Brew Crew Get Just What They Need
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by Nejoshi
With the Cubs hot on their trail all of a sudden, the Brewers finally made a move, and an extremely good one at that. Although this trade probably won’t make any headlines, – no big names or big markets involved -- it is a classic representation of what the July 31st trading deadline is all about. A final opportunity for contenders to shore up their flaws in an attempt for an October run. Milwaukee dealt for some much-needed bullpen help, acquiring Scott Linebrink from the Padres for three minor leaguers. San Diego is loaded with a surplus of studs in the ‘pen and Milwaukee didn’t hesitate to pounce on this opportunity.
For a team that has spent many July’s of the past unloading talent as sellers, GM Doug Melvin and the Brewers staff have turned into quite the buyer. When you haven’t had a winning season since 1992, however, the sense of urgency to improve your ball club is always there, and Milwaukee fans should credit their front office for making this move as swiftly they did.
The Brewers have cooled off significantly since their blistering start, and have been trying to tread water ever since Ben Sheets hit the DL, a place where he is expected to stay until at least September. With that in mind, Milwaukee knew they had to bolster the bullpen in this weak market for starting pitchers, and hit the jackpot by finding the likely set up man for the game’s best closer this season, Francisco Cordero.
Linkebrink’s addition helps in shortening the game for a Brewers team that will certainly look to its offense to carry through to October and beyond. Derrick Turnbow, the Brewers’ former closer moves to the 7th inning setup spot, giving Milwaukee starters the burden of only having to pitch six innings, instead of seven.
Milwaukee has been in major need of a way to relieve pressure from a starting staff that has gotten worse as the season has progressed. Outside of Sheets, the four starters that have started the most games this season – Claudio Vargas, Chris Capuano, Dave Bush, and Jeff Suppan – have combined to go 29-25, 4.74 ERA, hardly anything to brag about. With the Brewers offense in its current funk, the urgency for Milwaukee to make a move was at its highest.
The three minor leaguers that the Brewers sent to San Diego were righthander Will Inman, and lefthanders Steve Garrison and John Thatcher. The Brewers were in deep search of someone who could help them win now, which made unloading these minor leaguers the right move.
The trading deadline may not be what it once was, where one could expect a superstar to switch uniforms midseason, but these unsung moves are the ones that revitalize clubs. Just ask the Red Sox how important Orlando Cabrera, a relative no name when he was acquired, was during their 2004 World Series season.
The resurgence of the Cubs has fans getting sweaty in Milwaukee, but the lack of a dominant team in the National League gives the Brewers as good a chance as anyone to make it deep in October. Melvin and his staff’s propensity to make deals should make this team steady buyers over the next week, which means another valuable deal could be in the works.
