Cubs, Jays Talking Bradley For Wells?

As a Jays fan, I have mixed emotions about this deal. On one hand, I HATE Bradley!!!! He's a cancer on a team and would probably put up less impressive numbers than Wells would. On the other hand, we're getting rid of that contract. I assume the Jays would be eating a significant portion of it though and probably including other players (my gut says you'll see Brandon League included).

There is no truth to the Cubs looking into Helton (they have Lee - duh!) nor Zito. However, here is a list of guys I trade BRadley for right now:
Aaron Rowand, Pat Burrell, Vernon Wells, Maggs Ordonez, Luis Castillo, and maybe even Jose Guillen.

At what point doesn't it just make sense for the Cubs to release Bradley and walk away from the $21mill? I'm sure the Jays are kicking in some cash, but I'd be surprised if it was close the the $75-77mill difference in the deals.

Hey Hendry! Just take Matthews or one of the Tigers' pitchers and move on!!

jlb1980, the zito/helton thing was a joke.

Wells is not a bad player, depending on what the Jays throw in this could be a good deal for the Cubs. The central is definitely inferior to the AL east pitching. If they kick in about 40 mil that puts Wells at 12 mil a year, that would be less than Bay and Holliday, I would do it.

That Helton thing is totally stupid.

Wells is not a bad player, depending on what the Jays throw in this could be a good deal for the Cubs. The central is definitely inferior to the AL east pitching. If they kick in about 40 mil that puts Wells at 12 mil a year, that would be less than Bay and Holliday, I would do it.

Posted by: siskel_god | October 31, 2009 at 10:06 AM

Vernon Wells is really bad at baseball. He's been worth 1.9 WARs the last 3 years combined. And that's without factoring in his contract.

I lost respect for Hendry for even thinking of adding Wells. Is he seriously trying to construct the worst OF in the history of the game?

I know Tim Wilken drafted Wells when he worked for the Jays, but come on. Granted the Jays would absorb a portion and the Cubs would take a portion. The overall contract is still bad. The Cubs would have two of the the worst contracts in Wells and Soriano. Brilliant!

I hope this is a joke. I really don't understand why Chicago based teams feel inclined to help out the Jays, first the ChiSox claim Rios. Overpaid. Now this? Really? Well, at least it's entertaining.

This would be simply awful for the Cubs. If they do this trade, I think I will have to pack up all my Cubs gear in a suitcase, bury it in the backyard, and leave it there until the two worst contracts in baseball have expired.

While they're at it, they should trade Zambrano for Zito. I mean, why not have the THREE worst contracts in baseball all on your team? If you're not going to win the World Series, you might as well corner the market on something else.

If the Cubs do this and split the difference, they are getting 5 years of Wells, who as Carini points out has 1.9 WAR over 2007-9, for $64M. It seems as though they'd be better off releasing Bradley and spending $43M over the next 5 years on one or more replacements.

I don't want Wells, Rowand, Burrell, Matthews or any other bad contract. Make solid moves to plug in the gaps and do not worry about a bad deal in return.

Jim, do not waste any more time on this one. Just release Milton Bradley and let whoever wants him, sign him. I know 21 million is real money, but the mistake was made, move on. While you are at it, do the same and release Aaron Miles.

Why are you all bashing Wells? He obviously knows how to play the game if he has a contract like that... If the Cubs make this move i believe it would turn out very well because they just signed the best hitting coach in the game

"Funny. I wrote about this same story a week ago suggestng it, and I got blasted for it by Cubs fans saying it would never happen."

It should not happen, period. It makes no sense from the Cubs side. They would be better outright releasing Bradley and come out ahead. The only angle I see is if the Cubs get someone else with Wells in the deal. Not just a body thrown in for AAA services that gets released in a year, either. Someone who is not blue chip, but higher than mid level included. I'm not saying that is what is happening or what I want to happen. I can not buy the Wells for Bradley and cash exchanged rumor as it stands.

A Soriano for Wells/League seems more plausable.

There are other teams/contracts they can swap for Bradley.

Why blast Wells, in 06' he was a legit mvp candidate and was very good during an injury plagued 08', so he was bad in 07' and not great in 09'. He is a good player, definitely has not played up to that contract but wait and see how much he will cost a year before you kill the deal, look at Bay in 07' his average dipped below 250 and barely hit 20 hr's, does that mean he was done? Obviously not if everybody is willing to give him 4 and 60, if the Cubs get Wells at 5 for 60, it could be a very good deal. The people on this site blasted me because I said that the Braves getting Vasquez was a great deal, everybody said he was overpaid and done, not a big game pitcher, and a whole list of other garbage, now you hear that same garbage about Lowe. Players can have bad season's it is not the end of the world, Wells is still young and he has a track record for success, maybe he just needs achange of scenery. Money aside, would you take him on your team? From 02 to 06 he was considered one of the best centerfielders in baseball, he is only 31 for christ's sake and will only be 36 at the end of the contract. I would sign him for 5 years 50-60 mil over Bay 4 for 60, so see if the Cubs can make the finances work before you kill a very good player

As a Reds fan, I would love this. But I do love watching Bradley strikeout and all the fan booing him.

"So the Cubs think the Jays would actually trade Wells AND 43 million (making it a 13 mil a year, pretty good deal) for a player worse than Wells on a terrible deal. That doesn't add up."

It adds up perfectly from the Jays' side.

Jays currently owe Wells 107MM over the next few years.

If this deal is done, with the difference being split so both sides owe the same amount of money, the Jays save about 43MM.

HUGE savings for the Jays, especially since Wells hasn't been a league average player since 2006. ANY relief the Jays can get is good.

Wells is easily one of the worst contract in baseball.

Siskel God,

Wells is still young? As the guy above me said he will be 31 when 2010 rolls around. He has been in the league for 10 years now. He is the same age as Milton Bradley and Kosuke, Do you consider those two to be young players too? Young to me means under 26 or in the league less then 5 years. Vernon Wells is on the wrong side of 30 with a long term, awful contract.

Also what are you talking about if the Cubs could get him for 5/60 or whatever? If they do a straight swap or contracts, (which usually is the case in deals like this) the Cubs would be paying him the difference of about $2.5 mil this year. Then in 2011 Vernon Wells will be making $23 million a year, and then $21 million a year from 2012-2014. Today is Halloween, not April Fool's day, please tell me you're joking when you think this is a good deal for the Cubs.

If the new Toronto GM can pull this off then he automatically gets GM of the Year

I could be wrong but this would be an incrediable oppurtunity for the Jays if possible. To swap Well ad his horrendous contract for Milton Bradley and some cash to the Cubs would be sensational. The Jays would have a very talented player under control for only 2 years whom they could DH or put occasionaly in the field. Even Bradley doesn't go back to his 2008 level, the Jays lineup would deffiently be more fearsome. But this would never happen because the Cubs already have their own version of Wells.

Some observations ...

-- Wells is not good. He won't be good. The guy has one of, if not the worst, contracts in baseball.

-- If the option is trading Bradley for another bad contract or releasing him you make the trade (assuming you are taking on less money). You can always release the new player and pocket the rest.

-- No way this deal happens as it presented today. The Jays would have to take on a lot more money OR kick in some serious talent in return.

Not saying, howiehandles, Brynes is that great from an offensive standpoint...saying that he's got one year left on his contract. And oh, by the way, about those ESPN highlights??? Sounds like your advocating for the "clubhouse cancer" to stay? At least you can't say that about Brynes.

ALERT ALERT ALERT
In the ninth round of 1998 the Red Sox drafted Mark Teixeira. I'M SO PISSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"In the ninth round of 1998 the Red Sox drafted Mark Teixeira."

Umm, everyone knows and how is this news in a thread making fun of awful contracts.

Why would you want to trade soriano?! As I said earlier the cubs just signed the best hitting coach in the game that helped soriano in Texas. If the cubs can stay healthy and get rid of Bradley and get a good free agent they will be dangerous

Last time Soriano had Jaramillo as his hitting coach, he posted the two worst hitting season's of his career in a hitters park (outside of this past season).

Why would you want to trade soriano?! As I said earlier the cubs just signed the best hitting coach in the game that helped soriano in Texas. If the cubs can stay healthy and get rid of Bradley and get a good free agent they will be dangerous

Posted by: nickmanglaris | October 31, 2009 at 01:58 PM

It's been pointed out numerous times now that some of Soriano's worst offensive years were when he had Jaramillo as a hitting coach in Texas. What makes you think that will change now?

Wow, haven't posted on here in a loooong time, but I had to on this. I find it very interesting that just a couple of days after I made a post on the Cubs' website about possibly swapping bad contract #2 (Soriano) for bad contract #1 (Wells), that a reporter out of Toronto puts up something about Bradley for Wells. My post was purely unfounded speculation, as this article may be as well.

No way Cubs go for this. They already have too many under performing over paid guys locked up for a long time. (Zambrano, Soriano, Fukudome)

I can't see Toronto paying one thin dime to rid themselves of Wells and his horrendous contract. He does have some talent, though he has shown an inability to show it since signing that huge thing and Riccardi is gone now, so why they would give the Cubs money to rid themselves and take on Bradley, to destroy the mentality of the young nucleus the Jays have with his ways and prone to outbursts at management, fans, umpires and anybody else he decides he does not like at the drop of a hat is beyond me.

This guy (Bradley) has put on Release Waivers written all over him, or trade for a unknown and just eat his salary to be rid of him, stop trying to get something back.

"They would be better outright releasing Bradley and come out ahead."

I hope you're not as dumb as you look by posting that. If you outright release someone, you eat all money owed to that player. So the Cubs would still be on the hook for the $21 million paid in full to Bradley, minus the league minimum a team would sign him for. In 2011, the Cubs would owe him all the money, and not minus any money I believe.

Posted by: pulen527 | October 31, 2009 at 11:06 AM

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No, I am not dumb. I will explain it for you. The poster I quoted suggested a Bradley for Wells swap. I countered with that idea should not happen from the Cubs side. They gain nothing in terms of Wells, his abilities or the money owed. So while the Cubs would eat Bradley's deal in an outright release, it would be far better than taking on more years and money in Wells. Read the whole post in it's context and don't single out a sentence from it.

The fact that Hendry would even consider such a HORRIBLE contract, when we already have more than a few bad contracts, speaks volumes ! Why hasn't he been fired ! We need a GM who really knows how to build a team and maintain a farm system. Outside a couple nice moves YEARS AGO ( Lee, Ramirez) he's done nothing. This was NOT the off-season that I was hoping for.

If the choices are 1) trade Bradley for the worst contract in baseball, or 2) release Bradley outright, the Cubs will choose neither option. They will retain him as their starting RF for 2010 and be better off than under either of these scenarios. Check the Trib stories - Cubs players are already paving the way for Bradley's return, if it comes to that.

IMMENSELY stupid move if they trade for Wells. If they trade for prospects, then it would be very smart.

Has anyone considered the possibility that Hendry is TRYING to get fired? It would actually explain a lot lately...

-I'd like to first off saying the CUbs will most likely be getting Mark DeRosa back. Due to him being able to go where ever he wants. Second, By Ted Lilly and Reed Johnson being close friends with DeRosa. Mark will probably take a salary cut around $2m or $3m a year.
-The Cubs should focus on getting a Center Fielder and put DeRosa at 2nd . The Center Fielder should be Aaron Rowand from the Giants. Or Bobby Abreu would be a good fit into Right Field which he recently delinded the offer from the Angels.
-Rick Harden will most likely be gone because the Cubs can save about $8m on giving him a new contract. The Cubs are in good pitching having R. Wells with T. Gorzelanny and J. Samardzija as the 5th starter which both are both capable of winning at least 10-12 games.

The Cubs need to get Bay.