The first in an expected avalanche of Milton Bradley rumors spread across the Internet on Saturday after a Toronto Sun report of a possible Bradley-for-Vernon Wells deal.
The report by Sun reporter Bob Elliott quoted an unnamed Cubs official as saying "we think this one has some legs," though the story downplayed the Jays' interest in Bradley.
But Wells has $98.5 million and five years left on his contract, as opposed to $21 million and two years left on Bradley's, meaning the Cubs would be taking on even more money and assuring themselves of five years of a defensively-challenged outfield of Alfonso Soriano in left and Wells in center.
A Cubs source quickly responded to the report by saying the rumor has "no legs at all," adding the team has not discussed the possibility of bringing Wells to the North Side.
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first off i'd play fluid in CF. Castro at SS, move theriot to 2nd. now you're good up the middle defensively and decent on offense. you're stuck with Sorry-ano and Fukudome, but a better team than 2009 because the D would improve the pitchig.
i said this in late July, bring him up in September, send him to winter ball (fall league) than to spring training and see what we have. if he's half as good as people say (at 19) roll the dice with him. he brings speed, steals, good defense, strong arm, etc, and everyone laughed at me saying Castro is 2 years away. well now the word is they may invite him to training camp.
Kenneth Kozil, EVERYONE IN AND OUT OF BASEBALL but Jim Hendry knew Bradley was bad, bad news and since Ricciardi is no longer in charge at Toronto the Cubs will be eating Bradley's contract (actually just raising ticket prices an extra 3 to 4 bucks to compensate).
First off, all the people who are saying bring Bradley back obviously did not watch the Cubs this season. Not only did he completely stink, but he had a bad attitude too. If only he said that he knows he had a bad season and would work very hard this winter and wanted to help this team win in 2010, then I think the fans would accept that. However, all we got was complaining and blame on everyone but himself. When he got suspended, none of his teammates or coaches came to his defense. It was clear to everyone involved with the Cubs that bring in Milton Bradley was a risk that completely backfired and the only thing to do is to cut your losses and move on. Bringing him back in 2010 would be just as risky, if not more, than signing him in the first place and I don't think they are willing to risk it blowing up in their faces for a second year in a row.
Now at first I thought the Bradley for Wells deal would make sense for both teams and players. Both players need a change of teams and both teams need to rid themselves of bad contracts for players who don't produce. However, then I find out that Wells still has 6 years left on his deal. Bradley needs to go, but bringing Wells in would only handcuff the Cubs even more than they are right now. Trading Bradley for Rowand would handcuff the Cubs for an additional year than they are right now, but you'd be rid of Bradley and Rowand plays solid defense and might actually produce at the plate. Wells is average defense and might give you production at the plate, but six years is a long time to stick with someone who hasn't played up to the level of his contract. I would much rather do the Rowand trade if it's there.
Of course you could just cut Bradley, pay his salary for the next two years and have Sam Fuld play center at a fraction of what Bradley will make. Then after the 2011 season both Bradley and Fukudome will come off the books and you will have flexibility to make moves in the outfield. Also that would allow the Cubs to bring back Reed Johnson as a backup and probably hold on to Fox or Hoffpauir too.
The media in this town is so hard up for real sports news that they from the very day the news about Bradely coming to the north side was announced began with speculation on when he would explode. Thanks guys, you set the tone for negative reaction from day one. This guy never had a chance. Every day in the paper or on the radio when will it happen, where will it happen and what will happen. You the media expected him to be a 30 homer and 100 rbi guy, his states show he never was. Jim Hendry on the other hand seems to have no clue on talent and what to pay for it. I just sit back in amazement at the so called sports people who never played anything more than little league tell us what and how to play the game. The Score is probably the worst, can't stand to listen to any of the so called college educated sports experts. Please get back to real people, the athlete who experienced the pain, the hardwork, the ups and the downs. Some Duke grad who couldn't get past 12 year old baseball and reads stats from a book, does no one any good.
Too much was expected from Bradley last year. He is an average run producer. He may play a positive role in 2010, but he is hardly the type of hitter you would build your offense around. Ignore his BA. Bradley's run production last season was normal for him. 2008 was his career year. If you want someone batting down in the lineup who can hit the occasional HR and drive in your 5,6,7 hitters, Bradley is your man. If you want someone on the level of Ramirez and Lee, forget it! Look elsewhere.
I think the Cubs are overeacting about Milton Bradley. What they need to do is let him play into the 2010 season, and see if he has a change of heart whether he wants to be a Cub or not. If he starts tearing the ball off the cover before the trade deadline, then he would add value to this ballclub or to another team who would be willing to give us a good trade value for him. But that is if he changes his approach on how hw feels about this team. Hopefully things can change for him, and he'll provide this team with he same results he had with Texas. I guess we'll have to see first. My advice to the Cubs is not get rid of Milton just for the sake of getting rid of him, and get nothing good in return or get something worst.
On this whole subject of getting rid of Bradley, I think it would be interesting for someone in the media to do a sit down interview with Dave Ricketts or one of his kids, to find out what they think. In fact we know little or nothing about their views on players and team strategy. All these "rumors" are vapor and the true "meat on the table" relates to ownership's vision and willingness to spend, correct errors and aggressively move forward.
On this whole subject of getting rid of Bradley, I think it would be interesting for someone in the media to do a sit down interview with Dave Ricketts or one of his kids, to find out what they think. In fact we know little or nothing about their views on players and team strategy. All these "rumors" are vapor and the true "meat on the table" relates to ownership's vision and willingness to spend, correct errors and aggressively move forward.
Hendry should trade Bradley for soriano. That way he can move both of his horrible outfielders and bad signings. The other advantage of this deal is finding the only other gm in the league dumb enough to make a deal with the cubs gm. Just have to watch hendry so he doesn't sweeten the players deals with more money and additional years. Lumpy is such a pushover.
To the people critizing the writer: you are entitled to disagree with him. But retarded? Moron? Those are perfect terms for many of those that respond to these stories. SDo you even know how to disagree like adults? Or is that the problem- you are not adults?
Follow this link if you want to see what an awful player Wells is: http://caldeford.blogspot.com/2009/09/2009-vernon-wells-by-numbers.html
Based upon the metrics used, baseball fangraphs actually calculated that based on his horrific play, he should haved owed the team 1.2 million!
He only had one error last season because he never got to any balls that a normal centerfielder would have. Great call by Sully that this would be an awful awful move.
Someone thinks Vernon Wells is good? He is minus-29 centerfielder. Errors don't mean squat. He has the range of a cement block. He has an 85 OPS+. He has a lifetime .329 on-base percentage. In 2011, Vernon Wells will get paid $23 million. In 2012 he will get $21 million. Same in 2013. And same again in 2014. This is the WORST contract in baseball.
Paul Sullivan is an idiot.
I would trade Bradley for H.G. Wells.
How about Wells for Sorryono??????????
Umm... perhaps the most uninformed and uneducated writer in the history of sports? Defensively challenged? You should be fired. That is pathetic. Anyone who knows anything about baseball knows that that isn't the case. You are an utter moron.
Mike... Bradley has "value"? Really? He's a crappy outfielder, and his power was almost nil last season. Add what a clubhouse cancer, and yes he's a "cancer," the guy is and there's no need to have him on the Cubs.
There were better choices than him last winter, but Hendry went with the headcase. The headcase who blamed everyone but himself when he didn't hit. So he draws some walks... That's more than a number of Cubs can say, but he hurts the team far more than he helps it.
He's not going to restructure his contract, and even if he were to apologize it won't be sincere. He's ruined the chance he had with this team. He wants out, and the Cubs want him out. I'd give him up for a box of old lightbulbs at this point, and I'd send Hendry with him.
Wells is defensively challenged? Have you ever seen him play? Since when does a Gold Glove winner=defensively challenged?
Getting rid of Milton Bradley is really not a good idea. No matter what kind of a moronic, personality-challenged jerk he is, he has value on the field and at the plate. Make him apologize to his teammates, restructure his contract with some mental health incentives and give him lots of attention and maybe he'll be the player you signed him to be. He's not a cancer, he's more like a canker.
Yeah who wrote this story? Did they do any kind of fact checking at all?
I mean wells has 21 total errors in his entire 11 year career, has never had more than 4 errors in any season , has won a gold glove 04, 05, and 06.
I mean heck he had one error last season with 352 put outs. I mean how do those numbers translate to a defensive liability? I'll take any fielder that averages 2 errors per season.
Vernon Wells is just what the cub team needs to ensure six more years of abject futility. Please, make this a done deal quickly.
Ok, well, I don't have any idea where you get your facts from. Vernon Wells is not "defensively-challenged", in fact, he is one of the best CF defenders in the game. He's won consecutive gold gloves AND his one and only error this season came in one of the last games!! He's made numerous plays that most CF's can only dream of making. If you took a moment to watch him play, you would definitely see what kind of defense he can and does put up game after game.