A’s Designate Bradley For Assignment
In a surprising move, the Athletics designated Milton Bradley for assignment today. The A’s will have to trade Bradley and his $4MM contract within ten days or just release him and eat the cost. Around $2.2MM remains. He’ll become a free agent after the season.
Bradley is one of the most fragile players in all of baseball, the Kerry Wood of position players. He spent 2006-07 as an Athletic, hitting .279/.371/.447 in 416 ABs. Bradley remains a very useful center fielder when he’s able to play, so a number of teams should pursue him. At least at this moment, he is relatively healthy. The Marlins and Cardinals could have interest.
Athletics Nation isn’t sure why Billy Beane made this decision, but trusts his judgment.
Oakland A’s Buzz
I’ve got a source out of Oakland who filled me in on the latest buzz from the club recently.
Frank Thomas has told his agent, Arn Tellem, that he wants to join the A’s. Billy Beane holds all the cards here, as Thomas’s confusing medical reports have scared off all other suitors. Gambling on Thomas’s health is another example of Beane snagging a player undervalued in the market.
Word is that the A’s really don’t want to go to arbitration with Milton Bradley. Bradley’s due for a sizeable raise from the $2.5MM he made in 2005, and he’s using his leverage to milk the team for some extra bucks.
He’s no longer an Athletic, but the word is that Octavio Dotel‘s medical records indicate that he only has one or two years left in baseball due to some possible shoulder problems. Dotel also had Tommy John surgery in June 2005.
Walker For Bradley: Update
I’ve lost track of how many of these Todd Walker for Milton Bradley posts I’ve written. According to an emailer, Bruce Levine of ESPN Radio 1000 is reporting that the Cubs are awaiting word from the Dodgers on this trade – the offer of Walker is on the table. No timetable was given for a decision.
Levine’s been all over this one since November; he mentioned yesterday that it could happen before the weekend.
Thanks to Alex
Bradley For Walker Talks Renewed?
A reader emailed me saying that WSCR The Score (George Ofman) and ESPN Sports Radio 1000 (Bruce Levine) are reporting that the Cubs are talking again about a Milton Bradley for Todd Walker trade, to happen within the next day or two. Levine reported this same rumor on November 29th.
Thanks to Alex
Milton Bradley Dealt For Saarloos And Ramos?
According to a source in Sacramento, the Dodgers have traded Milton Bradley to the A’s for pitchers Kirk Saarloos and Mario Ramos. My source heard about Ramos’s departure via KXTV Channel 10 in Sacramento. There’s a thread hopping over at MLB.com about the deal as well.
Bradley’s potential is unquestionable, and has been discussed on this site many times. It’s a very Beane-like move to snag a player who the market has undervalued.
Despite winning ten games in 2005, Kirk Saarloos doesn’t figure to ever escape the fifth starter realm. In every Major League trial, the 26 year-old soft-tosser has allowed tons of baserunners. He’ll have trouble replicating his 4.17 ERA if he continues to post a 1.40 WHIP.
Mario Ramos was snagged off waivers by Beane in 2003. He’s been a mainstay at Triple A Sacramento, and hasn’t pitched well since 2003.
Thanks to Jerry
Milton Bradley For Todd Walker
According to Bruce Levine on ESPN Radio 1000, the Cubs are talking to the Dodgers about swapping Todd Walker for Milton Bradley. Considering the devaluing of Bradley around baseball, the proposed trade sounds plausible.
If the deal were to go through, it’s most likely that Walker would play third base for Los Angeles. It’s also possible that Jeff Kent moves to first and Walker remains at second base.
Walker has played 60 games at third base in his career, and Kent has spent 105 games playing first.
Thanks to John
Cubs Interested In Bradley: Update
Will Carroll over at Baseball Prospectus has confirmed the Cubs’ interest in center fielder Milton Bradley, and adds a few interesting tidbits.
According to Carroll, Bradley "figures to be a Dodger non-tender and is someone who doesn’t scare Dusty Baker."
I’ve heard whispers of L.A. non-tendering Bradley before, and I find it downright baffling. To throw away a world of potential just to do things "The Dodger Way" seems like a terrible business decision. Whether or not Bradley is a guy you want to have a beer with, his talent is undeniable.
Consider: Bradley posted a 3.8 WARP (Wins Above Replacement Player) in just 283 at-bats in 2005. Prorated for 600 at-bats, Bradley’s WARP would rank him second among all center fielders, behind only Jim Edmonds. Bradley excels in all aspects of the game except for two: staying healthy and pleasing the media. The continual injuries are why it’s not fair for me to prorate his WARP over 600 ABs and say he’s better than Andruw Jones. But if the potential is there, why not pay $3-4MM to find out what he can really do? Bradley is only 27.
The idea that Bradley could be a Cub for absolutely nothing should make Cubs fans salivate. However, it’s been pointed out that Dusty Baker never seemed in full control of Sammy Sosa or Kent Mercker, so it remains to be seen if he can get a handle on Bradley.
Another good point that’s come up in the comments on this site is that the Cubs will have to cut or trade someone from the 40 man roster once the Bobby Howry signing is made official. Some suggest Adam Greenberg, Jose Macias, or Brian Dopirak could be cut, but it’s more likely that a trade is imminent.