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Do you remember when bad weather forced C.C. Sabathia to make a "home" start in Milwaukee in 2007?
The Brewers pulled the trigger on a trade for C.C. Sabathia, and the hefty lefty should see his first action as a Milwaukee rental Tuesday against the red-hot Rockies offense. Sabathia, who's got a 3.83 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP and 123 strikeouts to just 34 walks in 2008, is owned in all fantasy leagues, and should continue to be, assuming you're not in an AL-only league where you lose rights to a player if he goes to the NL. If anything, Sabathia's fantasy value may uptick just a bit (in ESPN leagues, he'll be added to the NL pool once the trade is official); both the Indians and the Brewers have shaky bullpens, but at this point, Milwaukee is scoring more runs, hitting for a higher average, hitting more dingers and slugging higher as a team than Cleveland is. That should mean better run support, especially in the heat of a pennant race. And make no mistake: Sabathia is a rental. He's a free agent at the end of '08 and plans on testing the free-agent waters that Johan Santana avoided. Whatever minimal value Seth McClung had is probably gone; it seems likely that Sabathia will replace McClung in the Brew Crew's rotation, especially considering Dave Bush's strong start this weekend.
On Cleveland's side, the main prize is Matt LaPorta, a first-rounder from 2007 who can rake, but who was blocked in Milwaukee by Prince Fielder at first, Ryan Braun in left field and Corey Hart in right. At Double-A Huntsville, LaPorta hit .288 with a .402 OBP and a .978 OPS, including 20 homers and 66 RBIs in 302 at-bats. The question now is, will Cleveland keep the 23-year-old LaPorta in the minors, likely at Triple-A Buffalo, or will they cross their fingers and hope to get a spark from him right away, replacing the mess they have in right field (Shin-Soo Choo and Franklin Gutierrez)? LaPorta is a first baseman by trade and has been working in the outfield per Milwaukee's request over the past year, so it's possible that the Indians might move him back to first, too.
My advice would be to pick up LaPorta as a fantasy free agent (if and when he comes available in your league) on the off chance he gets added to the big-league squad, though I'd prefer not to blow the top waiver spot in a league until I know for sure he's bound for Cleveland and not Buffalo. The kid might strike out, but he also walks, and he should be able to hit right away. He could eventually have a Lance Berkman-type bat, though he probably won't run as much as Berkman does. The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that the Indians also received Zach Jackson, a lefty reliever prospect who hasn't pitched well at Triple-A this year; Rob Bryson, a 20-year-old starting prospect with a good fastball; and a player to be named later, who could be third baseman Taylor Green. Bryson would be the most interesting prospect of the three, though he's years away from contributing in the bigs.
Finally, Jeremy Sowers looks to be safe in the Cleveland rotation for the moment, though he's not exactly setting the world on fire (eight runs in three innings his last time out). The Tribe's official Web site reports that newly acquired Jeff Weaver would likely be called up to fill in as the team's fifth starter until Fausto Carmona is ready to come off the DL.
Past editions: 7/6: Tulo out again | 7/5: Fireworks at Coors | 7/4: Borowski's demise
J.J. Hardy, Brewers
Hardy hit one home run in his first 40 games this season, making his 26-homer campaign in 2007 appear to be a complete fluke. But on Sunday, he enjoyed his second multihomer game in six days, giving him 12 on the season. In his past 10 games, Hardy is batting .512 with seven dingers and 14 RBIs.
Michael Bourn, Astros
A struggling hitter in a long, extra-inning game doesn't usually bode well. Sunday was no exception as Bourn went 0-for-7 with three strikeouts. After a brief streak to get his average up to .235, he's gone 1-for-28 in his past seven games, and his average now sits at .218.
Erik Bedard, who complained about his shoulder after his Friday start, will miss his next turn in the Mariners' rotation. Miguel Batista will take his place Wednesday, and the team expects to get Felix Hernandez off the DL either Thursday or Friday of this week. … The Cardinals have decided to put Mark Mulder into their rotation; he'll start Wednesday against the Phillies. Mitchell Boggs was sent to the minors to make room. … Lance Berkman sat Sunday because of conjunctivitis -- otherwise known as pink eye -- but he should be back in a day or two. … Michael Young originally was in the Texas lineup Sunday but was pulled before the game started because of a sore groin that's bothered him for a few days. … The Seattle Times reports that J.J. Putz will go on a minor-league rehab stint during the All-Star break, and that when he comes back after the break, he'll probably start in middle relief to get his timing back. … Milton Bradley left Sunday's game against Baltimore with a sore left knee. The good news is that it was Bradley's right knee that got ripped up when he went after an umpire while playing for San Diego last year. … Reliever Manny Acosta was carted off the field with a leg injury that he suffered while running the bases. Before injuring himself, he'd thrown three scoreless innings, and was later placed on the DL. … The Phillies will place Tom Gordon on the DL Monday because of his sore shoulder, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. … Erstwhile Pirates closer Matt Capps has started a throwing program in Florida, though he's still not expected back until September. … Alfonso Soriano's hand injury won't allow him to play in the All-Star Game next week. … The Marlins called up pitching prospect Chris Volstad from Double-A Carolina and, for the moment, installed him in their bullpen. He threw two scoreless innings (in which he allowed two hits and two walks) and got his first big-league win on Sunday. Volstad isn't a top-of-the-rotation type of pitcher, and won't be a fantasy star because of his low strikeout rate, but his heavy stuff could eventually make him an effective guy to own.
-- Keith Law Full Story
• Johnny Damon is on the DL for the first time in his career. The Yankees put him on the 15-day list because of the shoulder he jammed running into the wall on July 4. Joe Girardi says he expects Damon to be back right after the All-Star break, but Brian Cashman didn't sound so sure. Rookie Brett Gardner will probably get most left field starts in Gotham until Damon returns.
• The Angels placed starting catcher Mike Napoli on the 15-day DL because of a sore right shoulder, and Napoli will have an MRI today to discover if there's structural damage. Jeff Mathis, who's hitting just .212, should assume starting duties, and Ryan Buddle will likely back him up.
• The Phillies signed Brad Lidge to a three-year extension with a team option for 2012. Considering how well Lidge has pitched, it's not hard to believe Philly would want to lock him up before free agency, and the fact that they got him for "only" three years and $37.5 million has to be considered a good deal.
• Orlando Hernandez made a rehab start in a Rookie League game, allowing four hits, walking one and striking out six in four innings.
• Rich Hill pitched four innings for Rookie League Mesa, allowing one hit, striking out six and walking one. The dearth of walks is what's encouraging here for Hill.
• Les Walrond, a 31-year-old lefty, isn't really a prospect for the majors, but he had his day in the sun yesterday for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, fanning 17 in a complete-game victory.