You have heard for the past couple years you hear how this is a seller market and teams are attempting to horde youth. Teams in the playoff race need to decide if they are Oakland and pretenders or if they want to be Milwaukee, Chicago, and Philly and acquire "that final piece".
In Milwaukee's case I would trade LaPorta plus for Sabathia everyday and twice on Tuesdays. You havent been to the playoffs since before the First Bush was Reagan's Veep and need to do something with so many unknowns (Fielder's future, Sheets leaving via Free Agency, etc) that the window maybe closing before it even opens for this team. Even if the Brewers sink out of it and both Sabathia and Sheets leave, then the Brewers get 4 shots to find the next LaPorta. With their success at AA and at low A last year (League runner up) the Brewers scouting team looks like they have pretty good odds to making the right pick(s).
You can say "well why give up that much for someone who might play 2 games a week"? How many possible at bats that pitcher is going to have compared to a field player who gets on average 3-5. If Sabathia goes 8 Innings, 6 hits, 2 ER, 10 Ks then youre looking at probably 40 possible abs. Sabathia has shown since he arrived and even before the trade that he is a premier pitcher and that premier pitching will always beat hitting.
LaPorta could also turn into Brandon Larson, highly touted spect who flops in everyway in the majors. Sabathia is known as an elite pitcher and has been through the immediate past. LaPorta could become a premier hitter but I will always trade the kids for established.
Am I in the minority, crazy, or do you agree?