The word on the street is that the Milwaukee Brewers are the leader in the clubhouse for the best available arm in baseball.

Granted, it's a short street. ESPN's Buster Olney is virtually alone in his conviction, but he ranked Milwaukee first among teams most likely to trade for free-agent-to-be C.C. Sabathia should the Cleveland Indians pull the plug on the season.

One can easily see how Olney reached such a conclusion.

It makes sense on a number of fronts for the Brewers to pursue Sabathia, the reigning American League Cy Young winner, a month before the trade deadline.

With the third-best record in the National League and two inconsistent starters in Seth McClung and Dave Bush at the back end of the rotation, they have the motivation.

With a Class AA farm team brimming with future big-leaguers, they probably have more advanced prospects to offer in a trade than any other pitching-hungry team.

And with many of their young stars a year or two away from making big money, they might even have the financial muscle to play for the present now that an elusive playoff berth is within their reach.

There are a number of equally good reasons, however, why the Brewers likely won't be adding Sabathia for the pennant race.

First, Cleveland might not deal him. The Indians haven't given up on the season yet and reportedly will make one more run at signing Sabathia to a long-term contract. They might even keep him around and let him walk after the season for draft-choice compensation if they don't like any of the offers.

Second, the Brewers aren't the only contender sniffing around for pitching help. The Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays also are interested in adding a proven starter. Except for Tampa Bay, all have more money than the Brewers. And the Rays might be the only team with more prospects to trade.

Third, the Brewers might be priced out of the market. Sabathia would bring a huge return should he agree to a new contract with the team that trades for him, considerably less from a team that would "rent" him for three months.

Since Sabathia wants Johan Santana money (six years, $137.5 million) on a new deal, the teams capable of paying that kind of salary — hint: they reside in the American League East — could offer the Indians much more than teams with no chance of signing him. It wouldn't be a surprise if one of them felt the need to do that.

Finally, Brewers general manager Doug Melvin might not be willing to give up what Cleveland wants in return. The Indians would want quality, but it's hard to imagine Melvin parting with a young starter like Manny Parra or Yovani Gallardo or a premier prospect like outfielder Matt LaPorta or third baseman Mat Gamel for a pitcher with a three-month expiration date. To trade a young player with major upside would go against everything Melvin has done.

Still, the Brewers are on the right track. They need to add a quality starter if they want to chase down the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central.

Unfortunately, an A-list starter like Sabathia probably is beyond their reach.

Contact Tom Oates at toates@madison.com or 608-252-6172.