We'll find out fairly quickly about my comments on C.C. Sabathia. He did end up in Milwaukee, and it only cost them 4 minor league prospects, so it doesn't disrupt the composition of the team at all. It certainly deepens their rotation and gives them a second legitimate strikeout pitcher. Facing Sheets followed by Sabathia will be a tough test for any lineup. However, the NL Central, with the exception of the Cubs (and Brewers) is full of teams with good contact hitters. The Cards lead the league in Ks (best at NOT striking out). The 'Stros are 4th, the Pirates 6th, and the Reds 10th.
His ERA is currently even with his career average (3.83). There are three reasons to assume that his ERA will continue to drop throughout the rest of the reason. First, the past two seasons he has shown his potential and won the Cy Young award last year. His ERA has been under 3.30 both seasons. Second, his career to this point has been spent entirely in the American League with the DH. He comes to the NL now where every ninth batter is usually a sub-.200 hitter. Third, the Indians showed him that he is expendable. With his future hanging in the balance, he needs to continue pitching lights out to get a max contract on the free agent market when his expires at the end of the season. This isn't really a reason in my mind, but the "experts" seem to think that guys somehow try harder, and, therefore, pitch better in a contract year. He was overpitching early and his ERA skyrocketed, so if he reverts back to that philosophy, it'll actually work against him, in my opinion.
One reason to think his ERA will go up: he's pitching in the one division that scores runs like the American League. With 14 of the Brewers final 23 series against the NL Central, he's going to see some of the more potent lineups in the National League.
This was a decent move by the Brewers to try to win it all this year. However, they've got a few problems. First, they've got to nail down the bullpen. Gagne can't close it out. Torres has been great in his role so far as closer, but his career has been plagued with inconsistency, especially down the stretch. Then again, that career was spent with the Pirates...Second, the young guys have to continue to produce on offense. Last year they totally faded down the stretch, not quite as bad as the Mets, but they still faded badly. Are they a year older, a year wiser? No. I just don't see it happening for the Brew Crew. Their time will come.
Well, little brother, I think the Cubs and Brew Crew are in the playoffs for sure, though who wins the division that is still in question. I'd agree, the Cubs are still the better team, and they probably still have a trade or two to make before the deadline. Rich Harden would be fine with me. Having said that, I don't think the Brewers made this trade to merely make the playoffs. They are after the same thing the Cubs are after. Quick, name the Cubs' #2 starter...who did you come up with? Dempster? Lilly? Doesn't matter- it wasn't Sabathia. I don't care what he does the rest of the season, it's the difference he'll make in the playoffs (IF he pitches better than he did in last year's playoffs). I don't feel all that confident with Dempster as the #2, especially considering how the Cubs offense proved that it can be rather silent in the postseason. Here's hoping for Harden...
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