The truly newsworthy item, of course, is who we got in return. Ebenezer Brett. Yes, THAT Ebenezer Brett (as if there could be more than one), the guy who has made 6 consecutive All-Star teams and has a Cy Young to his name (and another one he should have gotten last year). "But," says those of you who have been living under a rock, "why would Fargo part with such a talented pitcher for a pretty good relief prospect?" Of course, the answer to this is that although Brett has a lifetime ERA of 3.13, he blew his arm out last year, tearing his labrum and requiring surgery. This year, he has been unceremoniously moved to the Fargo bullpen, and in 11 games, he's posted a dismal 5.40 ERA. His WHIP is 1.69 and opponents are OPSing .855 off him. Scouts say his control is down, he's lost a lot of his effectiveness, and his fastball is in the 80's. In many ways, he is Ebenezer Brett in name only.
Still, this trade was an intriguing one for both teams. Fargo gets Guillen, who is very talented and will definitely help them in the future. In Brett, even if he is as bad as he's been lately, he is STILL a much better option than some of our other guys. It seems likely one of the rotation spots is his to lose, so he must like the idea of playing for a team where he can prove his mettle as a starter again. Of course, it's very possible that his start this year has been a combination of statistical aberrations and rust, meaning he could come over here and be very good for the remainder of his contract. If that's the case, we got an absolute steal in this trade. An even if it's not, it upgrades our pitching tremendously, which is exactly what prezuiwf has said he's wanted for a while now. After today's win we're still tied for 3rd and 7 games out, so one hot streak will completely turn this division around. Adding a pitcher like Brett at this point in the season seems like a great way to improve our chances of doing just that.
Anyway, I will be back later this week with a draft recap (and why I think we made the absolutely wrong pick with the #4) but until then, I hope we can see some wins so we can really get back into the division race in style.
Fair enough trade. I had wanted for Brett to finish out his career in Fargo, but the fickle nature of WIS destroyed him as a simulated man. The Woodchippers wish Brett well, after all he was a huge part in the two WS titles brought back to this Home on the Range.
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