Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline has passed and the Brewers were neither sellers nor buyers.

General Manager Doug Melvin should be credited for that.

The common consensus is that Melvin, who is being berated by irate fans, sat idly by while under the delusional thought that his team was still in a position to make a run at the postseason.

The reality, however, is a completely different story.

Melvin isn't a brash guy -- a fact that never ceases to annoy a fan base starving for a championship. He's meticulous. He doesn't tip his hand. He isn't afraid to pull the trigger on a deal, any deal, provided it will help his team now and in the future.

So no, the Brewers didn't make a trade because management thought the team was still "in it."

In all likelihood, here's what happened:

Scenario 1 -- Melvin received a number of calls from his fellow general managers. The GM's inquired as to what it would take to pry Corey Hart, Prince Fielder or anybody else from the roster. The GM offered a mid-level prospect or two or a major league player that wouldn't really provide equal value. Melvin said "no thanks."

Scenario 2 -- The very same GMs called offering some of their veteran talent (be it pitching or otherwise) in exchange for one of Milwaukee's few pitching prospects, many of whom are way, way down in the low levels of the minor leagues. Again, Melvin said "no thanks," not willing to risk what is hopefully a talented crop of future big league arms, just to get a year or two of serviceable major league pitching.

Yet, Melvin is apparently some kind of idiot, incapable of running a rotisserie league them let alone the local professional nine. He's not willing to concede the season by blowing up the roster and taking whatever another team is offering, no matter how undesirable the prospect.

Right.

Unfortunately, that's how these things work. In this age of digital, at-your-fingertips information and "fantasy baseball experts," everybody and their grandmother seems to know how to manage a roster better than the guy currently getting paid to do so.

It's true; Corey Hart's value may never be higher. But as Drew Olson pointed out yesterday, with Prince Fielder all but certain to be plying his trade elsewhere next season, Hart's abilities might be needed to prevent a total absence of power. (And bear in mind, Hart was drafted as a first baseman. Just saying ...)

As for Fielder, well... look at the numbers. He's having a down year. Are other teams really going to break the bank - especially in a playoff race - to bring Fielder into the camp when there's no telling whether or not he's about to snap out of his slump and return to his old form? No, they're not.

And that's exactly why Melvin didn't pull the trigger on a deal over the weekend. He's simply too smart to throw in the towel and make a move just to placate angry fans.

Baseball general managers, when it comes to trades, operate with two motives in mind: get as much as you possibly can; give up as little as you must.

It's easy to say that such-and-such team needs a power-hitting first baseman and has a couple of young arms on its roster. But let's be totally realistic: if you're that other GM, are you really going to part with one or both of those young pitchers, especially if you're trying to keep your team in the race?

Hardly.

Think about it; when in the history of baseball has a contending team traded a top-fight, major league caliber (or close to it) pitcher at the deadline? It just doesn't happen.

A few years ago, I wrote that baseball trades are akin to wanting to ask the hot, popular cheerleader to dance at the prom. Sure, you can want it; sure, you can try but when the plan is put into motion, how often does the nerd dance the night away with the Prom Queen? It just doesn't happen.

There's still time to make a deal. Melvin has a month to entertain offers on some of his short-term, veteran players whom would be more likely to clear waivers (Craig Counsell, Jim Edmonds and Trevor Hoffman come to mind). None of those moves will bring back the haul of pitching prospects the Brewers desperately need, but they will bring back something of more equitable value.

As for the blockbuster deals ... well, just wait and see what happens at the Winter Meetings.