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Milton Bradley

Odds & Ends: DeRosa, Bradley, Figgins

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Here are some links to check out as the snow falls for the first time this season in New York:

  • Free agent Mark DeRosa is in a state of flux, writes Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  The Cardinals, Braves, Yankees, Giants, and Red Sox are all possibilities, but each have higher priorities than the 34-year-old.  The Mets and Nationals are also interested in the right-handed batter, but he would prefer to play for a contender.  DeRosa may be waiting by the phone for a while if he is unwilling to lower his asking price.
  • More from Ken Rosenthal as he writes that despite interest from the Rangers, the Rays remain the frontrunners for Milton Bradley.
  • Considering their plans to reduce their hefty payroll, It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Yankees won't consider Matt Holliday or Jason Bay (per Buster Olney's blog).  However, Mike Axisa of River Ave Blues wisely point out that this time last year, it was said that the Yanks didn't have enough cash to land Mark Teixeira after signing CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett.
  • The Mariners' signing of Chone Figgins may indicate that the organization believes power is currently overrated, says ESPN's Keith Law.
  • In a footnote to his report of the Orioles re-signing Chad Moeller, Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun writes that while the O's remain interested in righty reliever Ryota Igarashi and lefty Hisanori Takahashi, they aren't expected to be terribly aggressive in their pursuit.  Both players recently applied for international free agency.
  • On the heels of Phillies GM Ruben Amaro stating that the door is open for Pedro Martinez's return to the club, the 38-year-old reciprocated that sentiment to Scott Lauber of The News Journal.
  • Kevin Towers is leaning towards accepting an offer from his close friend – Yankees GM Brian Cashman, according to Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
  • Tom Haudricourt of the Journal Sentinel estimates that the Brewers will have about $12MM to spend on starting pitching after addressing the rest of their roster.  Since that probably puts them short of the capital needed to sign John Lackey, what do you think would be the best way to take care of their starting pitching needs on the open market?
  • The Pirates placed Luis Cruz on waivers to make space for their second pick in the Rule 5 draft, writes Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com.

Cubs Interested In Cameron, Byrd

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The Cubs have discussed bringing in free agent outfielder Mike Cameron according to Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun Times, however they must first unload Milton Bradley to see how much payroll that frees up.

Manager Lou Piniella, who knows Cameron from their days in Seattle, said he anticipates meeting with Cameron's agent during the Winter Meetings next week. They also have interest in Marlon Byrd, according to Wittenmyer.

Cubs centerfielders hit .260/.358/.417 in 2009, however their -16.7 UZR was third worst in baseball.

Odds & Ends: Kendall, Uggla, Reds, Pedro

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You want links? Well we got 'em…

  • Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse says that Jason Kendall was looking for $5MM to return to Milwaukee for another year. Yeah, good luck with that. No wonder why the Brewers went with Gregg Zaun.
  • Dan Uggla doesn't have any control over whether the Marlins trade him or not, but if they do, he hopes it happens sooner rather than later, according to Joe Capozzi of The Palm Beach Post.
  • When asked about the hot stove, Reds' manager Dusty Baker said "there's not much of anything going on," reports MLB.com's Mark Sheldon.
  • Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald says that Pedro Martinez wants to pitch a full season in 2010, instead of going on the Roger Clemens plan (pitching in the second half only) again.
  • Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic says that the D-Backs' perfect world Winter Meetings scenario "involves them acquiring a cost-effective starting pitcher in a trade and then using their remaining payroll flexibility to upgrade other areas of the club."
  • According to WEEI.com's Alex Speier, Padres' GM Jed Hoyer said that given his (and new assistant Jason McLeod's) experience with the Red Sox, they have a “level of comfort” in any potential trade with them, moreso than with any other team.
  • Re-signing Andy Pettitte is the Yankees' top priority, says George A. King III of The NY Post.
  • MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says as many as three teams are interested in Milton Bradley, and Cubs' GM Jim Hendry will spend next week trying to find the best match.
  • Former Blue Jays' GM J.P. Ricciardi said that Roy Halladay wants to be traded, according to The Canadian Press. Ricciardi added that a "lot of these decisions are out of the general manager's hands as far as what ownership perceives as fan reaction and what the perception of the club (is) and the direction that they are going. I think any time you have a player of this magnitude, that's really an ownership call."
  • In addition to Justin Miller, the Dodgers also signed Prentice Redman to a minor league contract, according to Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times.
  • MLB.com's Steve Gilbert has the news of three players the Diamondbacks inked to minor league contracts: T.J. Beam, Drew Macias, and Carlos Corporan. All three received invites to Spring Training.
  • ESPN's Jayson Stark wrote about the five biggest plotlines going into the Winter Meetings next week, while Scott Miller of CBSSports.com has some pre-Winter Meetings chatter of his own.
  • Got a problem with how FanGraphs puts a dollar amount on a player's performance? If so, Dave Cameron clarifies some things.

Cubs Rumors: Bradley, Granderson, Castro

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The Chicago Cubs are interested in Curtis Granderson, but would prefer to move Milton Bradley before aggressively pursuing Granderson, according to Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune.

Earlier today, we heard rumblings that talks of a Bradley-Pat Burrell swap are still alive. If the Cubs were to deal Bradley and acquire Granderson, it would allow them to play Granderson in center field and move Kosuke Fukudome to right (Bradley's position).

But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Rogers indicates that the Tigers are seeking multiple major-league-ready players in any trade for Granderson or right-hander Edwin Jackson. The Cubs also seem unwilling to part with top prospect Starlin Castro in order to acquire Granderson, so it remains to be seen if they have the chips to complete a deal.

Rogers expects Bradley and Granderson discussions to heat up during or before next week's winter meetings.

Strong Possibility Of Bradley-Burrell Swap?

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A Milton Bradley–Pat Burrell swap is still a "strong possibility," according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman notes that since Burrell is owed $9MM over one year and Bradley $21MM over two, the Cubs would have to eat good money (he guesses $6MM) to make the trade work.

There is no question that the Cubs would have to flip Burrell in this scenario.  Sherman speculates that they could offer him to the Mets for Luis Castillo, a player the Cubs wouldn't mind adding.  Sherman says, "It is hard to find a baseball official who actually thinks the Mets are going to land either Jason Bay or Matt Holliday," though ESPN's Buster Olney found one today in regard to Holliday.

My guess is that the Cubs would prefer to get a more usable piece than Burrell for Bradley.  Acquiring Burrell increases uncertainty and drags out the process.  Acquiring another bad contract more directly, someone they can use in center field, the rotation, or second base, would be ideal. 

Cubs Will Shop For An Outfield Bat

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The Cubs plan to search for a centerfielder according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com, however the team must first unload Milton Bradley to see how much financial flexibility they'll have.

One agent who spoke to the team says that balancing out left and righthanded hitters in the lineup is not as much of a priority as last year. The Fox duo mention Curtis Granderson, Scott Podsednik, Rick Ankiel, Coco Crisp, Marlon Byrd, and Mike Cameron as potential targets.

Olney On Cabrera, Yankees, Cust, Rays

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In today's blog post at ESPN, Buster Olney writes about the potential market for Miguel Cabrera, who is now apparently available in a trade. He notes the enormous financial commitment attached to Cabrera's All-World bat, and discusses the Red Sox, Angels, Mets, White Sox, Giants, Mariners, and Braves as potential landing spots.

Here's the rest of Olney's rumors…

  • Olney tweets that the Astros' payroll will be cut from $107MM to the low $90MMs.
  • Olney says the Yankees will look to add two relievers in all likelihood, though it's unclear if they're willing to give up a first round pick for one of the Type-A bullpen arms. For what it's worth, GM Brian Cashman said the bullpen wasn't an area of "obvious need" yesterday.
  • Jack Cust could be in line for a $4.5MM payday through arbitration, which just might get him non-tendered. Given all the DH-types on the market, that might not be a good thing for Cust.  We learned yesterday that the Mets might be among the suitors for him.
  • Regarding a potential Milton Bradley to Tampa trade, Olney says the Rays "absolutely will not do it unless it's on their terms, which is that the Cubs might absorb enough money in the swap of Bradley and (Pat) Burrell to make it worthwhile for the Rays."
  • Olney also reiterates that it's extremely unlikely the Padres will move Adrian Gonzalez given his favorable contract.

Cubs Unlikely To Land Halladay

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Although the Cubs would "love" to pull off a deal for Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay, they are unlikely to do so as they lack the necessary room in payroll, according to Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports.

The Cubbies have a combined $42.375MM committed to pitchers Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, and Ryan Dempster.  They would have a hard time finding a taker for Alfonso Soriano as he is owed $18MM per year for the next five years.  Same goes for Kosuke Fukudome, who is due to make $26.5MM over the next two seasons.  Aramis Ramirez is a hefty contract that could be moved, but as Rosenthal and Morosi point out, he's probably too valuable for the Cubs to trade.  

Derrek Lee will make $13MM in the final year of his contract and could be a match for the Braves, however Atlanta would likely need to find a taker for a big contract (i.e. Derek Lowe) first.

Therefore, it appears that GM Jim Hendry's winter plans will center around finding a new home for Milton Bradley and acquiring a new center fielder.  Interestingly, the post floats the possibility of a three-way deal involving Bradley to net Mets second baseman Luis Castillo.

It seems as though Hendry has quite a few obstacles in his way if he hopes to swing a deal for Doc.  Would you be willing to make all of the moves necessary to create the space needed for such a trade?  What would it take for the Cubs to pry Halladay from the Blue Jays? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Cubs, Holliday, Damon

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Links for Saturday afternoon …

  • Anthony McCarron of the New York Daily News spoke with a baseball executive who believes the Yankees will wind up with Aroldis Chapman.  "My bet is that it'll come down to the Yankees and Red Sox, like it always does…" said the executive. "And I think the Yankees will get him.  They can give him a big-league contract over five years for $20 million and they don't even feel that."
  • The NY Post's Bart Hubbuch reports that the rumored three-way deal involving Milton Bradley, Kevin Millwood and Luis Castillo "isn't happening because the Rangers aren't interested in giving up Millwood so easily." He also mentions that the Mets aren't expected to make any majors moves until the Winter Meetings in two weeks.
  • Paul Sullivan at The Chicago Tribune rounds up some Cubs' rumors all in one convenient spot, just like our Cubs archive.
  • Meanwhile, Phil Rogers of The Chicago Tribune posted his projections on where some notable free agents will land. He sees Matt Holliday signing with Boston, while both Jason Bay and John Lackey land with the Angels.
  • Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post Dispatch notes that the market for Holliday is diminished because officials from the Angels and Giants said they "would not be vying" for his services. 
  • The Yankees' biggest focus right now is finding a "common ground" with Johnny Damon, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff. Hideki Matsui seems to be less of a priority. 
  • Larry LaRue of The News Tribune says that the Josh Johnson situation in Florida represents the worst-case scenario for the Mariners and Felix Hernandez.
  • Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker passes along a report that says Yusei Kikuchi has inked his first pro contract with the Seibu Lions. Kikuchi will not be eligible for international free agency for at least nine years, though Seibu could make him available through the posting process before that.

Latest Milton Bradley Scenario

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1:36pm: MLB.com's Carrie Muskat hears from a Cubs official that there's nothing to the rumored three way deal between the Cubs, Rangers and Mets. However, four to six teams are interested in Bradley to varying degrees.

10:58am: The latest Milton Bradley trade scenario comes courtesy of Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, who considers Bradley going to the Rangers, Kevin Millwood to the Mets, and Luis Castillo to the Cubs.

We talked to a source familiar with the situation who said that this deal is not being discussed.  Backing that up, MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan talked to a Rangers official who said it's "not happening."  So for our purposes it's more of a discussion piece. 

Does this satisfy the needs of all three teams?  The Rangers add a bat and trade from an area of depth, the Mets free up second base for other pursuits and get a veteran for the rotation, and the Cubs unload Bradley while getting a piece they can use.  The money: Bradley is owed $21MM over two years, Millwood $12MM over one, and Castillo $12MM over two.

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