C.C. Sabathia Headed To Milwaukee; Rest of National League Cringes

ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney reported Sunday evening that the Milwaukee Brewers had reached a deal to acquire Cleveland Indians' ace and 2007 AL Cy Young winner C.C. Sabathia for three minor leaguers.

The deal, which is still pending due to finalization of paperwork and physicals, would give the Brewers, currently 2 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs in the National League Central, a well-needed ace that will help them contend for an NL Central Title, and possibly a pennant.

Sabathia gives the Brewers something they lacked last season, a proven starter for the stretch run. Additionally, Sabathia is an ace that will fill in perfectly if the injury-prone Ben Sheets goes down.

Last season, the Brewers' late season woes happened after Sheets was lost for the year. But with Sabathia, they won't have to worry about that.

And if Sheets stays healthy, Sabathia gives the Brewers a 1-2 punch at the front of the rotation that is only rivaled by the Diamondback's Webb-Haren combo.

All in all, it's a good trade for the Brewers, and a questionable move by the Tribe. While the Indians got a future star in outfielder Matt LaPorta, the other two prospects included in the deal (who were not immediately mentioned), were not Alcides Escobar or Mat Gamel, who, along with LaPorta, were among the top rated prospects in the Brewers' loaded farm system.

One has to wonder why, with the trading dealine still more than three weeks away, the Indians rushed to make this deal, with teams such as the Rays, Cubs, Dodgers, Phillies still interested. As well as the possibility that the Yankees and Red Sox could get into a bidding war in the final days before the deadline.

The Brewers now become a serious factor in the National League playoff race with Sabathia. Already only 2 1/2 games out of the NL Central lead, the Brewers now have the edge over the Cubs and the Cardinals if the division race comes down to the final month of the season.

Additionally, more pressure is not put on the Cubs to make a move for another starter, something they were likely to do already with question marks at the back end of the rotation.

With Sabathia already in Milwaukee, potential trading partners have an edge in negotiations with the Cubs in that they know the Cubs will be desperate to make a move to stay on par with the Brewers. So look for the likes of Gil Meche, Randy Wolf, or another cheap, middle-of-the-rotation starter to end up in Chicago before July 31.

Also, look for Brewers' General Manager Doug Melvin to continue shopping with the trading deadline still a good ways away. Milwaukee's bullpen is still their biggest question mark, and with a number of potential losing options available on the trade market such as Eddie Guardado, C.J. Wilson, Chad Cordero, among others, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see a revamped bullpen in Milwaukee this August.

But the fact of the matter is that the Brewers now have serious staying power come October. The rest of the National League better be looking over their shoulders, because with an offense like they have coupled with the Sabathia-Sheets combo, there isn't a team scarier in a five-game series then Milwaukee.