Matt LaPorta was the centerpiece of the 2008 Cleveland-Milwaukee deal that saw C.C. Sabathia leave Indians. I thought it was a good trade at the time, and it seems to have worked out despite LaPorta never really panning out. That’s because the PTBNL was Michael Brantley, who has had a very nice career in Cleveland.
It’s still a little surprising that LaPorta did not work out. He was the 7th overall pick in the 2007 draft and was considered one of the best prospects in the game when he came over to the Indians. He made the majors in 2009, and while his numbers were not great that season he did not seem totally overmatched (.254/.308/.442 with 7 HR). He struggled in 2010 and would spend the rest of career bouncing between AAA and the majors.
Fans in Cleveland were rough on him. It’s not his fault that he was the face of the Sabathia trade in Cleveland, and fans wanted to see something for that loss. When LaPorta struggled, his twitter was not a pleasant place to be. I always felt bad for him, and wonder if his career would have panned out the same if he came up with the Brewers.
He will always be a favorite of mine. I hope whatever he is doing now he is enjoying it.
| Year | Age | Tm | Lg | G | AB | H | HR | RBI | SB | CS | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 24 | CLE | AL | 52 | 181 | 46 | 7 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 37 | .254 | .308 | .442 | .750 | 99 |
| 2010 | 25 | CLE | AL | 110 | 376 | 83 | 12 | 41 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 82 | .221 | .306 | .362 | .668 | 87 |
| 2011 | 26 | CLE | AL | 107 | 352 | 87 | 11 | 53 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 87 | .247 | .299 | .412 | .711 | 98 |
| 2012 | 27 | CLE | AL | 22 | 58 | 14 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | .241 | .267 | .328 | .594 | 67 |
| 4 Yr | 4 Yr | 4 Yr | 4 Yr | 291 | 967 | 230 | 31 | 120 | 3 | 0 | 82 | 223 | .238 | .301 | .393 | .694 | 92 |
| 162 | 162 | 162 | 162 | 162 | 538 | 128 | 17 | 67 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 124 | .238 | .301 | .393 | .694 | 92 |