Despite sending two decent pitching prospects to Montreal for Matt Herges, the Pirates released Herges a week before the season started. I was critical of the trade when Pittsburgh completed it, as they had no need for Herges.

However, nothing happened between then and now to change his value, so the Pirates either should have known better at the time or kept him. Herges actually had a strong Spring Training and was in a position to accumulate significant trade value if Pittsburgh had only had the patience to keep him on the roster for a little bit while they worked out a deal. They likely could have completed something before a sixth of the season had elapsed, so waiting would not have taxed their payroll any more than releasing him, and they could have recouped some the talent cost of acquiring him. Instead, they didn't even manage to fill his roster spot with a superior pitcher, though they possess several.

Pittsburgh's loss turned into San Diego's gain when the Padres were able to sign Herges to a minor league deal prior to the start of the season. San Diego didn't add Herges to their roster when they broke camp, but I expect him up well before the All-Star break, as he's a significantly better pitcher than Luther Hackman, who made the team. The Padres don't have a stockpile of AAAA relievers, so Herges provides a useful infusion of talent. Additionally, they should be able to pursue the mid-season trade options that Pittsburgh discarded, dealing Herges during the year for talent in another area, as they have done with inexpensively signed players for the past few seasons.

San Diego picked up another castoff in the form of Mark Quinn, who the Royals released in mid-March. Quinn was to earn $500,000 if he made the team out of Spring Training, but he did not break came with the Padres. The 28-year-old instead will report to AAA where he'll provide San Diego with some injury insurance for their outfield, which they'll more than likely need. He appears to have chosen to sign with a club likely to have an opportunity for him to display his skills in the majors, if he can remain healthy himself. However, Brady Anderson is also at AAA, so Quinn isn't necessarily their first choice as an injury replacement.

While neither Herges nor Quinn made the team, the Padres plucked Lou Merloni off waivers from the Red Sox and inserted him onto their 25-man roster. Merloni will fill a general utility role while also serving as the primary back-up for San Diego at short, and he occasionally will start at third or short against left-handed pitchers. The 31-year-old right-handed hitter doesn't possess a lot of offensive prowess, though he performs considerably better versus left-handed pitching, against whom he can muster marginal power. He's also developed almost solid plate discipline over the past couple years, but I'd still caution Bruce Bochy against awarding him substantial playing time.

With the exception of a stint in Japan during the 2000 season, this is Merloni's first time outside the Boston organization since they drafted him out of Providence College with their tenth round pick of the 1993 draft.