- Ken Davidoff of Newsday thinks the Braves will shop Derek Lowe in the offseason. Lowe is owed $15MM per year through 2012.
- Despite seeing limited action this year, Chad Tracy will get the start at first base in Arizona's home finale tonight against the Padres, according to Bob McManaman of The Arizona Republic. This is seen as a symbolic gesture as Arizona could pick up Tracy's $7MM option for 2010 but in all likelihood will buy out his remaining year for $1MM.
- The Associated Press reports that Ken Macha has discussed his status heading into next year with GM Doug Melvin. Macha is under contract through 2010 but a losing season has put his job in jeopardy.
- MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince writes that Jose Veras, who will be arbitration eligible, might be on his way to earning a new contract with Cleveland. Veras has shined since being called up on September 1st, posting 12 Ks and allowing just one earned run in 9.2 IP.
Cubs Rumors
Royals Not Interested In Bradley
Royals officials told Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star that the organization has no interest in acquiring troubled outfielder Milton Bradley from the Cubs. The Royals have been mentioned recently as a possible destination for Bradley as Jim Hendry tries to find a taker.
Dutton speculates that Bradley has been linked to the Boys in Blue in part because they agreed to trade reliever Leo Nunez to Oakland for his services in 2006. However, the deal collapsed when Bradley was bitten by the injury bug.
Despite being owed $21MM on a contract that takes him through 2011, the Cubs already have a handful of suitors. Bradley earned that deal last season with his play in Texas where he hit .321/.436/.563.
What other teams might be willing to take a risk on Bradley this winter?
Rosenthal’s Full Count Video: Pujols, Upton, Astros, Bradley
FoxSports.com's Ken Rosenthal has a new Full Count video up, so let's see what he has for us…
- Albert Pujols is in no rush to sign a contract extension. A source "with knowledge of his thinking" tells Rosenthal that the chances of Pujols agreeing to an extension this winter are "slim and none."
- The reason is that Pujols wants to assess the Cardinals' long-term outlook before deciding on his future. Matt Holliday, Mark DeRosa, and Tony LaRussa are all unsigned beyond this season.
- Tampa Bay figures to explore the market for B.J. Upton this offseason. The Rays would be selling low, but they have needs behind the plate and in the bullpen, and it's possible a team could offer a package that would satisfy those needs. If they don't get an offer to their liking, Tampa will simply hold onto him.
- The Astros managing job might be Jim Fregosi's to lose, but don't be surprised if Red Sox first base coach Tim Bogar "gains momentum." Even though he's relatively inexperienced, Bogar is a former 'Stro who also managed in their minor league system, as well as in Cleveland's. Lance Berkman, Craig Biggio, and Jeff Bagwell all think highly of him.
- Teams have already called the Cubs about Milton Bradley. The Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rays, and Mets are among the clubs with possible interest. The Cubs are confident they can deal Bradley without paying the overwhelming majority of the $21MM still owed to him over the next two years. They could either trade Bradley's bad contract for another bad contract, or use the old sliding scale of "the more money we pay, the better the players we get in return."
Odds & Ends: Chapman, Iglesias, Dodgers
They're not quite as good as Saturday morning cartoons, but here's some Saturday morning links…
- David Lennon of Newsday writes that the Mets are among a handful of teams that are exploring a deal for Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. We learned that Chapman was officially declared a free agent by MLB yesterday.
- ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. sat down for a chat with Jose Iglesias, who the Red Sox signed for over $8MM this summer. When asked why he chose the Sox, Iglesias said they "were a team that needed a shortstop," and "they are my father's favorite team."
- With Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin, George Sherrill, and Hong-Chih Kuo all eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times says that the Dodgers could be looking at raises totaling about $20MM.
- Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune says that Royals "upper management still considers (Milton) Bradley a talented hitter who could thrive in a low-key environment such as the one in Kansas City." He also wonders if a Bradley for Aaron Rowand deal could work.
Padres Are Open-Minded About Milton Bradley
Padres GM Kevin Towers says he's open-minded about the possibility of bringing Milton Bradley back to San Diego, according to ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick. Towers hasn't yet spoken with Cubs GM Jim Hendry about the possibility of re-acquiring the 31-year-old, but the Padres have to take chances at times, so Bradley could fit.
"We could be in the market for an outfielder," Towers said. "I'm not saying it's necessarily Milton. But our experience with him was rather a positive one. It wasn't really a negative one."
The Padres' experience with Bradley wasn't without its negative episodes. Bradley injured his knee when manager Bud Black restrained him during an on-field argument. The bizarre turn of events ended Bradley's Padres career, over the course of which he posted an OPS of 1.004 in 42 games.
Earlier in the week, ESPN.com's Buster Olney suggested that the Padres could be a fit for Bradley and Jon Heyman of SI.com echoed the thought this afternoon. One obstacle the Cubs will encounter with any trading partner will be the $21MM remaining on Bradley's contract before the end of the 2011 season.
Odds & Ends: Jays, Zambrano, Harden
A few more evening links….
- The Blue Jays have some uncertainty at catcher heading into 2010, according to Jordan Bastian of MLB.com. With Rod Barajas poised to test the free agent market, Raul Chavez, Kyle Phillips, J.P. Arencibia, and Brian Jeroloman could all be in the mix for time behind the plate. GM J.P. Ricciardi also tells Bastian that Scott Downs and Jason Frasor could split closing duties in Toronto next year.
- BP's Christina Kahrl at ESPN.com says so many factors stand in the way of trading Carlos Zambrano that the Cubs would probably have to accept "pennies on the dollar" to move him. She figures if they're looking to deal, the Cubs need to hope they receive interest from a starter-hungry team convinced that Big Z could be their missing piece, like perhaps the Mets.
- Rich Harden has been shut down for 2009, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune. Has Harden thrown his last pitch for Chicago? He says he'd like to return, but Sullivan suggests that the Cubs likely won't offer more than a one-year deal. Check out Tim's rundown of this year's starting pitching free agent class for an idea of how Harden fits into the market.
- R.J. Anderson at DRays Bay gets involved in the Felix Hernandez chatter by wondering if the Rays might try acquiring the Mariners ace this winter. It seems unlikely, but they apparently made at least one attempt prior to the trade deadline.
- Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune chimes in on Ken Williams' assessment of the 2009 White Sox. Rogers points out that the Chicago GM should be blaming the team's $25MM payroll cut, or even himself for failing to acquire any talent that helped the 2009 team in the Javier Vazquez and Nick Swisher deals.
Stark On Bradley & Zambrano
ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears that the Cubs will likely try to move Milton Bradley for another "problem" player this offseason. Eric Byrnes, Pat Burrell and Bronson Arroyo haven't been discussed, but they are the kind of expensive player the Cubs might consider trading Bradley away for. There will likely be takers for the unpredictable outfielder, despite his year-long struggle in Chicago.
Stark hears that Bradley's teammate, Carlos Zambrano, is far less likely to be traded. Baseball men say the Cubs have never shown any interest in dealing the big righty, so he's likely to be their Opening Day starter once again in 2010.
Odds & Ends: White Sox, Mets, Millwood, Marquis
Another round of links…
- According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the entire White Sox coaching staff, including hitting coach Greg Walker, pitching coach Don Cooper, bench coach Joey Cora and first base coach Harold Baines, received contract extensions Wednesday afternoon that will keep them all with the club through 2011.
- The Dallas Morning News' Tom Cowlishaw believes Kevin Millwood's $12 million option for 2010, which vested Monday, is a fine deal. "If you're general manager Jon Daniels or team president Nolan Ryan or manager Ron Washington and you're going to be judged next season by how much your team lives up to this overhyped notion that 2010 is the Rangers' year," Cowlishaw writes, "you need Kevin Millwood on that wall."
- According to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat (via Twitter), Cubs players didn't find out about Milton Bradley's apology until his statement was released to the media Wednesday afternoon. That certainly won't help the level of perceived sincerity.
- Chip Bailey of the Houston Chronicle takes an early look at the Astros' plans for the upcoming offseason. We're not expecting big things.
Troy Renck of the Denver Post gathered a reaction Wednesday from Jason Marquis on Jeff Francoeur's assumption that the free agent right-hander "would love to" pitch for the Mets in 2010. “I hope there are a lot of teams that want a guy that can win 15 games and work 200 innings,” Marquis said. - As Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports, manager Jerry Manuel acknowledged Wednesday that the Mets need to add a reliable veteran catcher this offseason. If not, they'll head into the 2010 season with Omir Santos and Josh Thole as their Opening Day backstops.
Cubs Suspend Milton Bradley
6:01pm: For those of you who are interested, here's Bradley's apology statement, courtesy of Gordon Wittenmyer at the Chicago Sun-Times:
"I chose Chicago as a free agent because I wanted to be part of finally bringing a championship to Chicago's fans. I expected to have a great season, and I am deeply disappointed by my performance and the team's struggles.
I played every game with everything that I had and wanted desperately to win. My frustration and disappointment boiled over, and I said and did certain things that I regret. In hindsight, I wish that I handled certain things differently, and I apologize for those things that did not work out for the better.
The air has been cleared, and we all want to move on and look forward to better days."
4:48pm: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Cubs have reached a resolution with Bradley. He'll be paid for the final two weeks of the season and, in turn, the MLBPA will not file a grievance. Bradley also plans to issue an apology for some of his remarks.
WEDNESDAY, 2:53pm: Paul Sullivan notes that the Cubs have yet to file paperwork regarding Bradley's suspension and the MLB Players Association can't file a grievance until they do. At this point, it's basically an agreement between the club and Bradley that he won't return this season.
SUNDAY: According to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, the Cubs have suspended disgruntled outfielder Milton Bradley for the rest of the season.
Bradley, who signed a three-year, $30MM contract last winter, took shots at the Cubs organization during an interview with the Arlington Heights Daily Herald on Saturday, and has battled with fans on the North Side of Chicago for much of the season. GM Jim Hendry is expected to seek out a trade partner for the 31-year-old right fielder this offseason.
"The last few days became too much for me to tolerate," Hendry said Sunday, fed up with the player's attitude toward the fans and media in Chicago. "I'm certainly not going to let our great fans become excuses."
Bradley's trade value has undoubtedly taken a hit because of this mess. And it's not like he was hitting the cover off the ball. Through 124 games this season, he had a .257/.378/.397 batting line, 12 home runs and 40 RBI. It's hard to guess who might want him — there aren't any drama-inviting teams like the Bengals or Cowboys in Major League Baseball.
Odds & Ends: Astros, Bradley, Rangers, Ramon
A fresh batch of links for Wednesday afternoon…
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle highlights some of the positives and negatives of the ongoing Drayton McLane era in Houston. "This is his franchise," writes Justice, "and he's certainly no absentee owner. He's front and center for all the good and all the bad."
- According to David Roeder of the Chicago Sun-Times, the IRS may be planning to challenge the Tribune Co.'s sale of the Cubs. The Tribune is attempting to save about $300 million in capital gains taxes with the sale, but is also maintaining a 5 percent stake in the franchise. So it's really more of a partnership.
- Milton Bradley's mother, Charlena Rector, told the Sun-Times' Chris DeLuca Tuesday that her son is open to returning to the Cubs. Of course, GM Jim Hendry and Co. probably don't want him back.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan lays out several facts regarding the sale of the Texas Rangers. For what it's worth, Major League Baseball is hoping the sale price will be over $500MM.
- As Adam Kilgore of the Boston Globe notes, Ramon Ramirez is extremely happy with the trade that brought him to Boston last winter. “I love these guys,’’ the reliever said Tuesday. “It’s been great to be in Boston. I’m enjoying it. It’s been a good time. This is a great team.’’ He's done well for himself, too, posting a 2.67 ERA and a .227 BAA.
- ESPN.com's Jerry Crasnick highlights nine players who are, as he puts it, "at a career crossroads." Among the names? Delmon Young, B.J. Upton and Francisco Liriano.
