The often, uhm, misunderstood Milton Bradley rarely speaks to the press, but in a recent exchange with Drew Davison of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Rangers outfielder outlined how he expects his contract situation to work out this offseason.
Bradley feels his offsensive production this year warrants a long-term deal, something the Rangers haven’t offered him (yet), and as such, he sees the possibility of returning to the team at 50-50.
"I just know I deserve to quit getting [stuck] with these one-year deals. I need to have a long-term contract. I’m not just a rent-a-player for one year. I’m looking for fair value. I’m one of the better hitters in the game, and .320 hitters with .440 on-base percentages don’t grow on trees, so you need to take advantage of it when you got it."
For the record, Rangers assitant general manager Thad Levine told Davison the team will negotiate with Bradley’s agent, but they’ll keep all negotiation discussions internal.
Alejandro A. Leal writes for UmpBump.com and can be reached here: alexo05 (at) umpbump (dot) com.
