MILWAUKEE — When newly acquired pitcher CC Sabathia entered the Milwaukee Brewers' clubhouse on Monday, he was greeted by first baseman Prince Fielder.

"When I first walked in, he asked me if I need to borrow some pants," Sabathia said. "He's probably the only guy in the league, I could probably fit in (his pants)."

The 6-foot-7, 290-pound Sabathia might have a problem with the inseam on any loaner pants from Fielder, though the waist would be just about right.

When the Brewers pulled off the huge trade, sending three minor leaguers and another to be named later to the Cleveland Indians for the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, they got another large presence for a team that suddenly looks like a serious World Series contender.

After spending all eight of his major league seasons in Cleveland, it was hard for Sabathia to leave, but he quickly embraced his new teammates, team and city.

"I was excited," he said. "I know this is a good team. It's a great clubhouse, from what I hear. A lot of players around the league texted me and said, 'You're going to have fun there, you'll enjoy it, you'll enjoy the guys.'

"At the same time, I was a little sad. I had been in Cleveland my whole career, so it was tough to say goodbye to those guys. I'm definitely looking forward to getting in there and mixing it up with some of these guys."

When it was announced he would pitch against the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night at Miller Park, the Brewers quickly sold an additional 9,000 tickets for the game, which is now expected to be a sellout. They sold another 27,000 tickets overall, which is about nine times more than a normal day.

"I'm not going to say I'm not going to be excited, because I am," Sabathia said of what should be a festive atmosphere for Tuesday night's game. "I know I have a job to do and stay under control. Just go out and compete."

Sabathia, who now prefers to have his initials written without periods, is scheduled to make two starts for Milwaukee before the All-Star break. In addition to Fielder, he is friends with third baseman Bill Hall and referred to reliever David Riske as "one of my best friends in the world."

"I don't think it's going to take long at all," Sabathia said of the acclimation process. "Everybody's been great, from me arriving here, up until the press conference. I think I'll learn the ropes pretty quick."

Not only is Sabathia, 27, one of the top pitchers in baseball, in his prime, he also is regarded as a positive clubhouse guy.

"As far as swagger or confidence, we felt pretty good about where we were (Sunday)," Brewers manager Ned Yost said. "We feel better about where we are (Monday). But that doesn't mean anything's going to be easier for us. ... Every man inside that locker room has to continue playing the way we've been playing.

"If we continue to do that, we're going to be in great shape. But this is a huge addition to our team, not only on the field, but in the clubhouse, too."

Sabathia can become a free agent after the season. He turned down a four-year, $72 million offer from the Indians in the spring and said he wouldn't negotiate during the season. That stance has not changed.

"It's hard enough to play this game as it is, let alone with any other distractions, such as contract (talks) going on," Sabathia said.

Sabathia was 19-7 with a 3.21 ERA in 2007, with 209 strikeouts and just 37 walks in 241 innings. He wasn't as effective in the postseason, going 0-2 with a 10.45 ERA in the seven-game series loss to the Boston Red Sox in the AL Championship Series.

"I think last postseason, I went out and tried to do too much," he said. "I tried to make every pitch be perfect, tried to make every pitch nasty, and the next one nastier than that one.

"I'm just going to go out and try to be relaxed and be myself. I think if anybody has ever seen me pitch, I'm out there laughing and having fun. That's just me. It's something I didn't do last year. When we get to the playoffs, I'll definitely be doing that."