{image1}Before the Brewers' recent slide dropped them from seven games above .500 to one game below, there was speculation that a trading-deadline deal would provide the team with a boost at the end of July.

Now, with the non-waiver deadline approaching in just four more baseball-working days, dreams of acquiring a significant extra bat or a quality fifth starter have been exposed as pure fantasy. Instead, the team will have to be content with the likes of Russell Branyan, a power-hitting lefty acquired from Cleveland’s AAA club on Monday.

Perhaps the Brewers would have made a bigger splash had they stayed at or around the plus-7 mark over the last three weeks, but the fact is they did not. Instead, expect Doug Melvin and Ned Yost to generally be playing a pat hand come August.

Though on the distant fringe of the NL wild-card race, the Brewers are more concerned about making concrete win-loss progress over last season, when they finished 68-94. So the odds of a fire sale are as slim as those of adding Randy Johnson. But don't be surprised if the Crew moves either cash (and the candidates are few, in this regard) or a useful vet in exchange for prospects or a Dan Kolb-esque reclamation project.

Please note: the following trade scenarios are for speculative/bleacher-discussion purposes only.

Brady Clark: Notice how much playing time Clark has received over the last few weeks? Not that I'm suggesting something funny is going on - the team is desperate to try any offensive combination at present - but the useful spare outfielder has been showcased to interested general managers this month, intentionally or not. Clark has punch, speed and plays a good defensive outfield. Those things make him very useful to any team intent on playing postseason baseball. He's also making less than $500,000, so the Brewers aren't motivated to move him.

Junior Spivey: Since the day the Brewers acquired him, Spivey's name has been circulated in trade rumors. Limited to just 228 at bats by injury, Spivey's presence actually does make a difference in the Brewers' anemic offensive attack. Therefore, Melvin would probably be looking to make a killing in return for the former All-Star, especially in light of the arrested development of Rickie Weeks at Double-AA Huntsville this season (.257, 73 Ks through Sunday). His $2.4 million salary makes a trade attractive for the Crew, but his injury problems are a barrier.

Craig Counsell: Counsell's versatility and experience make him extremely valuable to playoff teams, and he does make $3.2 million per year, a mint in Milwaukee. But as one of the everyday cogs of the Richie Sexson deal, someone would have to put a horse head in Melvin's bed in order to consummate a move. The team's sputtering defense -- which has been almost as bad as the offense over the last couple weeks -- would be even worse without his steady presence at short.

Dave Burba: The veteran righty paced the team's bullpen early in the year, but he's received far fewer innings with the emergence of Mike Adams and (to a lesser extent) Matt Wise. I doubt the Brewers would get much for him, even if he's on some GM's need list. However, Burba is the type of guy that comes in very handy in postseason play -- when rotations are often haphazard and rocky outings by starters don't last long.

Luis Vizcaino: Vizcy has re-established himself as a solid set-up man after a poor 2003 season, so much so that he'd probably net a mid-to-top level prospect from a contending team in need of bullpen help. His opposing BA mark of just .213 might look pretty tempting to a needy GM. Adams' impressive performance also makes dealing Vizcaino slightly more palatable.

Matt Kinney: Why would anyone want Kinney, who has a 5.66 ERA and was demoted to the bullpen two months ago? There isn't a great answer to that question, though Kinney has always had a live arm, and he's been fairly steady since moving to middle relief. If he does get traded, it will probably be as part of a package deal with another teammate.

Geoff Jenkins: I'm saving the best for last here, at least as far as rumors go. All year long, I have waited and waited for Jenkins to go on one of his typical offensive surges. It hasn't happened, despite the fact that he's received adequate protection in the lineup from Lyle Overbay. Fifty-two RBI, a .310 OBP and a .433 slugging mark are not worth anything near the $8.7 million Jenkins will earn this season.

Yes, Jenkins plays a great defensive left field, and, yes, he's a product of the Brewers' farm system, a link to the team's past and a spitting image of Brett Favre. Are those things enough to keep him in town if a tempting offer was made?

That's more than likely a moot question -- Jenkins' poor season has decreased his trade value, and not many teams are looking to add a starting left fielder making $8.7 million. And the Brewers made the effort to sign him before the season because they believe he is a good player; that front office faith probably remains, despite Jenkins' poor offensive output.

Hopefully, 2005 will prove to be kinder to Jenkins than 2004 has been. And, yeah, hopefully that kindness will occur in Milwaukee.