The Brewers' acquisition of San Diego relief pitcher Scott Linebrink generated howls of protest Wednesday.

In the Padres clubhouse.

Veteran reporter Bill Center gathered the reaction for the San Diego Union-Tribune and the shell-shocked players did not mince words about the trade that sent Linebrink to Milwaukee for minor-leaguers Will Inman, Joe Thatcher and Steve Garrison. A sampling:

Closer Trevor Hoffman: "Incomprehensible. Four other teams in the National League West are awfully excited. I probably need to take a day before I say something about this because I'm going to say something stupid."

Starting pitcher Jake Peavy: "You have to trust your front office when you are in the middle of a playoff run. But, man, to trade away your setup man ... what kind of a message are we sending here?"

Pitcher David Wells: "I know Scott has had some rough times recently. But he's one of the premier guys in the league. Scott Linebrink is a pitcher of magnitude. He's also one of the best people you'd ever want to know ... a great friend and a teammate.

"Just being around him made you better. And what he did ... this team has been counting on Scott Linebrink for a long, long time in the eighth inning and he's come though. There's no wonder everyone wanted him."

"To take a hit like this ... they must have different reasons we can't see."

Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said that Linebrink reacted to the trade with a mix of surprise and disappointment. That's no surprise. Most players in the majors love visiting San Diego. Most Padres love playing there. And, the ballpark there, Petco Park, is considered pitcher-friendly.