RHP Scott Linebrink

Padres receives:

RHP Will Inman
LHP Steve Garrison
LHP Joe Thatcher

Thoughts: Linebrink was a nobody until the Padres got him off waivers from the Astros and made him a full time reliever. He was probably one of the top setup men in baseball for a few years until I drafted him last year in my Scoresheet league. He was pulling an ERA around 2 and a WHIP around 1 while striking out a guy an inning, but last year started giving up more hits (raising his ERA in the process) and this season has seen his strikeouts go down and his ERA push 4.

Inman was impressive as hell last season in A-ball (leading the league in Ks) and was tearing up A-ball again this year but then struggled in AA. He's still only 20. Thatcher's 25 and was pitching in the Frontier League two seasons ago but has been scary this season in AA (0.55 ERA in 16.1 innings with 20 Ks against 2 BB) and AAA (2.08 ERA in 21.2 innings with 33 Ks against 7 BB), and will take Linebrink's spot on the Padres 25-man roster. Garrison's 20 years old as well, but hasn't been that impressive in A-ball (8-4, 3.44 ERA, 6.36 K/9, 2.41 BB/9 in 20 starts), but he's lefthanded dammit.

Overall, I like Doug Melvin and all, but I think San Diego made out like bandits here. Not necessarily a Krivsky-level blindside, but I think Linebrink has something going on with either his mechanics or an injury that's going to keep him from being the player he was in 2004 and 2005 that the Brewers need him to be for this deal to pay off for them, especially if Inman ends up shaking off his issues in AA.