Brewers Will Likely Snag Sabathia

Looks like Yankee fans will have to wait until the end of the season if they want to see C.C. Sabathia in the Bronx (and even then it may not happen). From Jon Heyman (SI):

The pennant-starved Milwaukee Brewers appear to be a clear favorite in the sweepstakes for star Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia, as those two teams continue to talk today.

The Brewers have told the Indians they’d like to have a deal done before Tuesday, as they’d like to get two starts for Sabathia before the All-Star break — Tuesday and next Sunday.

The Brewers, who have a deep reservoir of prospects and a just-as-deep desire to return to the playoffs for the first time in 26 years, are said to be offering a package featuring hitting sensation Matt LaPorta, one of 10 All-Stars from the Brewers’ stacked Double-A Huntsville, Ala. team. The apparent inclusion of LaPorta is seen by competing teams as giving the Brewers the upper hand.

League sources indicate the Indians have been pressing for top shortstop Alcides Escobar to come with LaPorta; however, the Brewers originally offered two Class-A prospects to go with LaPorta instead. Newsday reported that those two players were third baseman Taylor Green, the Brewers’ minor league player of the year in 2007, and outfielder Lorenzo Cain, both from the high Class-A team at Brevard (Fla.) County.

The Yankees do not have a hitting prospect like LaPorta in their system and he’s considered an elite, young talent. In fact, LaPorta is such a good prospect that most of the other interested teams (Phillies, Dodgers, Rays) have bowed out of the Sabathia Sweepstakes upon hearing of his inclusion in the deal. The Brewers and Indians are moving quickly, and the Brewers’ clearly desire the left-handed ace. If the Yankees want pitching then it’ll likely have to come from within, as the duo of Sidney Ponson and Darrell Rasner aren’t going to do the trick, not even with smoke and mirrors.

(Thanks to MLBTR).