinking about for this deal.

Now.. The centerpiece.. Matt LaPorta.

LaPorta is a Florida Gator, he was recruited as a catcher. Played third and first for them and was moved to the outfield after getting drafted by Milwaukee.

Milwaukee had him in the outfield for one reason and one reason alone. They have Prince Fielder at first.

LaPorta is a defensive liability, so I get the impression after listening to Shapiro that he will be moved to first base when all is said and done.

If you want to learn about Matt LaPorta, you can read the Cleveland Fan’s report on him.

LaPorta is all about the power in my eyes. He probably won’t hit for that high of an average, around or under .300. This is all about the power and his potential to hit 40 home runs. No defense, no speed, this is a one tool, hit it deep guy.

Most experts agree.. The Indians did not get enough for C.C. Sabathia.. or at least could have gotten more.

Keith Law and Jeff Passan both said so.

Dennis Nosco of the Cleveland Fan basically puts it how I feel. I think the Indians rushed this. I heard what Shapiro said about these offers not being on the table at later times, but you know what.

I doubt it… You know why? This is C.C. Sabathia, the reigning American League Ace.. When that deadline starts ticking, someone was going to give you a great package. I’m going to beat this Eric Gagne deal to death. That guy yielded two near major league or already major league ready prospects plus more.

C.C. should have brought a kings randsom.. I do not feel as if that was what they got at all.

Tony Lastoria gives us the goods on some of the players.

In other news, The Dodgers did make an offer that included Casey Blake in the deal.

Here is Paul Dolan’s letter to the fans. Blah Blah. Yeah I understand.

Overall.. I won’t judge now.. I think Shapiro pulled off a GOOD trade.. But I think he could have had the potential to pull of a GREAT trade. He did not pull of a GREAT trade and I think he missed out on getting more for the franchise cornerstone.

We’ll find out more within the next few days. LaPorta WILL go to Akron for now, that is what Shapiro said. Lastoria thinks Bryson goes to Lake County and Zach Jackson will probably go to Buffalo when Jeff Weaver gets called up to start TOMORROW. Oh My God….