Linebrink acquired for Inman/Garrison/Thatcher

[dvoiss]

Seems like a lot to pay for a reliever who is having a down year but maybe Melvin knows something we don't. He seems to be a guy who trusts his scouts and there haven't been a whole lot of times in the past when his scouts have been wrong.

 

Having said that this looks an awful lot to me like a preliminary move to picking up a bat for one of our current pitchers.

[SeriesFinale]

Now I'm just going to be sitting here waiting for the other show to drop.

 

This doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me otherwise.

[Tedaldtada]

You have to admit the Brewers are pretty expert drafters, so having 5 of the top 45 picks makes me feel very happy. Of course we would have to say goodbye to Coco and Linebrink for next year. I'm not sure what I would rather have. If money was not involved, I would much rather have the proven veterans than the draft picks. I just keep thinking of all that young talent we could add in such a short time.

[trwi7]

Quote:

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With Linebrink not being with the team till Friday, he'll be well rested.

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That means Ned will pitch him 4 innings in a blowout.http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[EdgarDiazRocks]

If the Brewers are unable to re-sign Linnebrink next year they lose this trade. Regardless of attained draft picks.

 

Yeah because giving up a third round pick for a pair of first/second rounders would be terrible!

 

I guess this means that they don't fear Gallardo in the rotation TOO much.

 

If the other shoe DOES drop, I would think it means Bush/Vargas going somewhere when Sheets is back. Especially in this starters market.

 

But I can see this being it.

[WisconsinSportsRule]

Quote:

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Well, it's either the rental or the picks

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Don't those go hand-in-hand? If he becomes a rental, we get picks.

[Team Canada]

Doug thinks... Inman = Hendrickson

 

 

I HIGHLY doubt that is true.

[JohnBriggs12]

I wonder what if any other teams Melvin offered that package to. Does anyone think the Reds would have turned him down for Weathers?

[homer]

Rob Neyer did an article on how the prospects in these mid season deadline/pennant race deals ended up doing and with just a few exceptions, most did relatively little. Sure there are examples like Johns Smoltz, but on the whole they usually end up as average at best.

 

At this point, it appears Doug gave up quite a bit, but I think this is a day we've all kind of looked forward to: where the Brewers are the ones getting guys at the deadline instead of trading pending free agents for nuggets. It's a sign that the Brewers are good.

[burrolover]

Anyone know Linebrink's Veteran Leadership Index?

 

I wasn't surprised they went and got Linebrink, but count me in with those that are surprised they gave up what they did. I'd love to be in the Brewer front office to know what they really think and know about Inman.

 

I trust this is part of a long term and short term plan.

[SeriesFinale]

Don't those go hand-in-hand? If he becomes a rental, we get picks.

 

Yeah, that's what I meant. To compound things, I misread you the first time!

[SeriesFinale]

I think this is a day we've all kind of looked forward to: where the Brewers are the ones getting guys at the deadline instead of trading pending free agents for nuggets. It's a sign that the Brewers are good.

 

I hear you but the fact that the Padres are also in the playoff hunt is what raises red flags for me

[joshjs]

Melvin on the radio broadcast:

- "It's been a long time since we've been in this position... to go to the post-season... and we're serious about it."

- "We did give up some young pitching that we liked."

- "Player development has produced enough people for us to allow us to make that kind of trade."

- "It's an opportunity to win now." (emphasis on the "now")

- "I've been trying to get Scott Linebrink since last winter's meetings."

- Talked about all the starters at or near the big-league level.

- "and that"

- "and that"

- "One guy is not gonna make the difference... He's gonna help us, but everybody else is gonna have to pitch in."

- Had Ned and the coaching staff convene last night, had some "sodas," to discuss the trade. No comments on what they said, but presumably they weren't against it.

[UeckerAddict]

I hear you but the fact that the Padres are also in the playoff hunt is what raises red flags for me

 

But they have Bell, Meredith, and Hoffman. If they could get something by trading someone who is in a position (bullpen) that they are already obscenely stocked at, it makes sense.

 

Turnbow, Cordero, Wise, Shouse. What was the opinion of these guys when Doug got them? I'll trust Doug's opinion of Inman.

[KRM17]

And the Krivsky Goes To?

 

by Nate Silver

 

?Brewers General Manager Doug Melvin, who just made what might be the worst trade of the summer. Scott Linebrink has not had a good season for the Padres. His QuikERA (my preferred version of PERA) is 4.78, and that?s pitching against National League West hitters in Petco Park. Yeah, Linebrink been better than this in the past, but relief pitchers have short life spans, and the general rule is that declines in their peripheral performances are fairly sticky. I doubt that he?d PECOTA out at better than a 4.50 ERA in Miller Park if we re-ran his numbers today. Nor is it clear that he?s any better than the fourth or fifth best pitcher in the Brewer bullpen.

 

The first reaction on our internal mailing list was ?What? The Padres are selling??. But I tend to turn that sentiment around thusly: for Kevin Towers to break form and trade a near-term asset in the midst of a pennant race means that he simply got too much offer to refuse. Teams already err on the side of applying discount rates that are far too steep on future seasons, but everyone has their breaking point; if the Diamondbacks offered Justin Upton to the Yankees for Andy Pettitte, would they dare refuse? Now, Will Inman is not Justin Upton, and the Padres will give up draft picks in the deal. But frankly, if Towers turned around tomorrow and tried to trade Inman for a nine-week rental, he could probably come up with a player who is far more valuable than Linebrink

[joshjs]

I'm gonna pretend I was posting in this thread the whole time. Here's what I replied to:

 

If the Brewers let Linebrink and Cordero walk, they're going to have an obscene number of comp picks.

 

If it weren't for this factor, I'd be taking a slightly negative tack on the deal. As it stands, I'm feeling slightly positive, long-term. And solidly positive for this year.

 

Most scouts seemed to think Inman would hit a wall before he made it to the majors...

 

Is it possible that's why he wasn't promoted last year? Just let him kick some hinder in WV to juice his stats a little, then use him as trade bait?

 

The thing with Inman is that "poise" pitchers are a blessing and a curse.

 

Yeah, I'm reminded of the pile of stained pants I amassed when Doug Davis was starting regularly for the Crew.

 

July ERA: 9.35

 

You might say this deal is a buy-low. But you might also say this was a desperate move. A have-to-make-a-move move. Linebrink's K/BB ratio is way down this year compared to the last three.

 

I can't get over how in love with minor league baseball some of you are.

 

Really? That's sad.

 

I'd be fine with this if Linebrink had another year on his contract,but it seems we gave up quite a bit for maybe 25-30 innings of pitching this year.

 

We might be giving up, net, a lot of quality innings pitched. This deal will be judged on whether we make the playoffs, I suspect, and whether Linebrink can keep his ERA under 4.00 the rest of the year.

 

Somewhere, Jack Zduriencik is crying.

 

LOL. He's probably thinking about all the comp picks and crying over his increased workload now, actually.

 

And we couldn't even pawn off Gwynn to the Padres instead of one or two of the pitchers? C'mon.

 

I'd guess they tried. I hope they tried. I think the front office in San Diego is too smart for that.

 

We just traded by far our best minor league chip. This trade is as good as it gets.

 

That's an aspect that didn't occur to me. Takes a little excitement out of the impending deadline.

 

Padres must believe in Thatcher more than we do because it looks like he will be joining their big league team.

 

Well, they don't have Brian Shouse, now, do they? Seriously, though, the Brewers have enough trusted guys at the big-league level. I'm sure Thatcher wasn't that far down on the list if a pen guy went down on the big club.

 

He's missing fewer bats and getting hit hard. That's why the Padres pulled him from setting up and traded him immediately.

 

The idea that this makes San Diego a *better* team is a bit frustrating, especially considering that (a) we face them in the last series of the season and might be in a pennant or wild card race then, and (b) the Padres might be in that wild card race with us. :-/

 

Said that all players traded were good players but there are players in the system that are as good if not better then what they gave up.

 

Who's better than Inman?

 

There's the rub. What playoff team goes out and trades a top bullpen arm for a bunch of minor leaguers?

 

Thatcher isn't a minor leaguer for long, apparently. Perhaps they expect him to do well in the majors right away.

 

Too bad teleportation hasn't been perfected yet.

 

I know, dude!

 

I stopped doubting Doug a while ago. I figure if he traded Inman, there was something about him that made Doug feel he was expendable.

 

Based on what he's saying, it sounds like he's taking win-now approach. I don't think it reflects poorly on Inman. Then again, he's not gonna come out and say that we gave up a future star for two months of a decent bullpen guy.

 

If the Brewers are unable to re-sign Linebrink next year they lose this trade. Regardless of attained draft picks.

 

No, that's not true.

 

The first thing I thought of was what Brian said: he's trending downward and not doing well away from a pitcher's park this year.

 

That division is also a lot better this year than it's been recently. This year's NL Central is looking like last year's NL West.

 

I'm not so worried about the HRs Linebrink has given up but his K rate is WAY down.

 

Is that a theme in baseball this year? Sheets's are, too. Certainly guys like Peavy, et al, are still striking a lot of guys out, but I wonder if there are a lot of guys out there whose K rates are down. Hmm.

 

At this point, it appears Doug gave up quite a bit, but I think this is a day we've all kind of looked forward to: where the Brewers are the ones getting guys at the deadline instead of trading pending free agents for nuggets. It's a sign that the Brewers are good.

 

Their record also helps. But I agree. The fact puts a smile on my face, as much as I'm against the concept.

[Kurt]

I kind of want to win now and being that our fan support is great and our payroll will continue to rise, I'm not worried about trading a good prospect who is struggling in AA. Our bullpen is better now, that's what matters for us this year.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

I'm shocked the Padres did not ask for any hitters back. Tony Gwynn is an improvement over Sledge (and would be a big PR move for SD). I'm Ok with the trade but I just hate giving up Inman.

 

This does follow with DM's philosophy of trading - Sell High, Buy Low. Garrison and Thatcher are probably having their career years and Linebrink just got beat up recently and the Pads bumped him from being their 8th inning setup guy. This trade doesn't happen if Linebrink had a better July.

 

If I was a Padres fan, I would be mad. Playoff teams don't trade for prospects.

[rwa12]

Quote:

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I hear you but the fact that the Padres are also in the playoff hunt is what raises red flags for me

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ESPN the magazine had blurbs about the "names" on the market. They said that they expected SD to deal Linn. because he declined after the break last year. Not sure if this means anything, given the suspect reporting of ESPN. Sorry if this has been mentioned, didn't read all 7 pages.

[joshjs]

But frankly, if Towers turned around tomorrow and tried to trade Inman for a nine-week rental, he could probably come up with a player who is far more valuable than Linebrink.

 

That's a darn good point. I hope they checked out what they could get for Inman. If Linebrink is the best they could get, I'm fine with this. If not, that stinks.

[joshjs]

Here's a question: Is next year's draft supposed to be a good one?

[TheCrew07]

This trade stinks in my opinion. I've previously posted my thoughts about trading young pitching for a rental player, and this really irks me. I'm so bitter I don't care to get into the whole longterm value arguement right now.

[paul253]

You have to admit the Brewers are pretty expert drafters, so having 5 of the top 45 picks makes me feel very happy

 

thats true, but assuming we sign a type A or type B free agent (which we will certainly have to consider if we lose Cordero AND Linebrick), we could very well lose one or two of those picks. Also, I personally would rather have Will Inman than anyone we may get with those picks, because he made it all the way to Huntsville. Sure he struggled a bit so far, but his secondary numbers were good, and he looked as though he was putting it back together. I don't know, trading our number 1 overall prospect for 2 months of a reliever whose stats are getting worse by the month doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. By July 31st, teams like Kansas City, Pittsburgh, and Cincinnati would trade their bullpen veterans for a mid level prospects. I think we could have gotten a better deal.

[Big Ern2440]

Another quality bullpen arm is exactly what they need. As promising as Inman's future is, they haven't been to the postseason in 25 years, and need to make moves to reflect the position that they are in. Two years from now, when Inman could be at the major league level, the Crew could be 10+ back and not even contending. (I sure hope not, but it is possible)

[joshjs]

Also, here's the comment thread on the trade over at Gaslamp Ball (a Padres fan site):

 

http://www.gaslampball.com/story/2007/7/25/18324/1913#commenttop

 

Here's a comment:

 

and I can't say that as soon as I saw the headline I ran up the stairs yelling "HONEY, LINEBRINK GOT TRADED TO THE BREWERS!!!" Oh, wait, yes I can.

 

But in all actuality, he's a solid big league reliever and I'm sure he'll excel with his fresh start. It's easy to say nice things about the guy now that he's not my problem anymore.