It’s that time of the year.  July.  Time talk trades. The deadline is at the end of the month and the big name that will get tons of media attention is CC Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians.

Let’s assume that trading for him means being able to sign him to a long-term contract.  No short term rentals wanted here. Under that scenario, what would be willing to part with.

Here’s my proposal

P Charlie Zink
P Devern Hansack
P Michael Bowden
OF Brandon Moss

I’m not interested in another knuckleballer, so Zink is expendable.  Hansack is a throw in.  A young arm that has a better future elsewhere.  If he hasn’t cracked the Red Sox 25 man roster by now, he probably never will.  The big prizes for Cleveland woujld be Bowden and Moss.  Both are tough to part with.  But adding Sabathia to the roster means some pitching is expendable.  Even now Bowden probably doesn’t project into the Sox starting rotation for a few years - see Crundy’s analysis on this. As for Moss, he’s a likeable player, but will never be more than a 4th outfielder in Boston or reserve first baseman.  Guys like that are easier to find that left handed started pitching thats all star quality and good for 200+ innings a year.

I’m a believer that this it is going to take quantity to get Sabathia from the Indians.  Remember, they will lose him for a couple of draft picks at the end of the year, so convincing them to part now means 4, possibly 5 young players.  Cleveland’s play is that 2 or 3 of those young players will pan out.  Hell, sox can throw in Daniel Bard (but not Lars Anderson)

Here’s an update of the sox starting rotation with CC.  Just so you can drool over it.

Beckett
CC
Dice-K
Lester
Bucholz/Masterson/Wake (pick one)

It would probably look like that for a couple of years.