October 3, 2008 The final piece of the puzzle in the CC Sabathia trade to Milwaukee was put in place, as the Brewers sent minor leaguer Michael Brantley to the team as the "player to be named," according to Indians.com.
Our View:Brantley was a seventh-round pick of the Brewers in 2005 who had great success this year, being named a Southern League (Double-A) All-Star in the midseason as well as the postseason. In 420 at-bats this year, he hit .319 with a .395 OBP, four home runs and 40 RBI. More impressively, he stole more bases (28) than he had strikeouts (27).
April 23, 2008 Michael Brantley went 3-for-4 with a steal and three runs scored on Tuesday for Double-A Huntsville.
Our View:Brantley has prototypical leadoff skills and could be a huge fantasy producer as early as next season. He is hitting .375 with seven steals and an outstanding 13/5 BB/K ratio this season, which is a strong follow-up on his 2007 season in which he hit .296 with a 60/47 BB/K ratio and 35 steals. He may not have the speed of some elite major leaguers, but his on-base skills could still make him a 30-40 base stealer with regular playing time.
