Matt LaPorta was a really well thought of prospect with the Brewers. He was drafted 7th overall in the 2007 Draft, and in 2008 was rated the #23 prospect in baseball. His mix of power, speed and contact skills made him one of the best prospects in the game.
Then he was traded to the Indians.
The Brewers got CC Sabathia, the Indians got Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson, Michael Brantley, and LaPorta. While Brantley is the player that ended up making the trade worth it, at the time LaPorta was the headliner. It was expected that he would be up and manning first base for the Indians within a year. I was very excited.
But things never really panned out for Matt in Cleveland.
LaPorta could just not hit in the majors. His excellent plate discipline did not carry over to the big leagues, and quality major league pitching ate him alive.
It did not help that fans expected him to be an All-Star from day one, and anything short of that was met with borderline rage from the fanbase. It was a bad situation to be in for a rookie.
He spent most of 2010 and 2011 in the majors but put up terrible numbers (.234/.302/.386/93 OPS+). He spent most of 2012 and 2013 in AAA. He hit well enough down there–was even an All-Star in 2012–but clearly, he was no longer in the Indians plans.
He was out of baseball by 2014.
I will always have a soft spot for him. I am not sure what he is up to now but I sure hope he is happy.