One of the questions surrounding the Mariners' hire of Eric Wedge as their new manager was how (or if) Wedge could co-exist with Milton Bradley. Larry Stone of the Seattle Times recaps their checkered history, stemming from a 2004 situation when Wedge pulled Bradley from a spring training game, Bradley got upset, and then was dealt to Los Angeles a few days later.
Wedge made it clear to Seattle management that he had moved past the incident, however, and it appears that Bradley also wants to move on. Stone heard from a Mariners official who revealed two texts sent by Bradley praising the club's hire: "Whatever took place was six or seven years ago and I'm over it" and "[Wedge] was a disciplinarian and I felt our team lacked discipline last year. Hopefully, he instills some of that.''
As Stone pointed out in his original post, however, Bradley doesn't appear to have much of a choice. His options are to either make up with Wedge and play out the season, or else get released. Bradley would still get the $12MM he's owed for 2011, but the Mariners are committed to paying him anyway and Bradley would be burning bridges with yet another franchise. Stone notes that Bradley is all-but-untradeable unless the M's agree to pay most of the contract or deal Bradley for another bad contract, a la their original Carlos Silva swap.
Stone brings up Pittsburgh as one potential trade partner for the Mariners, though surely one that would require the Mariners to cover Bradley's contract. Neal Huntington is a long-time supporter of Bradley and might be one of the few GMs willing to add Bradley to the roster. Bradley's injury history makes him a bad fit for the NL, however, since he wouldn't be able to handle playing the outfield. A player with Bradley's baggage is also not the kind of veteran influence that the Pirates would want to bring to their young clubhouse.
Eric: Hey Milton
Milton: Hey Eric
Milton: It’s been a while. I’m sorry for all of my antics back in Cleveland
Eric: don’t forget your antics in SD, LA, OAK, TEX, CHC, MON, Etc… But it’s okay Milton, I forgive you
Milton: I’m never going to act out ever again.
Eric: Pinky Promise?
Milton: Yes, Pinky Promise.
Eric: Okay, I expect you to play 162 great games and never get frustrated or do anything boneheaded the whole season
Milton: You should.
In Bradley’s defense, he didn’t do anything in SD other than that incident with the ump but everyone there has said the umpire antagonized him who I believe was punished. I don’t recall anything happening in Texas, too.
Yep, definitely misunderstood there in San Diego.
Milton was on great terms with everyone in Texas, but he did have an ‘incident’ when on a road trip to Kansas City where he heard a Royals announcer speak ill of Milton’s past. Milton proceeded to trek towards the commentators booth and caused an awkward scene while being held back by teammates.
lollll I wish I could’ve seen that on tv must’ve been hilarious to witness…… from a safe distance of course
Milton was on great terms with everyone in Texas, but he did have an ‘incident’ when on a road trip to Kansas City where he heard a Royals announcer speak ill of Milton’s past. Milton proceeded to trek towards the commentators booth and caused an awkward scene while being held back by teammates.
OH MILTON, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH for your approval. Like anyone should give a crap what the head case should think or want. The guy TEN TON BOWLDER sitting on top of the organization when it comes to pay roll and his TERRIBLE performance.
Milton Bradley believes in “DISCIPLINE”!!! HA HA HA HA HA. Thats like a smoker believing CANCER is wonderful. This “play when he feels like it” multi-millionaire has been a joke and drag on teams for years. The only thing keeping him around is his he the PRIME EXAMPLE of a contract year thief. Playing well only in his year prior to being a Free Agent. He is almost as bad as Adrain Beltre, who suckered Seattle into a undeserving contract after one above average year in LA, and will do it again to some needy team this year. Teams need to boycott players like Bradley and Beltre when it comes to extended contracts.
I’m not going to dump on Bradley anymore. He had a mini-melt, and instead of exploding, he did what he should have done so many years ago-went and got some help. His other problems were on the field, at the plate, and with his knee. One that was surgically repaired, what, for the 66th time?
I think he’s going to rebound a bit this year and I think he’s old enough and tired enough to not want to be in the center of any more drama. He and Wedge have a history and I think they’re both aware of the issues involved. For once I’m going to say they also know what to do to make the situation work. That is, if they both really want to.
Now he’ll probably go out and prove me wrong. But hey, that’s life.
Milton Bradley has 12M coming his way in 2011. The only way he gets traded is if he has a hot 1st half and a contender (that hasn’t had Bradley before) approaches the M’s about the DH/OF. His career is riding on his performance in 2011, including his off the field actions.
Keep him out of Pittsburgh please. We have a young OF already that should be fine with more experience. No need to bring him in to ruin the chemistry at his age. We need a leader, not a nuisance.
And now they want the players to approve a Managerial hire? The lunatics are running the asylum. And the LAST player I would ask permission from would be Milton Bradley. C’mon! Are you kidding me? There isn’t a Player out there with more baggage than Milton, with a possible #2 nod to Jose Guillen, who was left off the Gi-Aints post season roster. Too much luggage?
Wedge should do the right thing…Talk ownership into eating Bradley’s contract and send him packing, BEFORE there’s another incident. An you know there will be an incident…either on or off the field. Same Titanic, different deck chairs.
He really didn’t have any real incidents this year besides the meltdown he had in May. He wasn’t complaining or bashing the team or fans to the media. Too bad he sucked.
Who asked for Bradley’s permission or approval? No one. The journalist was merely covering his reaction. That’s all.
*Jack sitting in office, eating his lunch and drinking a soda*
*ring ring*
Jack: hello
Neal: Hi, Jack, i’m inquiring about Milton Bradley
*Jack spits our drink, puts down phone and tells assistants next to him “This guy WANTS MILTON, you guys! Oh God, this will be fun”
Neal: What’s going on?
Jack: *clears throat* um, nothing. Okay,we’ll pay 8 million, and we’ll take 2 decent prospects, O.K.?
Neal: Fair with me
Jack: Nice doing business with you
Neal: Same here, bye.
Jack: bye.
*Jack and assistants simutaniously break out dancing in office*
This just in: Bradley knows this is his final year in MLB if he doesn’t shut it.
As much as I think he’s a horrific fit in Cleveland……I’d approach the M’s about a Hafner-Bradley swap. Hafner has about $16M more on his deal than Bradley (and an extra year)…..but Wedge loves Hafner (and hates Bradley). If Cleveland ate half the extra owed to Hafner, wonder if the M’s would bite.
Obviously Bradley would be a bad fit for the young nucleus in Cleveland (not sure if he ticked off Antonetti or not either)…..but it would be nice to move Hafner out of that DH spot. Need to open it up for guys like Weglarz. With Bradley, he can at least play some LF and let Grady DH to fully heal his knee.
Not happening….but could make some sense for both clubs.
Huntington may be a Bradley supporter but he’s not exactly the most secure GM in the game, extension or not. If he brought in Bradley and it turned into a fiasco he’d be writing his own ticket out of town. And for whatever progress Bradley may have made toward correcting his behavior things have turned into a fiasco everywhere he’s been.
Pageian, I couldn’t agree w/ you more about Huntington. He may have a contract for next season and he and his staff have done a good job upgrading the farm system, but the performance at the major league level better improve next season or Mr. Huntington will be out of a job. Bringing in Bradley would not be in Huntington’s best interest.
How about getting Carlos Zambrano too, for also being an overpayed, overrated, headcase.
Bradley had no problems in Texas – the trivial incident involving a Royals announcer aside. (The announcer was praising Josh Hamilton, and used it as an occasion to take a gratuitous cheap shot at Bradley.) When Bradley was with the Cubs, even a teammate Kerry Wood said he was shocked at the amount of racist mail and abuse Bradley was receiving (the reason Bradley said he wanted out of Chicago). As far as the Pirates who are posting “Keep Bradley away from Pittsburgh,” yeah, right. The Pirates have more problems that go far deeper than adding a talented player like Milton Bradley would make worse. What’s annoying is that Bradley says he wants to move on from his issues with Wedge, Wedge says he wants to move on – yet all of these ridiculous posters keep obsessing about the past with their snarky comments.