Lowery is excited for his first full season

Photo: IPIBy Tony Lastoria
March 20, 2012 ShareThis

Everything is new for all of the Indians’ minor league rookies participating in spring training for the first time this year. They are all overflowing with excitement as many of them will embark on their first full season as a professional baseball player, and there is also a lot of anxiety in the air as players wonder which affiliate they will be assigned to at the start of the season.

One player in the Indians’ organization that cannot wait to get things rolling is catcher Jake Lowery.

Lowery, 21, was selected in the 4th round of the draft last year out of James Madison University. He signed quickly and was able to play in 69 games last season for short season Single-A Mahoning Valley where he hit .245 with 6 HR, 43 RBI and .792 OPS. He also had a nice 54-to-56 walk to strikeout rate.

“I had a good time [at Mahoning Valley last year],” Lowery said. “I am glad I got my feet wet and that I signed early to get everything going so I was introduced to the system and the pro way to go about things.”

Lowery more than settled in and got his feet wet last year at the professional ranks. If not for the fact that he had to travel to the Midwestern portion of the country to receive the Johnny Bench Award as the nation’s top collegiate catcher, he may have played in every game for Mahoning Valley last season. Even so, he racked up a lot of at bats and impressed with his patience and power at the plate as he 1st in the NY-Penn League doubles (23) and 1st in walks (54). In total, 30 of his 62 hits went for extra bases.

Lowery hopes that his strong season last year and a good spring training to date will be enough to land him on a full season roster at Low-A Lake County or High-A Carolina. Barring an injury, he will probably open the season in Carolina, though could open at Lake County if the Indians want him to first establish himself this season.

“I am having a good time and getting a lot of good instruction [so far in spring training],” Lowery said. “Getting out here early was definitely a huge plus for me to start throwing and get used to seeing everyone. Early camp allows for most of the pitchers and catchers that report to get some early work in either with throwing or hitting.”

With spring training in full swing with minor league spring games occurring almost on a daily basis, Lowery is looking to show some consistency and at the same time work on shoring up his defense behind the plate.

“I worked on my stride in Instructs to get my foot down in time and trying to drive the ball everywhere like I usually do,” Lowery said. “With the catching it is all about getting better every day and catching as many people as I can and get used to catching to so many different guys. I just want to work on my catching as a whole. Mainly blocking as I worked on that a lot in Instructs and it has translated here. You just have to take some ownership and take it upon yourself to improve. I am just trying to play the game the right way and have fun.”

There is a lot of potential in Lowery’s powerful and disciplined bat, something that he may or may not realize. He is ready to show what he can do this season and has 2011 and the draft in his rearview mirror for good.

“I had a great year last year and everything like that, but I am glad it is over with and I am here in the system and I am not going through that process again,” Lowery said. “Last year at Mahoning Valley it was a short season and really quick. For a full season I don’t have to go from college to pro ball and make the adjustment, I already have my routine down and I will have my car so it will be easier to get from place to place. I just want to get my routine going and have a full season wherever I am and enjoy the ride itself.”

Special treat. Tony allows us to read his full ST report today witnout subscriptiion.


Minor League Spring Game Recap: March 20th
By Tony Lastoria
March 21, 2012 ShareThis

Here is a free preview of the daily game reports provided from minor league camp. On Tuesday the Indians minor league teams played the Dodgers’ affiliates, and here is the recap of each game:

Columbus:

Ezequiel Carrera (CF): 1-for-3, R, K, CS
Tyler Holt (CF): 1-for-1, BB, SB
Tim Fedroff (LF): 0-for-3, R, 2 BB
Thomas Neal (RF): 2-for-5, 2 R, 2B, K
Beau Mills (1B): 2-for-4, RBI, BB
Jared Goedert (3B): 2-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Justin Toole (3B): 1-for-1, RBI
Ryan Rohlinger (2B): 1-for-3, R, K
Karexon Sanchez (2B): 0-for-1
Ben Copeland (RF): 2-for-4, R, 2B, 3B, RBI
Roberto Perez (C): 1-for-2, RBI
Doug Pickens (C): 0-for-2
Juan Diaz (SS): 1-for-2
Chin-Lung Hu (SS): 1-for-2, K
Adam Abraham (DH): 0-for-2, 1 BB, 2 K
Ralph Stoneburner (DH): 0-for-1

Paolo Espino – 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Matt Langwell – 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Jose De La Torre – 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Toru Murata – 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R/ER, 0 BB, 2 K
Preston Guilmet – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K
Bryan Price – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Notes: Neal has only been down in minor league camp for less than a week, but he has already settled in nicely and is putting some good swings on the ball. This is his second straight multi-hit effort. … The new guy Ralph Stoneburner arrived at camp yesterday morning and the Indians threw him right into the fire with his first plate appearance as an Indian on the first day as an Indian. … Espino is being built up to start, but he will likely pitch out of the bullpen and be a swing starter for Columbus this season.

Akron:

Tony Wolters (SS): 1-for-1, R, 2B, 2 BB, SB
Argenis Martinez (SS): 0-for-2, RBI, K
Todd Hankins (2B): 1-for-3, K
Kevin Fontanez (2B): 0-for-1, K
Kyle Bellows (3B): 0-for-2, R, 2 BB
Jeremie Tice (DH): 0-for-3, K
Jordan Casas (DH): 0-for-1
Chase Burnette (1B): 1-for-4, K
Carlos Moncrief (RF): 0-for-3, K
Brian Heere (RF): 0-for-1, BB, K
Alex Monsalve (C): 0-for-1, BB
Dwight Childs (C): 0-for-1, BB
Anthony Gallas (LF): 0-for-2, K
John Barr (LF): 0-for-2, 2 K
Delvi Cid (CF): 2-for-2, 2 R, 3B, SB
Tyler Cannon (RF): 0-for-1, K, E

Clayton Cook – 2.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R/ER, 1 BB, 3 K
Brett Brach – 2.1 IP, 6 H, 7 R/ER, 4 BB, 1 K
T.J. House – 3.0 IP, 2 H, 3 R (1 ER), 2 BB, 5 K
J.D. Reichenbach – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K

Notes: Not a good day for Akron hitters as they managed to put together just five hits combined as a team. … Cid still shows flashes of his ability to impact a game on the bases, but you have to wonder if this year is it for him as the bat just has not improved much the last two years. … Cook and Brach combined to go 5.0 innings and allowed 11 runs on 10 hits. Thank goodness spring training stats don’t mean anything, right?

Carolina:

Luigi Rodriguez (CF): 1-for-3, R
Mark Bradley (CF): 0-for-1, K
Bryson Myles (LF): 1-for-3, R, 2B, K
Aaron Siliga (LF): 1-for-1, CS
Jesus Aguilar (1B): 1-for-2, RBI
Robel Garcia (DH): 0-for-0, BB
Chun Chen (C): 0-for-2, K
Jake Lowery (C): 1-for-2, R, RBI
Alex Lavisky (DH): 0-for-2
Patric Tolentino (DH): 2-for-2, 2B, RBI
Jordan Smith (3B): 1-for-3
Evan Frazar (3B): 0-for-1
Giovanny Urshela (DH): 1-for-1, 2B
Ronny Rodriguez (DH): 1-for-2, 2B, K
Cody Elliott (RF): 1-for-3
KC Serna (SS): 0-for-2
Jairo Kelly (SS): 0-for-1, BB
Aaron Fields (2B): 0-for-4, 2 K

Felix Sterling – 2.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ER, 2 BB, 3 K
Enosil Tejeda – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Kirk Wetmore – 1.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Ramon Cespedes – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Jordan Cooper – 1.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R/ER, 1 BB, 1 K

Notes: Chen was playing his first game at catcher this spring as he had been limited to designated hitter duties the past week or so because he rolled his ankle and suffered a minor sprain. … This just in, but Lowery is a machine. This guy has a chance to be a very good offensive player and with very good power. I can’t wait to see what he does in his first full season at Carolina this year. … Wetmore was not sharp and his velocity was down considerably as he was topping out at 87 MPH and averaging 85 MPH, which was down from his normal 87-91 MPH velocity.

Lake County:

Zach MacPhee (DH): 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI, K, SB
Jose Ramirez (2B): 0-for-4, RBI
Francisco Lindor (SS): 1-for-3
Yhoxian Media (SS): 0-for-1
Leonardo Castillo (3B): 1-for-4
Andrew Campbell (CF): 1-for-4, K
Jorge Martinez (3B): 0-for-3, BB, 2 E
Hunter Jones (RF): 0-for-1, R, BB
Brian Ruiz (RF): 0-for-1, K
Ryan Battaglia (C): 1-for-2, R, 2B
Eric Haase (C): 0-for-1
Erik Gonzalez (1B): 0-for-2, R
Jerrud Sabourin (1B): 1-for-1, R
Mark Brown (LF): 0-for-2
Chia-Ching Lin (LF): 1-for-1, 2B

Ryan Merritt – 3.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R/ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Josh McKeon – 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K
Jeff Johnson – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Xavier De Los Santos – 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K
Matt Curtis – 1.0 IP, 2 K, 1 R/ER, 0 BB, 0 K
Will Krasne – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Notes: Battaglia has been a nice find for me this spring. I had previously seen him play very little, but in the three games I saw him play he hit three bombs. He hit a tape measure shot to left that hooked foul, and has really shown a lot of raw power this spring. … A forgettable outing for Merritt as in addition to the 6 hits and 6 runs he also served up two taters, one of which was a moon shot to dead center that hit the top of the green screening behind the fence that runs 20-30 feet high. … De Los Santos had the place abuzz with his electric arm that consistently popped in fastballs at 95-96 MPH and with good life. He is a converted catcher and could be a guy to watch this year.

Now we have guy's crushing the ball and pitchers blowing people away with 95+ fastballs in the low minors and we have powder-puff bats and batting practice pitchers at the major league level.

The new rallying cry has changed from "wait till next year" to "wait a few years".

That's for sure. All our top prospects are 17-20 year olds, years away from playing in Cleveland, and with plenty of time to get hurt, to underperform, to turn 3 years older than their birth certificates say.

tony says:

Elvis has entered the building as left-handed pitcher Elvis Araujo comes in at #11 in the 2012 IPI Indians Top 50 Prospect countdown. After a promising pro debut in 2008 and then missing all of the 2009 and 2010 with an elbow injury, he came back last season and showed why the Indians were so high on him after back in 2008. Tony looks at his potential and what kind of pitching prospect he is.


BA agrees on #11 for Elvis. He's a 6-6 215 pound lefty, probably born 7-15-91. He missed all of 2009 and 2010 after TJ surgery. BA says he has gained velocity post-surgery peaking at 98. Needs lots of work on seconary pitches and command, naturally. Changeup shows flashes but often below avg; arm slot wanders which costs him command; mid-80s power slider is "occassionally above average". And of course they conclude as with all of our pitchers A starter for now but because he's been fragile he could end up in a bullpen role. Should debut in Low A in 2012.

While I was away for a few days, Tony moved into his Top 10 with:

10. Barnes
9. Ronny Rodriguez
8. Austin Adams
7. Luigi Rodriguez
6. Cheng Lee
5. Tony Wolters

He like everyone will have Lindor, Howard and Hagadone, and I lost track if he's already slated Sterling or Washington. One of them must have been Tony's No. 12. Based on last year's work no way would Levon W be No. 4. Here's a long Tony piece on Washington:

If you point to one player in the Cleveland Indians minor league system that is probably the most important to get back on track, that player is arguably outfielder LeVon Washington.

It is not because Washington was a high round draft pick taken in the 2nd round of the 2010 Draft. It is also not about the Indians getting a return on their $1.2 million investment in him. It simply is because outside of shortstop Francisco Lindor, there is not a position player prospect in the Indians’ system that has the ability to impact the game and become a star at the Major League level like he can.

Washington, 20, had a disappointing season last year. He was limited to just 79 games because he was recovering from offseason hip surgery and also had a knee injury that cropped up during spring training that affected him all season. On top of that he was also incorporating a new stance and swing which took some time to get used to. With all of that going on, he finished the year with some subpar numbers as he hit .218 with 4 HR, 20 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and .647 OPS.

With a little under two weeks left until the start of the 2012 season, Washington feels he is ready to go, or as he might say on Twitter, “It’s Wash Time.”

“I feel good and healthy,” Washington said. “I’m excited to get going. I feel a lot different from last year and feel more comfortable in the outfield moving around. I also know a lot more.”

Nothing better shows that Washington may in fact be back than what he did in the Indians’ first minor league instrasquad game last week. In the first unofficial at bat of the Indians’ minor league season he led off the game by ripping a line drive to the right center field gap. He raced around the bases and without hesitation sprinted around third base and went full bore toward third base and did a Pete Rose into the base just ahead of the tag.

Last season Washington’s knee injury slowed him down and mostly affected his aggression on the basepaths. He looked timid. Had he ripped that triple last season he probably would have settled for the double without a thought of going to third base. But that was not the case last week as he rounded second base with the confidence that his extra gear would be there.

Washington spent the entire offseason working out to get healthier, stronger, and improve his game. So far it appears to be paying off.

“I was here in the offseason most of the time,” Washington said. “I went to Instructs, then the Dominican Republic for two weeks [in November], then I went home for maybe a month and I came straight out here in January and started working. It was just baseball and trying to get focused for the season. I think I put in a lot of good work as I have been out here since January and I think I am ready to go.”

The way things look at the moment, Washington looks like a lock to open the season at Lake County. He has unfinished business there and starting the season by repeating at the same level as last year is the right decision.

Washington is still viewed as a center fielder, but he may play a lot of left field in Lake County because outfielders Luigi Rodriguez and Bryson Myles are expected to get a lot of time in center field. A lot of people have projected him as more of a left fielder because of his below average throwing arm. His arm strength has just never returned after shoulder surgery in 2009, but according to Washington it is starting to come back after he did some rehab on it this offseason.

“I can play center field,” Washington said. “A lot of people think I should move to left, but I believe I can play center field. My arm feels good compared to what it has been. I have been doing a lot of work on it with a shoulder program two or three times a week. I did not think it would be a big deal, but it has helped my arm.”

No matter what position Washington plays or what level he plays at, this season is all about improving and getting back on his development path as a prospect.

“I just want to play hard and show what I can do,” Washington said. “I am still in the minor leagues, so I need to work on everything.”

First cuts announced

Yesterday the Indians officially released LHP Kirk Wetmore, INF Kevin Fontanez, RHP Joey Mahalic, RHP Ramon Cespedes, RHP Matt Curtis, RHP Moisses Ramirez, CA Doug Pickens.

While none of the releases came as a surprise, it is always a tough day to see the dreams of several young men come to an end. I wish all of them well. Sadly, probably another 10-15 releases are still to come between now and next weekend.

20 RBI in 351 plate appearances. That's kind of low. Too bad they don't keep RISP stats for the Midwest League, Washington's could have been record-breaking. He did have 4 homers so at least he knocked himself in those 4 times, which leaves 16 times he helped others cross the plate. He might get some leeway since at the top of the order he would have been hitting behind some really miserable offensive threats.

Maybe someone who follows the minors closely like CIV could tell us if the Brewers had any prospects back when we traded them Sabathia who have become MLB players, and how they are doing.

Andrew Campbell starts in Lake County. I chose Campbell as my position player this year. I had a hard time choosing which pitcher I was going to select. It came down to Danny Salazar or Toru Murata. I chose Salazar.

Shortstop Alcides Escobar, third baseman Mat Gamel, catcher Angel Salome, and 2b/3b Taylor Green were available. Alcides Escobar was by far the better of the four played for the Brewers now playing for the Royals.

I guess you want someone other then Santana in the Blake trade ?

I guess you want someone other then Choo in the name the Indian trade ? (Broussard)

I guess you want someone other then Cabrera in the name the Indian trade ? (Perez)


Or are we just going to cry about the ones that did not work out ?

Escobar was not available in the CC trade I am pretty sure. Brewers were not dealing him.

Tony likes Hagadone as his No. 4 Tribe prospect. Not sure who he likes at NO. 3. Someone for whom he has sticking his neck out.

Meanwhile he has a long interview with one of the slowest developing prospects in the organization: Hunter Jones, an 11th round pick in 2010, who has only had 134 plate appearances in his first two summers in Arizona. By now he's 20 years old and still hoping to make it to a Class A team.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/minor ... nes-001hun

Jones hoping to get to Ohio this year

Photo: IPIBy Tony Lastoria
March 27, 2012 ShareThis

Whether it is short season Single-A Mahoning Valley or Low-A Lake County, outfielder Hunter Jones is hoping to get to Ohio and play in front of crowds this season.

Jones, 20, was selected by the Indians in the 11th round of the 2010 Draft out of Lakewood High School in California, but he has a lot of roots in the Cincinnati, Ohio area with lots of family there.

“I really want to get to Ohio because I have a lot of family members out there,” Jones said. “For me, it would be good to have everyone back.”

Chances are that Jones will not open the season in Ohio and that he will remain in Arizona for extended spring training while lots of players depart for full season destinations. But there is a good chance he could join Mahoning Valley when they start short season league play in June.

Jones spent all of last season at the Indians’ Player Development complex in Goodyear, Arizona. He went from spring training in March to extended spring from April to June, to the Arizona Summer League from June to August, and then the Fall Instructional League from September to October. He spent a lot of time in the desert last season, and probably will spend some more time there for the first few months of this season.

Players left in extended spring training or to play in the rookie level Arizona Summer League can often feel isolated as they are away from true affiliate ball and do not play in front of crowds. But Jones feels it helps him prepare better and be more focused.

“It is weird [to play in front of no one], but it makes your mind stronger,” Jones said. “You have to stay focused and you can’t take days off. There are not a lot of people in the stands and you feel like nobody is watching, but the important people are watching. You just have to keep your mind right and keep it going.”

Jones is paying the price that a lot of high school signees make when they sign a professional contract straight out of high school. On the plus side they get to begin their careers right away and get professional coaching, nutrition, and strength and conditioning, but on the negative side a great majority of high school signees end up playing rookie ball for two seasons – their draft year and then the next full season after it.

That means they spend almost the entire first two years in the organization out in Arizona. That can wear on guys after a while and make them doubt they are ever going to move up or make them second guess their decision to sign. But it is part of the maturation and adjustment process with transitioning to the professional game.

“I felt it was good to sign and get out here and get comfortable so I could adapt faster,” Jones said about signing out of high school. “Maybe not strength and maturity-wise as college would have been better that way, but just [getting into a professional environment].”

With all the time that Jones has spent in Arizona the past year and a half, he has had time to adjust to the professional game and work on some changes at the plate. He has a good swing with some developing power, so he is really trying to hone in on that so he can get more consistent with his hitting.

“It is coming easier now and my routine is better,” Jones said. “I think I am more settled in and more used to it. I feel like I am able to stay more consistent and get on base more. I am working on taking balls the other way, and working on the inside pitch and turning on it.”

Jones was originally drafted and signed as a shortstop, but made the switch to the outfield last season. He has worked hard on the position change the past year and has really come along as a defender in the outfield. With his well above average speed, good athleticism, and strong throwing arm he really fits in well in the outfield. He primarily plays left field, but he also plays some center field and right field.

“I love the outfield a lot,” Jones said. “I feel like I have some good athletic ability to me, and the outfield is perfect as I can use my speed out there. In the infield I felt like my arm was longer, so it adapted pretty well for me in the outfield. I feel [the toughest thing to adjust to] is reading the ball off the bat and getting used to left, center and right. Some outfield positions are easier than others, but I am just trying to get used to the reaction as it is a little different than the infield.”

Jones has also had the benefit of having his own personal coach as his father Tracy Jones played outfield professionally in the big leagues for six seasons. He was a 1st round pick in the 1983 Draft by the Cincinnati Reds and also played for the Giants, Mariners, Expos, and Tigers during his career which ended after the 1991 season. Hunter was born in August of his final season as a player.

The younger Jones has been able to draw from the experiences his father had as a player and believes his knowledge and understanding of the game inside and outside the lines can only help.

“He is a real help for me,” Jones said. “He knows the ins and outs of baseball, and he just wants the best for me. He does a good job of training me and telling me what is good to do.”

Jones’ Ohio roots come from his father as he spent the bulk of his career in the Reds organization. While he was born and raised in Lakewood, California, his father lived in the Cincinnati area for several years while he was with the Reds. So Jones has a lot of ties and family in the southwestern part of Ohio.

Wherever Jones starts the season is out of his hands, but how he performs and develops is.

“My goal all along is to stay healthy and play hard,” Jones said. “And get to Ohio.”

Brewers make trade for pitcher C.C. Sabathia

Minor-league prospect Matt LaPorta is included in the deal


By Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel July 7, 2008


In a bold move designed to end the club’s 26-year playoff drought, the Milwaukee Brewers agreed in principle Sunday night to acquire Cleveland left-handed pitcher C.C. Sabathia in exchange for top prospect Matt LaPorta and three other minor-leaguers.

A Brewers official confirmed the deal, which will be officially announced today by both teams. The Brewers are expected to have the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner on the mound Tuesday night at Miller Park against the Colorado Rockies.

Neither side would officially confirm the deal because paperwork still was being completed and medical records exchanged. But a source familiar with the discussions said minor-league pitchers Zach Jackson and Rob Bryson also were in the deal.

A fourth player, officially designated as "to be named later," could turn out to be third baseman Taylor Green, the Brewers' minor-league player of the year in 2007. Cleveland has been scouting Green, with the idea of moving him to second base, and might want to see him play more.

'A difference maker'

The Brewers, who climbed to a season-high 10 games over .500 earlier in the day with an 11-6 victory over Pittsburgh, believe the 6-foot-7, 290-pound lefty will provide a big enough boost to make post-season play for the first time since 1982.

"He's a difference maker," one team official said.

Sabathia, 27, was placed on the trade market when Cleveland fell into last place in its division and was unable to sign him to a contract extension. Sabathia, who can be a free agent after the season, turned down a four-year, $72 million offer from the Indians in the spring and said he didn't want to negotiate during the season.

The Brewers immediately targeted Sabathia as the pitcher who could help them make the playoffs and engaged the Indians in intense negotiations over the weekend. Other teams also joined the bidding, including the Philadelphia Phillies.

Top prospects

However, no suitor could match the Brewers' reluctant offer of LaPorta, their first-round draft pick from 2007. Cleveland was in search of a young power hitter and the 23-year-old LaPorta fit that bill, with 20 home runs and 66 runs batted in over 84 games at Huntsville.

The Indians tried to pry away at least one other top prospect, such as third baseman Mat Gamel or shortstop Alcides Escobar, but the Brewers held firm.

Jackson, a left-hander, pitched briefly for the Brewers this season but has struggled for most of the year, going 1-5 with a 7.85 ERA in 22 outings (six starts) for Class AAA Nashville. Bryson, 20, is a right-hander and was a 31st-round draft pick in 2006. He signed just before the '07 draft and is 3-2 with a 4.25 ERA in 22 outings (five starts) at Class A West Virginia. Green is hitting .295 with 10 homers and 54 RBI at Class A Brevard County.

To part with LaPorta, the Brewers told the Indians they had to get a deal done by Sunday night. Sabathia's next scheduled turn is Tuesday, and the Brewers knew if they could get him on the mound by then, he could take another turn on Sunday, the final day before the all-star break.

As a sign the deal was close, LaPorta was scratched from Huntsville's lineup before the team's 5 p.m. home game against Birmingham. Players are routinely removed from lineups prior to being traded to avoid an injury that might nix the deal.

Reason to act quickly

The non-waiver trade deadline is not until July 31, but the Brewers figured the sooner they got Sabathia, the more starts they could get from him. They have no illusions of preventing him from leaving as a free agent after the season, another reason they didn't want to part with an additional high-level prospect.

There is also a financial component to adding Sabathia to the roster. The Brewers will have to pay nearly half of his $11 million salary, boosting their payroll near the $90 million level.

Sabathia is 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA in 18 starts this season, a deceiving record marred by a slow start and his team's inability to support him with runs (Cleveland has scored two or fewer runs in nine of his outings). In five starts in June, he was 3-1 with a 1.89 ERA, with 44 strikeouts and only seven walks in 38 innings.

Sabathia struggled a bit in his last start Wednesday night in Chicago, allowing seven hits and five runs (four earned) in eight innings. But Brewers chief scout Dick Groch liked the way Sabathia battled deep into the game without his best stuff and turned in a favorable report.

One of the primary lures in targeting Sabathia is his tendency to pitch late into games, which saves his bullpen. He has pitched at least seven innings in 11 of his 18 starts, including 10 of his last 11, and has three complete games with two shutouts.

Sabathia went 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA in 34 starts in 2007, with 209 strikeouts and only 37 walks in 241 innings. That performance earned him the AL Cy Young Award, designating him as the top pitcher in the league.

In eight major-league seasons, Sabathia is 106-71 with a 3.83 ERA in 237 starts, 19 complete games and seven shutouts.

The Brewers had kept their eye out for pitching help since losing promising young right-hander Yovani Gallardo for the season to a knee injury during a game in Chicago on May 1. Had they not corralled Sabathia, they would have worked down their list of other available pitchers but knew Cleveland's ace rated far above all others.

Looking forward

There are several reasons the Brewers decided their window of opportunity to shoot for the playoffs was this year. With right-hander Ben Sheets headed for free agency after the season and the future of first baseman Prince Fielder uncertain after he turned down a big contract, there's no guarantee of having this chance next year or beyond.

The play of his team over the past six weeks convinced Brewers general manager Doug Melvin another standout pitcher might lead to something special. The Brewers have the best record (29-15) in the National League since May 20 and pulled percentages points ahead of St. Louis on Sunday for first place in the wild-card standings.

The Brewers have climbed from 7 1/2 games behind first-place Chicago to 3 1/2 back over that span and still have 10 games remaining against the Cubs, including seven at Miller Park.

With Sheets (10-2, 2.77), who was named to his fourth All-Star Game Sunday, Sabathia and left-hander Manny Parra (8-2, 3.69), the Brewers believe they have three power pitchers atop their rotation who match up with any club in the league.

The Indians tried to pry away at least one other top prospect, such as third baseman Mat Gamel or shortstop Alcides Escobar, but the Brewers held firm.

LMAO

Joe never lets actual facts get in the way of a good whiiiiine.