Peavy To Cubs Unlikely

Yahoo’s Tim Brown asked Padres GM Kevin Towers whether the Cubs’ talks for Jake Peavy might reopen now that they’ve freed up cash.  Towers’ reply: "Doubtful."  To Tom Krasovic, Towers said, "The Cubs’ most recent trades have no bearing or connections with us and the Cubs in a potential Peavy deal."  Krasovic notes that one big factor for the Cubs remains getting approval from new ownership to add Peavy’s $16MM salary to the 2010 payroll.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times agrees that the team’s trade of Mark DeRosa "was made independent of Peavy considerations."  Brown says the $8MM or so the Cubs cleared from the ’09 payroll is to pay for Milton Bradley, their top right field target.  Bradley wants three years and $30MM and the Cubs will approach that.

Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio considers the Cubs signing Bradley a "done deal," though the Nationals were reported yesterday to have serious interest.  Wittenmyer says the Cubs still "appear confident" about signing Bradley.  It could be something they try to announce at the Cubs Convention, which begins January 16th.  Paul Sullivan says the Cubs have been Bradley’s "preferred choice since Day One of the offseason."