Interesting little tidbit during a segment with ESPN Baseball Analyst Jason Stark on Mike and Mike’s morning show Tuesday morning. Stark was asked about whether or not Cleveland was out of the playoff race in the AL Central and if C.C. Sabathia would be moved, and – completely unsolicited – Stark threw the Red Sox into the potential Sabathia trade discussion by mentioning how heavily the Indians are scouting Sox players right now.

You kind of wondered how long it was going to take before the free agent to be would be tossed into a veritable cornucopia of trade rumors. Apparently that time is fast approaching.

While Sabathia got off to a bad start, he’s looked pretty damn good as of late and was simply overpowering in a complete game shutout win over the Twins last night. He’s also 27 years-old and just entering his prime pitching years, though the 256 1/3 innings he totaled between the regular season and playoffs last season certainly bear some close watching this year.



Sabathia’s strikeouts are up this season but opponents were hitting .296 against him this season heading into last night – and a 6-foot-7, 290 pitcher with Sabathia’s kind of oversized build can be a serious – and some would say untenable -- risk for a long term contract.

Indians GM Mark Shapiro could also be drawing in Hank Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees by putting the word out there that they’re interested in the young players within the Red Sox farm system. Something tells me if Theo Epstein wasn’t willing to give up a generation of prospects for Johan Santana, then he won’t be willing to do it for big C.C. either.
Anyway, here are Stark’s thoughts about Cleveland when he was asked if he thinks they’re out of the playoff race.

JS: “I’m not quite, but I’m getting awfully close. Here’s what’s going on with the [Sabathia] front. The Indians are telling everyone that they’re going to listen. At the same time they’re not ready to put him up for sale yet. They are still hoping they can get their act together and contend, but – if they don’t – they’re going to listen. They’re out right now scouting organizations that they think have the prospects it would take, the young players it would take. For example, they are all over the Red Sox organization right now. I can’t see how this is going to happen, but they’re going to listen.