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ethanator-maybe if you type that no one wants bradley enough times (i.e., in every milton bradley post), it'll come true? rosenthal, the chicago writers, evan grant from dallas, the rays...hell even omar minaya practially admitted to some level of interest. but please, keep telling yourself (and all of us) that no one wants him.
Milton Bradley Suitors
Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune takes a look at the Milton Bradley situation in an article this morning. Sullivan, like many, sees the Rangers as the favorite. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News looks at all the factors there. Giants GM Brian Sabean was quizzed about a possible bad cont...
scribble-sully's suggestion is too intelligent to have come from him or hendry. don't tell me someone grew a brain in the cubs front office?
i cringe at the thought of burrel in right field, but if you're able to spin him somewhere, then great (obviously).
Cubs Rumors: Hendry, Bradley, Iwamura
Cubs GM Jim Hendry told Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune that he doesn't feel like he's "on the clock" this year, even though new owners are taking over and the Cubs are coming off a disappointing season. Instead, Hendry says he's focused on building a strong team for 2010. The Cubs are work...
forgot you mentioned johnson as well. in my opinion that's lopsided in the cubs' favor only as far as quality of players go, forgetting about salaries. i know lowe is expensive, but i have no idea on mcclouth or johnson. i'd preach caution with fox though. i believe he can hit, but i also believed fontenot was an everyday player and that bradley would be productive as a cub. shows how much i know.
Multiple Teams Eyeing Milton Bradley
"Multiple teams are in contact with the Cubs about outfielder Milton Bradley," according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal even quotes one source who said, "You would be shocked at the level of interest." Rosenthal says the Cubs believe they can trade Bradley without eating the vast maj...
bbxxj-i like that trade for both teams, though i doubt atlanta would do it. just don't see bobby cox tolerating milton bradley, but who knows. my point in saying that is i completely disagree with tim about the cubs making it work with bradley. i didn't used to put all that much stock in chemistry (winning creates it, in my opinion) but i watched that team play every night and they were a different team without that guy. with no bradley and a healthy ramirez perhaps they push the cards more. but Bradley's boat has sailed, and if there's potential to get TWO somewhat useful players i'd do it in a heartbeat. defensively fox is crap, but he can hit. i didn't see enough of berg to have an opinion. i liked caridad though. if the braves are really serious about unloading lowe, i would gladly take him for bradley. i would have taken rowand for bradley though.
Multiple Teams Eyeing Milton Bradley
"Multiple teams are in contact with the Cubs about outfielder Milton Bradley," according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal even quotes one source who said, "You would be shocked at the level of interest." Rosenthal says the Cubs believe they can trade Bradley without eating the vast maj...
bbxxj-please God let that happen.
Multiple Teams Eyeing Milton Bradley
"Multiple teams are in contact with the Cubs about outfielder Milton Bradley," according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal even quotes one source who said, "You would be shocked at the level of interest." Rosenthal says the Cubs believe they can trade Bradley without eating the vast maj...
no phil nevin for jerry hairston? neifi perez for chris robinson?
Trades Of The Decade: Runners Up
Remember when the Cardinals traded for Scott Rolen? Or when the Jays gave up Michael Young for Esteban Loaiza? You probably remember the deal that sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to the Tigers. Those three deals are just a few of the decade's most significant moves. Hundreds of trades ...
*makes me want...*
Odds & Ends: Eyre, Rockies, Red Sox
Links for Monday... Slate's Craig Fehrman writes about "the sports media's unique mindset toward [online] aggregators" and how MLBTR fits in. On his MLB.com blog, Phillies reliever Scott Eyre suggests he and catcher Paul Bako are reconsidering retirement because they're having so much fun. Dodg...
Great write-up in Slate, Tim and the rest of the MLBTR staff, congrats on all the success. You guys do great work.
That said, for the love of all that is holy and decent, please stop linking to Phil Rogers at the Chicago Tribune. When I see a link to one of his articles it me want to visit this site less. There's plenty of half-way decent baseball journalism out there, but Phil Rogers doesn't qualify.
Odds & Ends: Eyre, Rockies, Red Sox
Links for Monday... Slate's Craig Fehrman writes about "the sports media's unique mindset toward [online] aggregators" and how MLBTR fits in. On his MLB.com blog, Phillies reliever Scott Eyre suggests he and catcher Paul Bako are reconsidering retirement because they're having so much fun. Dodg...
Holliday's defense is suspect.
/couldn't resist.
Heyman On Holliday, Giambi, Lackey
The latest from SI's Jon Heyman... Heyman says the Braves "may consider going after Matt Holliday." So maybe I shouldn't rule out Holliday and Jason Bay for the Braves' right-handed power bat options. Jason Giambi hopes to play another year as a DH. There will be fewer than 11 open DH spots t...
Phil Rogers-the man who brought you Derrek Lee for Adrian Gonzalez AND Jake Peavy (last offseason, when it looked like Lee's power numbers were gone for good). and Rogers' "baseball people"? yeah, those are other useless chicago beat writers with nothing to write about since both teams suck balls.
Peavy For Zambrano?
Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune says that there is some buzz regarding a Second City swap of Jake Peavy and Carlos Zambrano: "Some baseball people believe the White Sox could have interest in the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano, possibly even for the newly acquired Jake Peavy. It would be a way for tw...
The fish don't have much motivation to move him, unless they can get some good return for him. They're very much in the race, they don't need to sell. They should ask for too much for Hermida, especially from a desperate team like the Cubs, who might overpay. I'd pass on Hermida too, though I did want him over Bradley in the offseason. With how much has gone wrong with the Cubs this year, they're still .5 games out. I know the Cards have made significant upgrades, but the Cubs don't need to make panic moves.
Cubs Acquire John Grabow, Tom Gorzelanny
4:50pm: The Pirates' return of Hart, Ascanio, and Harrison is confirmed by a press release from the Cubs. Gorzelanny will head to Triple A Iowa. The Pirates keep adding arms; I guess this means they like Hart more than Gorzelanny. 4:47pm: ESPN Chicago says the Cubs sent pitchers Kevin Hart and...
"The Cubs are looking for a left-handed hitter who can play right field"
This is not a repeat from 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 or 2009.
Cubs Acquire John Grabow, Tom Gorzelanny
4:50pm: The Pirates' return of Hart, Ascanio, and Harrison is confirmed by a press release from the Cubs. Gorzelanny will head to Triple A Iowa. The Pirates keep adding arms; I guess this means they like Hart more than Gorzelanny. 4:47pm: ESPN Chicago says the Cubs sent pitchers Kevin Hart and...
"It took them 13 innings last night to get more than one run...they have played good against the Nationals and the Reds since the break! All is not well in cubbyville"
Every pitcher on the starting staff, minus the 5th starters's spot, has or is currently spending time on the DL. The best hitter, in terms of average, OBP, power and close and late situations was gone for 2 months. A defensive (and often offensive) liability in left field. An absolute disaster FA pickup in right field. A black hole offensively at second base. Sophomore slump at catcher, until he got hurt, which is now another offensive black hole. Spotty bullpen work at the beginning of the year. A mediocre (at best) platoon situation in center field. Hasn't been right in cubbyville all year. Yet here we are. Should have put us away when you had the chance.
Odds & Ends: Felix, DiPoto, Red Sox, Marlins
More links as we count down the hours to the deadline... Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times asks if the Mariners should listen to offers for Felix Hernandez, in the event they cannot sign him long-term. SI's Tom Verducci sees Arizona exec Jerry DiPoto as "the frontrunner for the Nationals GM job....
"What I am not understanding is if the Pirates have so many pieces that other teams covet, why are they so bad?"
I realize the NL central isn't the best division, but the pirates are only 8.5 games or so back. They're main problem is that they're good players are just that, good. Not great. Laroche is useless in the first half, Gorzelanny has taken giant steps backward and Duke had an awful year last year. They had the makings of a real nice rotation a couple years ago, but they've never had all their starters pitching consistently at the same time. Bay was always good, as was Nady, but Bay was the only guy you really feared. And now it looks like Bay has fallen off in Boston. They've always had 3-4 useful position players and a couple of decent pitchers, but overall the lineup was just never anything to be too concerned with.
Pirates Rumors: Grabow, Capps, Sanchez
The Pirates have many attractive trade chips remaining, even after two months of aggressive trading. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the latest on all the team's trade candidates: The Pirates are discussing Matt Capps and John Grabow with other clubs. Grabow, who's more like...
I'm on board for getting sanchez and snell, though as always the cubs payroll/ownership situation is a problem, not to mention the mostly barren farm system. Any thoughs on the Pirates asking price for either player? Hendry's not dealing with Dave Littlfield anymore, but Huntington didn't get a whole lot for LaRoche either.
Pirates Rumors: Grabow, Capps, Sanchez
The Pirates have many attractive trade chips remaining, even after two months of aggressive trading. Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has the latest on all the team's trade candidates: The Pirates are discussing Matt Capps and John Grabow with other clubs. Grabow, who's more like...
i haven't watched lugo much, but obviously he's been mostly worthless during his time with the red sox. if he gets released i actually wouldn't mind the cubs picking him up on a minor league deal like they did with ryan. have him play second and if he's even got a league average bat he'll be a big upgrade at what we have at second right now. have him platoon with fontenot (lugo is RH, right?)
Lugo Misses Workout; Team Travels Without Him
Amid rumors that the Red Sox are doing everything they can to move him, Julio Lugo missed a mandatory team workout and didn't travel to Toronto with his teammates for their upcoming series against the Blue Jays. As Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe reports, manager Terry Francona said Lugo missed...
"Headline: Cubs get BJ"
Headline: Tired of blowing, Cubs get BJ. Still screwed.
Fixed that for you bonds :)
Cubs Sign B.J. Ryan
The Cubs signed B.J. Ryan to a one-year deal, according to ESPN Chicago. He will work out in Arizona before reporting to Triple A Iowa, according to the Chicago Tribune, which first reported the team's interest last week. The Blue Jays released Ryan after a disappointing three and a half year st...
From Heyman's article:
"My tweeting highlight of the week (year?) was this comment from noted baseball aficionado @Alyssa_Milano in response to me introducing myself to her at the All-Star Game and complimenting her tweets"
Heyman compimented Alyssa Milano on her tweets? That dirty, dirty man.
Heyman On GMs, Mulder, Bay, Reds
SI.com's Jon Heyman identifies the GMs facing the most pressure heading into the second half of the season and passes along some rumors, too: Despite "occasional rumblings" about Omar Minaya's job security, injuries are to blame for the Mets' disappointing start, so Minaya's bosses aren't abou...
"What's the word on Aramis? Timetable for a return?"
Around the All-Star Break.
Odds And Ends: Cubs, Matsui, Mets
More links for the afternoon... Don't forget about today's chat, coming up in less than two hours at 2pm CST... This Chicago Sun-Times article blames Jim Hendry for assembling an expensive group of under-performing hitters, but credits him for putting together some solid pitching. Patrick Newm...
good lord does bradley look awful right now. i liked it at the time for the upside he offered, but jesus he's been terrible. as good as ibanez has been, i still don't know how his defense would have played in right field.
the cubs' pitching has been nothing short of outstanding this season, and that's with DL time for both zambrano and harden, plus z's suspension. defense has been a big part of that. soriano's obviously a butcher, but the other two outfield spots have been very good. you never know what ibanez would have been like in right, he might have cost some runs, but his offense probably would have outweighed it. all told, bradley's starting to look more and more like a huge mistake.
as for ceda/gregg, i also hated it at the time, but apparently ceda showed up at spring training "woefully" out of shape (so say the cubs TV broadcasters). maybe the cubs were really upset with his offseason training.
and while gregg hasn't been great, he only has i think 2 blown saves and has shown signs here and there of being dominant. i think with consistent work he can be ok. and woody's not exactly lighting it up in cleveland, either. you obviously never want to eat the contracts of somewhat expensive players, but gaudin's been pretty bad in san diego and i have no idea what vizcaino's been doing in cleveland. cubs bullpen's actually been pretty good lately.
i'm starting to be concerned that soriano's decline has started. after a hot april he's taken a nosedive and has shown no signs of breaking out of it. his OBP, which was never anything to write home about, is barely above .300.
Odds And Ends: Arnett, El Duque, Crow
Links for Friday morning... Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that the Brewers are close to signing first rounder Eric Arnett. Ready for next year's draft? MLB.com's Jonathan Mayo is, with ten players to watch in 2010, including Cameron Bedrosian, the son of Steve Bedro...
he'd be an upgrade at 3rd/SS for sure for the cards, but i think they'd be better off just going for derosa. he's cheaper, first of all, and you probably wouldn't have to pay the "in-the-division" premium. as it is, the 'stros are only 6 back in a very bunched up division. if they haven't called it quits in past years, they won't now. they probably won't even deal tejada unless they completely go in the tank. the team's ability to hit (current series notwithstanding) will probably have them hover around .500 and that's good enough for mclane to not sell pieces off.
of course this wouldn't have been such an issue if the outfield was producing like last year. seemed to work out ok last night with rasmus hitting cleanup, though.
Cardinals Interested In Miguel Tejada
Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Cardinals "expanded their search for an additional hitter to include" Miguel Tejada. Since Troy Glaus is out for a while and Khalil Greene is still rehabbing, Tejada could fit on the left side of their infield and provide some offense. ...
i heard someone propose that same zambrano/white sox/peavy nonsense on the radio last night. the sox couldn't get him so they're going to help the cubs get him? are they insane?
i've also noticed that in tim's absence ben and the others have started linking to the rosenblog from the chicago tribune. my advice would be to completely steer clear of it guys, unless you're looking to get a bit of a chuckle. it's essentially a blog post from an out of his element reporter that doesn't know how to stay relevant. i read it because he can be kind of funny sometimes and i'm exceedingly bored at work, but it really offers no baseball insight whatsoever. it's basically just him complaining about this and that, daily.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Peavy, Glavine, Yankees, Phillies
On this date nine years ago, the Marlins selected Adrian Gonzalez with the first pick of the amateur draft. The 16-year-old would sign a deal later that day that included a $3MM signing bonus. Two trades later, Gonzalez leads the National League with 22 home runs. The 2009 draft is in four days,...
i'll bet mclane is thinking that trading oswalt would really p!ss the fans off and he doesn't want to hurt attendance. i have no idea how they're doing in that area right now, but the team's in last place and doesn't look like it's going anywhere. trading oswalt, while it may make good baseball sense, may be seen as waving the white flag, something the astros have never done. not saying i agree with it, but the astros were an organization claiming in the offseason, louder than other teams, that the economy hurt them pretty bad. maybe they just can't afford to not have people come to the games. just a thought...
McLane: "Zero Discussion" About Trading Oswalt
According to Newsday's Ken Davidoff Astros owner Drayton McLane says there has been "absolutely zero discussion" about trading Roy Oswalt. McLane calls Oswalt a "cornerstone" of his team and says he values his "personal relationship" with the pitcher. McLane denies there's any truth to the specu...
any chance the sox are scouting wandy? any chance the astros are even thinking of trading him? he doesn't have a NTC, as oswalt does, and his value is sky-high right now. maybe?
Oswalt Would Not Pitch For White Sox
SUNDAY: Jose de Jesus Ortiz of the Houston Chronicle says Oswalt "would invoke his no-trade clause if the White Sox attempted to acquire him." Ortiz also suggests that despite Scherrer's scouting mission, the White Sox and Astros are not in trade talks. FRIDAY: According to Mark Gonzales of the...
Congrats to both of you Tim!!
Baby News
I've got great news...my wife and I are having a baby! She is due in late June/early July, and we couldn't be more excited. Ben Nicholson-Smith will be stepping in here at MLBTR for a while, as I'll be focusing on baby-related things.
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