La Velle E. Neal III's Sunday Insider: Twins wouldn't miss C.C.

Brian Peterson, Star Tribune

Indians Pitcher C.C. Sabathia is on the trading block.

Cleveland might trade soon-to-be free agent C.C. Sabathia, who has handled Minnesota over the years.

Last update: July 5, 2008 - 5:13 PM

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Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle is the lefthander who has been the biggest pain in the Twins' sides over the years -- but not far behind is ol' Carsten Charles Sabathia of the Cleveland Indians.

It was Sabathia who hit Bobby Kielty and Corey Koskie and buzzed Lew Ford after the Twins dropped three bunts on the 290-pound Sabathia in 2003. It was Sabathia who, two days later, yelled at the Twins from his dugout and ended up one of five players ejected in a game.

It was Sabathia who said he hated the Twins during spring training in 2005 -- but later amended it to "jealousy'' toward them.

The Twins and Indians spent much of this decade bickering with each other, with Sabathia in the middle of most of the dust-ups.

Sabathia beat the Twins 1-0 on June 10 to improve his career record against them to 12-8 with a 3.12 ERA. He wasn't scheduled to pitch during this weekend series against the Twins at the Metrodome, so the next time he faces them, his cap might be cocked at an angle in another team's colors.

The 27-year-old Sabathia is in the final year of a two-year, $17.75 million extension, and the Indians aren't fired up about giving him a deal worth around $150 million, which he's expected to seek. Will he get that much? Barry Zito of the Giants is in the middle of a seven-year, $126 million deal during which he has underperformed, and Johan Santana, traded by the Twins in February to the Mets, is being pilloried in the New York press for decreased velocity and not holding every team to one or two runs. That could alter some clubs' thinking. Then again, someone always seems to give up the cash in the end.

With the Indians on the outside of the AL Central playoff picture, the Sabathia sweepstakes are expected to take place between now and the July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline.

The Brewers, Dodgers, Cubs, Red Sox and Rays have been mentioned as teams that have the pieces needed to land Sabathia, He doesn't have a no-trade clause in his contract, but moving him could be a challenge.

Indications are that Sabathia will test the free-agent market regardless where he's traded, so the team that acquires him might only get a rent-a-player for two-plus months. That affects what a team is willing to give up.

The Indians, on the other hand. will lose two free-agent compensation picks once they trade Sabathia, and those are valuable and affect the demands for the 2007 Cy Young winner. The earlier they make a deal, however, the more relief they will get from the $9 million they owe him this season.

It will be complicated -- though unlike what the Twins went through with Santana because of Santana's no-trade clause -- but when it's all over, the AL Central will lose another dominant lefthanded starter. And the Twins can wave goodbye to an old nemesis.

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