By far, it is not the longest running curse in the history of Major League Baseball, but the Petco curse is alive and well and capable of stunting even the most prolific hitters. That is if they are in a Padre uniform. Is it the field dimensions, the thick ocean air, the somewhat large foul territory that has made the three-year-old ballpark such a brat? Or is there something far more sinister at work?

Padres’ newbie catcher Michael Barrett just might help answer that looming question. Acquired form the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday in exchange for catcher Rob Bowen, minor league outfielder Kyler Burke and cash, the nine-year veteran is expected to impact the team immediately. He has the experience and what looks to be a solid bat. But as Padre fans know, Petco could change all of that rather quickly.

Last season Barrett put together a strong first half and made a run at the batting title. Nevertheless, he failed to accrue the required number of plate appearances due to a serious intrascrotal hematoma and a 10-game suspension in June for punching White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski.

In the news recently for a run-in with teammate Carlos Zambrano that resulted in six-stitches in his lip, Barrett has made a name for himself as a pugilist. Yet, San Diego is not in need of an enforcer. They need someone who’s good with a bat.

While not in the same league as a Jorge Posada or Victor Martinez, Barrett does have qualities that just may lift the Padres out of their offensive funk. Batting .256 in 211 at-bats, Barrett is capable of taking on both righties (.254) and lefties (.262). “He's a good offensive player who has always been tough on left-handed pitching,” said Padres General Manager Kevin Towers (AP).

However, even with a season slugging percentage of .548 versus lefties, he may not see as much action against southpaws considering incumbent catcher Josh Bard is hitting .364 with a slugging percentage of .568 against them.

The good news is that he does hit well at home (.297). The bad news is his home is now Petco Park where in 10 at-bats this season he has hit a whopping .200. A single and a double was all he could muster while knocking in one RBI in a 3-1 Cubs win on May 24^th.

However, the same park that has stumped him thus far may be the park that provides the environment he needs to succeed. Couple the fact that he loves to hit at night (.284) and the fact that there are substantially more games under the stars a Petco than at Wrigley, Barrett might find his comfort zone once he has time to acclimate.

Last but definitely not least, Barrett might be just what the Friars need to get past the first round of the postseason. If the trend continues and San Diego faces the Cardinals for a third-straight first-round post-season series, Barrett’s bat could make a difference. While not enough for an accurate reading, Barrett’s 4-12 record this season with two homers and a 1.250 slugging percentage is quite impressive and hopefully not a fluke.

Nonetheless, Towers is satisfied with what he has seen from Barrett. “He brings an incredible amount of knowledge and experience with the National League hitters from being behind the plate for the last 10 years” (AP).

So has the Petco curse met its match? Not likely. However, the addition of an offensively steady veteran behind the plate is well worth it. It remains to be seen who got the better of the deal, but the contending Padres might be the right fit for Barrett.