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In the midst of a 3-game series against their closest competitor for first place- the Phoenix Speed Devils- (the Brewers won a back-and-forth battle in game 1 and were beaten 3-1 in game 2), the front office decided that it was time to entertain trade offers for oft-injured top pitching prospect, Rob Ibarra.
And, according to reports from front office sources, they were overwhelmed with the quality of the players, particularly pitchers, that teams dangled for potential trade to get Ibarra. Apparently, among these pitchers offered were some young very high draft picks (including, reportedly, a former #1 overall pick) with potential to turn into solid major league starting pitchers but also with various potential deficits as well. Sources indicate that the toughest factor in making the decision about which offer to accept revolved around a philosophical debate as to the importance of focusing on what might help the team win the MGL this season versus other options that might advance the team even more in the future. In the end the team decided to split the difference and take a chance on a very talented young left-handed relief pitcher who should strengthen the bullpen this season but even more so in the future. With the knowledge that veteran lefty reliever Chris Healy is hanging up the spikes at the end of the season, it was felt that Liann-Wei Hua would provide the team with a young left-handed arm to go along with veteran David Brown next season and a probable second late-inning high-leverage pitcher to compliment right-hander Miguel Solis in the future.
As part of the deal, the Brewers also sent third-baseman Willie Chavez to Washington, making the deal financially neutral and allowing Chavez to have a chance for a re-start with another organization. Chavez put up good numbers in the Brewers organization and was part of the major league squad for parts of the last 2 seasons and was considered an over-achiever with limited potential but a great attitude.
As a result of the move space also needed to be cleared in the Brewers bullpen and the difficult decision was made to demote flame-throwing Armando Cruz, who has been plagued with poor control this season, down to AAA Chester. Cruz, at age 23, is still hoped to play an important role in the Brewers bullpen in the future, but much will depend on how well he can harness his electric stuff.
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