While the idea of the Cleveland Indians trading C.C. Sabathia before the trade deadline is far from a new one, it's probably a lot closer to becoming a reality today. The Indians were just swept by the White Sox, and have no fallen to last place in the AL Central, 12.5 games back at 37-48.I think it's safe to say that the Indians are done in 2008. Maybe the doctor hasn't called the time of death yet, but he's at least in the waiting room letting the Tribe's family know that things aren't looking good. Which would mean that keeping Sabathia around in Cleveland for the rest of the season would be absolutely pointless.
He's not going to sign a long term deal with the Indians after the season, not because he doesn't enjoy playing there, but because somebody's going to drive up to his home with a trailer full of cash. So Indians general manager Mark Shapiro should probably be picking up the phone today to let other teams know that C.C. is officially available.
There have already been plenty of rumors and potential suitors like the Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, and Cubs to name a few, but for the most part, everything we've heard has come from an outside source. If Shapiro has been actively shopping Sabathia on his own, he's done a very good job of keeping it quiet.
Now, I'm not saying that Shapiro should be calling every team that's interested in his lefthander and trying to make a deal, I'm just saying he should let it be known he's willing to listen. All he has to do is sit back and wait for the phone to start ringing, and it will. A lot.
Then leak some info as to what's being offered and then watch everybody try to top each other. It should be fun!
