INDIANS SAY BYE-BYE TO C.C.

Bold move by two franchises heading in opposite directions this season. The Indians look to reload for next year and acquire a potential power bat in Matt LaPorta. They get some other prospects who will not contribute for another couple of years at least. The Brewers look to maneuver into the playoffs this year by playing rent-a-stud. LaPorta was blocked in their organization anyway. Adding C.C. to their staff gives them and imposing top of the starting rotation. They are 3 1/2 back of the Cubs, C.C. could make up that difference with his arm and the added treat may be to see him bat every fifth day. As he demonstrated in L.A., Sabathia can hit.

As for the Giants, it continues to look like a variation of "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain". We have "Lincecum, Sanchez and Cain and pray for two days of rain". The Gigantes do continue to add to the bullpen from the minors with RHP Sergio Romo and RHP Osiros Matos called up last week from Fresno and Connecticut respectively. Both should help set-up Brian Wilson and may allow the team to give Alex Hinshaw some spot starts down the road. The team has to continue to see how these guys can do, both are in the 24-25 year old range where prospects begin to turn into suspects.

The Yankees fans may not be on the ledge yet, but it appears as if the window is opening a bit. The fans are distracted somewhat by Giambi's "made for porn" mustache and the daily A-Rod soap opera, but this team has not shown any indication that it has what it takes to make the playoffs and we're into July already.

Here's hoping that the Rays don't regret making that cost-saving "let's send Longoria down to the minors" to open the season gambit. Their record before and after his call-up will be analyzed a bit closer if they miss the playoffs by a game or two. That's a move the old ownership would have made and you can argue now how intelligent it was from a pure economic standpoint, but it could come back on them from a PR standpoint ("same old Rays") down the road. It may be fans using the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, but that's never stopped anyone from crushing management before has it?