Hats off to the Milwaukee Brewers. The team hasn't been to the playoffs since 1982. They have one the deepest farm systems in baseball and are in the heat of the NL Central/Wildcard race. That's why it made sense to send four highly-touted prospects to Cleveland in exchange for left-handed ace C.C. Sabathia.

The Brewers have cut the Cubs lead by five games after winning 29 of their last 42 games and with the potential that their No. 1 pitcher Ben Sheets testing the free agent market at season's end, GM Doug Melvin decided the time was now.

"We're going for it," Melvin told the Wisconsin State Journal.

"There will be teams out there who will say we (gave up) a lot for a player who may be here for only half a season. ... But I talked to a couple of GMs (Sunday) night who said we got a heck of a pitcher and it looks like we're going for it. That's the mentality we want."

The Brewers sent prized prospect Matt LaPorta — a power-hitting outfielder who was the team's top pick in last year's draft — to Cleveland, along with promising right-hander Rob Bryson along with left-hander Zach Jackson.

The Indians will get one more player, one Cleveland GM Mark Shapiro said will be the key to the deal.

All of that for a player that they will likely lose at season's end. It a classic rent-a-player story that happens every July and August in Major League Baseball.  It's a bold move no doubt, but credit the Brewers for being smart for doing it early.

The buzz in Milwaukee is unbelievable right now. There was a standing ovation on Monday night when they flashed Sabathia on the Video Scoreboard at Miller Park. Tickets sales have skyrocketed and fans are picking up Sabathia T-shirts and jerseys faster than stores can get them.

Sabathia was 106-71 with a 3.83 ERA in 237 starts over eight seasons with the Indians. He won the American League Cy Young Award last season, going 19-7, with a 3.21 ERA in 34 starts, with 209 strikeouts and just 37 walks in 241 innings. The big lefty is 6-8 with a 3.83 ERA for the Indians, but has also been plagued with a lack of run support. In 11 of his 18 starts, Cleveland has scored two runs or less for him. He has 123 strikeouts in 122 1/3 innings. Sabathia got off to a bumpy start to open the season, but has been locked in on the mound since May. He has won five of his last 12 starts and has a 2.39 ERA in that span.