Frank McCourt, You Are the Wind Beneath Our Wings

From Tony Jackson at the Daily News:

Shortly after the Milwaukee Brewers finalized a trade for reigning American League Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia on Monday, the Daily News learned that sometime in the days leading up to that deal, Dodgers owner Frank McCourt nixed a trade that would have brought Sabathia to Los Angeles, along with Indians third baseman Casey Blake and utility man Jamey Carroll.

Court's reason was financial, according to multiple industry sources. But that is a charge McCourt flatly denied.

"It's just totally false," he said. "The players didn't match up, and that's just the way it was."

And from Jackson's blog:

I was told this morning, by a source completely separate from the ones from which I got the earlier story, that Matt Kemp WAS involved in the aborted trade for Sabathia, Blake and Carroll, and that either Jon Meloan or James McDonald also was involved.

Way to go, Frank! It's unclear what Ned Colletti's position was on the proposed trade—was he ready to pull the trigger, or did he float the idea by McCourt first?—but it doesn't help the general manager if the perception is the owner is overruling him. All I know is we want to keep the kids. And so, apparently, does McCourt.

UPDATE:

So Kemp wasn't involved? From Robothal:

The Dodgers not only could have had Sabathia, but also Indians third baseman Casey Blake and infielder Jamey Carroll without giving up any of their top young major leaguers, according to major-league sources.

The Indians would have received a package that included the following types of players, if not the exact names: Third baseman Andy LaRoche, right-hander Cory Wade, Class AA right-hander James McDonald and Class A catcher Carlos Santana.

photo by Reed Saxon/AP