Today is August 1, the day after the Major League Baseball deadline for non-waiver moves, a day full of joy and excitement for those teams are in position to contend for a playoff spot, and a day of painful resignation for those whose teams have fallen woefully off the pace.

Unfortunately for the supporters of the Milwaukee Brewers – and for the first time in several years mind you – the team was not a buyer, but a seller.

One reason Brewers general manager Doug Melvin dealt Zack Greinke and George Kottaras was because, beginning with the 2008 acquisition of ace CC Sabathia, he has shipped off more prospects than he has brought in.

While that fact causes great consternation among fans of the farm system, the truth of the matter is the Brewers haven't missed much by way of those prospects. The playoff appearances in 2008 and 2011 were worth the major acquisitions.

And, it serves a reminder that the arrival of prospects offers no greater chance of success than does breaking the bank and resigning the big names.

Let's break down the Brewers major moves in the last five years.*

2008
The Brewers went 90-72 and finished in second place in the National League Central Division, earning the wild card berth. It was the team's first playoff appearance since 1982. The Brewers fell in the National League Division Series three games to one to the Philadelphia Phillies.

Guillermo Mota – acquired from the New York Mets for Johnny Estrada.

• What you got: The 34-year-old reliever tossed 57 innings in 58 games – the third most appearances on the team – and posted a 4.11 earned run average.
• What you gave up: The former All-Star catcher was out of baseball after appearing in 23 games for Washington in 2008.

Solomon Torres – acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for Kevin Roberts and Marino Salas.

• What you got: The 36-year-old veteran became the team's closer, saving 28 games with a 3.49 ERA while going 7-5 in a team-high 71 appearances.
• What you gave up: Roberts never made it past Class AA and was out of baseball after 2008. Salas managed to last one more season in pro ball, reaching Class AAA of the Mexican League in '09.

CC Sabathia – acquired from the Cleveland Indians for Rob Bryson, Zach Jackson, Matt LaPorta and Michael Brantley.

• What you got: Sabathia was as good as advertised, as the 27-year-old went 11-2 with a sparkling 1.65 ERA in 17 starts – seven of which he finished.
• What you gave up: Bryson is still active but has yet to get out of Class AA and Jackson is now in the Texas Rangers' organization and is in Class AAA. Brantley reached the majors in 2009 and is currently hitting .289/.343/.415 with four homers for the Indians. LaPorta was the crown jewel of this deal however, and while he reached Cleveland in 2009, he's a career .237 hitter and is back in Class AAA.

Ray Durham – acquired from the San Francisco Giants for Steve Hammond and Darren Ford.

• What you got: The veteran second baseman hit .280 over 41 games with 15 extra base hits and 13 RBI.
• What you gave up: Hammond never reached the majors and was essentially out of baseball after 2010. Ford is still active and appeared in 33 games in 2010 and 2011 for the Giants, but is in the Seattle Mariners system in Class AAA.

2009
The Brewers followed up the playoff season with a disappointing 80-82 record under Ken Macha, especially since The Crew started the season 30-20 through the end of May and 42-35 at the end of June.

Jody Gerut – acquired from the San Diego Padres for Tony Gwynn, Jr.

• What you got: The 31-year-old Gerut appeared in 85 games and hit .236 with five homers and 21 RBI.
• What you gave up: Gwynn, Jr. hit .242 in two years with the Padres. He is currently with the Dodgers, hitting .247 in nearly two full years in L.A.

Felipe Lopez – acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks for Roque Mercedes and Cole Gillespie.

• What you got: Lopez was brought in to replace an injured Rickie Weeks and hit a robust .320 in 66 games. He also drove in 32 runs and had 25 extra base hits.
• What you gave up: Mercedes remains active, but he's back in the Brewers organization in Class AA Hunstville. Gillespie is also active and is in Class AAA in the Diamondbacks organization after making his debut in 2010. He has appeared in 50 games for the Diamondbacks with a .236 average.
  

2010
The slide under Macha continued as the team finished third in the Central at 77-85.

Carlos Gomez – acquired from the Minnesota Twins for J.J. Hardy.

• What you got: Gomez played in just 97 games and hit .247 while stealing a team-high 18 bases. In his nearly three years in Milwaukee, the speedy outfielder has hit .240 with a .291 on base percentage while stealing 53 bases. He hit .225 in 94 games in 2011.
• What you gave up: Hardy hit .268 with six homers and 38 RBI in 101 games for the Twins in 2010. He hit .100 in the ALDS against the Yankees that season. He was then traded to Baltimore, where he clubbed 30 homers with 80 RBI and a .269 average in 2011. So far in 2012, he is hitting .226 with 14 homers.

2011
The Brewers sent shockwaves through baseball with the offseason acquisitions of Cy Young winner Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, and then again mid-season with the addition of Francisco Rodriguez to bolster the bullpen. The result was a Central division championship and an appearance in the National League Championship Series – a first franchise history.

Sergio Mitre – acquired from the New York Yankees for Chris Dickerson.

• What you got: The 30-year-old went 0-1 with a 3.27 ERA in 22 games before being released in late June.
• What you gave up: Dickerson hit .260 in 60 games for the Yankees in 2011 and is currently in Class AAA.

Zack Greinke – acquired from Kansas City for shortstop Alcides Escobar, outfielder Lorenzo Cain and pitchers Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi.

• What you got: A sparkling 25-9 record in 49 starts and a 3.67 ERA over 294 2/3 innings. He struck out 9.9 batters per nine innings in those starts. He was OK in the postseason, going 1-1 in three starts with a 6.48 ERA in 16 2/3 innings pitched.
• What you gave up: Odorizzi is in Class AAA and has posted a 22-10 record between Class A, AA and AAA in the Royals' organization. Jeffress has pitched for the Royals in each of the last two seasons but has spent most of his time Class AAA, where he has struggled with an ERA around 5.00. The 26-year-old Cain tore a hip flexor early this season but has returned, hitting .260 in 22 games. Like LaPorta, Escobar was the cornerstone to this deal. The 25-year-old shortstop is hitting .305 with 31 extra base hits so far in 2012 after hitting .254 with 32 extra base hits all of last year.

Shaun Marcum – acquired from Toronto Blue Jays for third baseman Brett Lawrie.

• What you got: Marcum has battled soreness and fatigue in his throwing arm, but when he has pitched for the Brewers he has been pretty good, going 18-10 with a 3.50 ERA in 46 starts. Unfortunately he has missed a lot of time this season and went 0-3 with a 14.90 ERA in three postseason starts in 2011.
• What you gave up: In 46 games with the Blue Jays last year, Lawrie hit .293/.373/.580 with nine homers and 25 RBI. This year, Lawrie was hitting .285 with nine homers and 38 RBI.

Nyjer Morgan – acquired from Washington Nationals for infielder Cutter Dykstra.

• What you got: "T-Plush" has slumped badly in 2012, but he hit .300, stole 13 bases and drove in 37 runs on 30 extra base hits last year – not to mention driving in the game winning run in the NLDS against Arizona. He hit .179 in 28 at-bats in the playoffs.
• What you gave up: Dykstra remains in Class A in the Washington system.

Jerry Hairston, Jr. – acquired from the Washington Nationals for Erik Komatsu.

• What you got: Once arriving in Milwaukee, Hairston provided solid infield defense and hit .274 with 22 extra base hits over 45 games. He also hit .385 with six extra base hits and four RBI in 11 postseason games for The Crew. He signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers prior to this season and is hitting .286/.357/.410 with 18 extra base hits.
• What you gave up: Komatsu was a Rule 5 draft pick by the Cardinals to start this year, and appeared in 15 games before the Minnesota Twins claimed him off waivers. He appeared in 15 games for the Twins before being shipped back to the Nationals' system. He is currently in Class AAA.

Francisco Rodriguez – acquired from the New York Mets for pitchers Danny Herrera and Adrian Rosario.

• What you got: K-Rod has struggled mightily this year, but in his 31 appearances down the stretch last year he posted a 4-0 record with a 1.86 ERA and 10.2 K/9. He also gave up one earned run in five appearances in the playoffs.
• What you gave up: Herrera pitched in 16 games for the Mets last year, posting a 1.13 ERA over eight innings. He underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this year. Rosario remains active and is in Class AA in the Mets system.

2012
The additions of Aramis Ramirez and Alex Gonzalez were upgrades that were to help offset the loss of free agent first baseman Prince Fielder. The team returned its entire starting rotation and a solid bullpen. But a variety of season-ending injuries, including one to Gonzalez, and the implosion of that bullpen led the Brewers to a sub-.500 mark when it traded Greinke and Kottares.

Jose Veras – acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Casey McGehee.

• What you got: Veras was coming off a 2011 campaign where he appeared in 79 games and pitched 71 innings, posting a 3.80 ERA and 10 K/9. This year he has struggled like the rest of the bullpen with an ERA over 5.00.
• What you gave up: McGehee hit .230 with 8 homers and 35 RBI for the Pirates. He was traded to the New York Yankees before the deadline.

Looking back, the prospects given up for Greinke and Marcum were the moves that left voids in the Brewers system at shortstop and third base that need to be addressed, but trading Greinke began to repair some of those holes. But, overall, the end definitely justified the means when it comes to the wheeling and dealing Melvin has done the last several years.

* Stats through Monday's games.