Bradley Being Discussed In Three-Way Deal
9:01pm: The Chicago Tribune's Paul Sullivan is reporting that Toronto "wants no part of Milton Bradley." Meanwhile, Cubs GM Jim Hendry said that Chicago hasn't given up on Bradley, according to MLB.com's Scott Merkin. Of course, Hendry has to say that until the moment Bradley is traded.
5:55pm: A very interesting idea is being reported by Ken Rosenthal: a three-way deal, with Milton Bradley going to the Blue Jays, Luis Castillo to the Cubs, and Lyle Overbay to the Mets. Rosenthal said "The teams indeed have discussed the framework of such a deal, though not in direct fashion, according to major-league sources."
Breaking it down, the trade makes the most sense for the Mets, who would clear second base for long-coveted Orlando Hudson, a free agent. Overbay has also mashed righties for his entire career – .847 OPS career, .905 in 2009 – and could be paired with Daniel Murphy or Nick Evans for a high-reward platoon.
Castillo does block the movement of Ryan Theriot to second base when Starlin Castro arrives, but adding Castillo's on-base percentage would be a boon to the top of Chicago's lineup.
As for the Blue Jays, the deal would open up first base for Adam Lind, with Bradley slotting in as designated hitter. The question is: Overbay slugged .466 in 2009, while Bradley slugged just .397 – so is this an upgrade?
Heyman’s Latest: Holliday, Lackey, Bay, Trades
Jon Heyman has a new column up at SI.com, so let's dive on in…
- Scott Boras said on Sunday that the Cardinals have not made any proposals in an effort to retain Matt Holliday, and Heyman says "the chances for Holliday to remain a Cardinal look slim at this point."
- A source familiar with the situation said the Angels offered John Lackey an extension earlier this year worth less than $40MM over three years on top of 2009's $10MM salary, so if they wish to re-sign him now, they'll have to completely rethink their original stance.
- The Red Sox are trying to bring Jason Bay back on a four year, $60MM deal, though his agent maintains that Bay is the "most complete player on the market."
- The Mets, Giants, Braves, Cubs, Mariners, and Yankees could also be interested in Holliday and/or Bay.
- The Mets are believed to have Holliday higher on their wish list than Bay, and are also expected to pursue Randy Wolf.
- There is speculation that Lackey would like to pitch at home in Texas, but the Rangers' interest might depend on how quickly their sale is resolved.
- Heyman says that "MLB has set a tentative Thanksgiving deadline for the sale of the Rangers, but the price tag is expected to be in the $500 million range, and in cases of such big money there are no guarantees that things will go quickly."
- Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Bobby Jenks, Dan Uggla, and Milton Bradley should highlight a star studded trade market.
- Halladay seems like a good bet to be moved, while the Red Sox and Dodgers represent possible suitors for Gonzalez.
- Tampa has a replacement for Crawford in top prospect Desmond Jennings, while Jenks and Uggla would be moved in cost cutting deals.
- Teams will certainly inquire on the availability of Felix Hernandez, but Heyman says the team plans to spend the winter trying to lock him up long-term. At the GM Meetings today, GM Jack Zduriencik said "Felix is our property. We're going to have him the next two years."
- The Yankees have started to think about re-signing both Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui.
- Both the Brewers and Mariners are expected to have interest in Jarrod Washburn.
- If the Angels don't re-sign Chone Figgins, they are expected to pursue Adrian Beltre to fill their third base hole.
- The Rangers will let Hank Blalock walk as a free agent, and are expected to promote top prospect Justin Smoak next year.
- Orlando Hudson is expected to leave the Dodgers as a free agent, though Heyman says they could re-sign Ronnie Belliard to compete with Blake DeWitt at second base.
- Team officials would not be shocked if the Red Sox tried to move David Ortiz and/or Mike Lowell, though it's going to be tough to move them with all the DH-types available on the free agent market.
Cubs Talk: Bradley, Trades vs. Free Agency
The GM meetings kick off today in Chicago, though free agents are stuck talking only to their current team until November 20th. As a result, the days ahead figure to be filled with plenty of trade talk, and Milton Bradley is certainly one of the higher profile players on the block. It's only natural that his name popped up this morning.
We heard back in October that "multiple teams are in contact with the Cubs" about Bradley, and now a source tells Gordon Wittenmyer of The Chicago Sun Times that "at least three more interested parties contacted the Cubs in the last week or so." Wittenmyer also mentions the Cubbies figure to be more involved in trades than free agency this winter.
''I think you'll see a lot of that,'' Hendry said. ''At the same time, I think the free-agent world will be a patient market like it ended up being last year, and some good players will probably be available as the winter progresses. We'll be looking to trade some pieces to get some pieces.''
We've already seen some speculation that the Cubs could bolster their bullpen through trades.
Odds & Ends: Cubs, Podsednik, Giants
Let's close out this Sunday evening with a few links…
- Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune runs down the Cubs' offseason wish list. Unsurprisingly, getting rid of Milton Bradley is the top priority.
- The agent for Scott Podsednik claims that the lines of communication with the White Sox are still open, despite GM Ken Williams' reluctance to re-sign the 33-year-old, writes the Tribune's Mark Gonzales. Scotty Pods' chances of returning decreased after the club took on salary in the trade for Mark Teahen.
- Giants prospect Angel Villalona is out on bail, says ESPN's Enrique Rojas (via Twitter). Villalona was charged with murder back in September.
Kurkjian’s Latest: Yankees, Dodgers, Chapman
Tim Kurkjian runs through some of the top storylines to watch this offseason for his latest article on ESPN.com. Here's a breakdown of some of the topics discussed…
- Kurkjian believes the Yankees will let Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui walk this winter and will "consider" free agents Jason Bay and Matt Holliday.
- Kurkjian also thinks Holliday is "perfect for Fenway Park," and someone who will be pursued if the Red Sox aren't able to reach an agreement with Bay.
- The McCourts' divorce could have a serious impact on the way Los Angeles does business this offseason. As Kurkjian writes, "The Dodgers need to acquire at least one topflight starting pitcher, but there is already speculation that they will not have enough money to re-sign left-hander Randy Wolf."
- The Cubs won't be able to trade Milton Bradley without picking up most of the two years, $20MM left on his contact.
- The Yanks are likely to re-sign Andy Pettitte for at least one year.
- Kurkjian spoke to one MLB general manager who thinks Cuban left-hander Aroldis Chapman has "a ways to go before he's ready to pitch in the major leagues, phyiscally and emotionally."
- The Angels are expected to be aggressive in trying to re-sign Chone Figgins, but he'll have plenty of other suitors. Kurkjian lists the White Sox and Orioles as possibilities. We've heard the Cubs might also have interest.
Odds & Ends: Chapman, Bradley, Rays, Twins
Links for Monday…
- Offers have begun rolling in for Aroldis Chapman, says ESPN's Keith Law. Also, MLB.com's Carrie Muskat says the Cubs talked to Chapman's agent but he "doesn't fit in their budget."
- ESPN's Peter Gammons tweets that Red Sox Director of Player Development Mike Hazen declined Jed Hoyer's offer to become the Padres' assistant GM.
- MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan says the Rangers "refused to rule out the possibility of Milton Bradley coming back to Texas." Sullivan wasn't willing to allow the possibility a month ago, when he wrote, "The Rangers are not interested in Bradley. Sources have made that clear. He is not coming back. So stop it." Back in September, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said Bradley "pushed himself way down the wish list with his comments, and probably pushed himself off it completely."
- R.J. Anderson of DRays Bay reflects on the Matt Garza–Delmon Young trade.
- Aaron Gleeman runs through free agent second baseman options for the Twins. Also check out our free agent and trade candidates posts for second base.
- Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times talked to former Rays GM Chuck LaMar about the trade that sent Chad Gaudin to the Blue Jays for Kevin Cash.
Cubs, Jays Talking Bradley For Wells?
12:50pm: According to Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune, a Cubs source "quickly responded to the report by saying the rumor has 'no legs at all,' adding the team has not discussed the possibility of bringing Wells to the North Side."
9:45am: We've heard plenty of talk that the Cubs will try to trade disgrunted outfielder Milton Bradley this offseason, and somewhat surprisingly there's been plenty of interest in his services. Most believe the Cubs might have to take on another bad contract in return, maybe someone like Pat Burrell, but Bob Elliott of The Toronto Sun tosses a new name into the rumor ring: Vernon Wells.
"It's early on, but we think this one has some legs," said one Cubs official. "But they aren't the only team we are talking with."
Wells has hit just .276/.324/.439 since signing his big contract, which still has five years and $107MM left on it (including a still-to-be-paid portion of his signing bonus). Bradley is owed just $21MM over the next two years, and Elliott indicates that the "Cubs' idea is to split the difference on monies owed," which works out to each team absorbing $43MM.
Looking it from the Blue Jays' point of view, they would probably love to go through with this deal because they'd be saving a boatload of cash while picking up the player with a shorter commitment. Things don't appear to add up for the Cubbies, who would be taking on a ton of money while added another long-term, untradeable contract to Alfonso Soriano's. Not sure this one passes the sniff test, but crazier things have happened.
Olney On Potential Non-Tenders And Bradley
In today's blog post at ESPN.com, Buster Olney indicates that there is belief among general managers that the "financial restructuring that has been occurring across the landscape is about to hit the arbitration-level players like a tidal wave." He mentions underperforming, but well paid players like Garrett Atkins and Kelly Johnson are prime non-tender bait, especially since their clubs have replacements ready and it's unlikely they'll be able to trade them. Make sure you check out MLBTR's list of non-tender candidates.
Olney also talks about some bad contracts the Cubs could acquire in exchange for Milton Bradley, adding that this morning's Vernon Wells rumor "would be a stunner" if it happened. Some of the players he mentions as possible fits include Carlos Silva, Derek Lowe, Gary Matthews Jr. (who said he wants out of Anaheim), Barry Zito, Aaron Rowand, Oliver Perez, and Dontrelle Willis, among others. Any other ideas?
Heyman On Chapman, Mets, Hudson
The latest hot stove notes from SI's Jon Heyman…
- Despite interest from several other clubs, Heyman sees the Aroldis Chapman bidding as ultimately a Yankees-Red Sox battle.
- Heyman says the Mets "don't seem inclined" to pursue free agent starter John Lackey. Heyman believes Lackey will aim for $100MM+, which is higher than most estimates we've seen.
- The Mets have no interest in Milton Bradley, despite a September report. Heyman believes a left fielder will be the team's big-ticket import, with Matt Holliday atop their list.
- Like many, Heyman does not see Orlando Hudson returning to the Dodgers. Hudson earned about $8MM this year and will be a Type A free agent once again.
- Look for a Jed Hoyer announcement today from the Padres.
Multiple Teams Eyeing Milton Bradley
"Multiple teams are in contact with the Cubs about outfielder Milton Bradley," according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal even quotes one source who said, "You would be shocked at the level of interest."
Rosenthal says the Cubs believe they can trade Bradley without eating the vast majority of his remaining $21MM, and the team's new ownership set a limit for a cash contribution from the Cubs in any trade. Rosenthal notes that the Cubs could still take back a contract.
Bradley, 32 in April, hit .257/.378/.397 in 473 plate appearances this year. He logged 915 innings in the outfield, his highest total since 2004. I suggested yesterday that the Cubs should try to work things out with Bradley, especially with hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo on board. However, Cubs GM Jim Hendry told MLB.com's Carrie Muskat the Jaramillo hiring had nothing to do with Bradley.
As far as the shocking level of interest in Bradley, we know there's a longshot possibility with the Rays. In a September 26th video, Rosenthal said the Giants, Padres, Rangers, Rays, and Mets "are among the clubs with possible interest." The Padres seemed open-minded, but that was when Kevin Towers was GM. The Rangers and Royals appear to be out.