Bradley Suspended for the Rest of the Season

[Rob]

Really simple exercise. Go to fangraphs.com. Look up a player. See how much money they've been worth. Subtract that number from the average annual value of their contract. I didn't feel like doing the guys making under one million, or trying to divide Grabow's contract between Pittsburgh and us, or dealing with Samardzija's contract, since that was a major league deal signed out of college and doesn't seem quite the same... but here are the results.

 

Note: I could be intellectually dishonest and point out that Bradley's salary is only $5 million this year, and he's been worth six. But that disregards signing bonuses and backloaded contracts, so it's easiest to just do it with average annual value)

 

 

Lee: + $7,400,000

Lilly: + $5,400,000

Johnson: + $1,500,000

Harden: + $1,400,000

Heilman: - $625,000

Dempster: - $1,200,000

Cotts: - $2,700,000

Fukudome: - $2,900,000

Bradley: - $4,000,000

Ramirez: -$4,600,000

Zambrano: - $5,100,000

Gregg: - $5,600,000

Miles: - $8,550,000

Soriano: - $20,600,000

[Irrelevant Dude]

Is this a paid or unpaid suspension? If unpaid, will the player's union be getting involved?

[hawkeyecub]

Bradley's a jackass, there's no question about that. I feel this easily could've been handled in a better manner than how it's currently being handled. I'm only defending Bradley because I think he's a decent player and he's better than the in-house options that we have right now. Is that too difficult to understand?

 

Easily?

 

His on-field production relative to the other in-house options is basically irrelevant. It simply got to the point where there was no way it would be feasible to bring him back next year.

[USSoccer]

On the other hand, one would want their GM to make rational, weighted decisions instead of knee jerk pissed off reactions to things, and taking someone's trade value from "negligible" to "none" is still taking it down.

I would like to think that Hendry sat down with Bradley much earlier in the season to try to settle him down, but I doubt that ever happened. He waited to do anything until the team was virtually eliminated.

 

Either way, Lou can go all knee jerk and flip out, but GM's should be pretty Zen about this kind of thing, especially since we have like 10 games left.

[TruffleShuffle]

Is this a paid or unpaid suspension? If unpaid, will the player's union be getting involved?

 

i'm pretty sure it has to be paid. i think shawn chacon was paid on suspension by the astros after trying to beat up their general manager. if you get paid for that then, unless bradley has gone on a raping spree, the cubs are going to have a hard time justifying not paying him.

[Soul]

So how DID Texas get such a bombastic season from him anyway? Can't all be explained with park factors...can it?

[17 Seconds]

You may be right, but again, who plays RF for the Cubs next year?

 

bobby abreu maybe? his fielding blows but he's been easily worth the $5M the angels are paying him. it seemed like the market settled and he was the last one standing; there may be another situation where everyone is all set and the cubs end up with bobby abreu or reggie sanders type.

 

as for trades, maybe cody ross? he's due for an arbitration raise, similar to josh willingham last year, and the marlins didn't get all that much for willingham because they needed to dump salary. ross isn't great but he'd be a plus fielder in right and could probably be had without giving up a ton.

 

what about luke scott? he could come cheap and he has a .902 OPS against RHP the last 3 seasons. Maybe a platoon with Johnson? Doesn't sound exciting, but it should get pretty solid production

[OleMissCub]

So how DID Texas get such a bombastic season from him anyway? Can't all be explained with park factors...can it?

 

the cynical guy in me would said it was his contract year.

[hawkeyecub]

Because much of Bradley's value is wrapped up in his on-base percentage, I think some people tend to see him as a litmus test in the increasingly tiresome sabermetrics vs. crusty old baseball men debate. Never mind the fact that Billy Beane, after seeing the error of his ways, jettisoned MB as soon as possible (that must make Billy Beane a racist).

 

The fact that MB has had problems everywhere he has been seems to elude some people. Be angry at Jim Hendry for signing Bradley in the first place, don't be angry at him for suspending him (and I doubt Hendry gets anything for him on the trade market).

 

He won't get anything now that he suspended him.

 

He wasn't going to get anything if he didn't suspend him.

 

It's his 6th team in 7 years and there already were probably a fair number of teams that wouldn't touch him because of his rep. Everything that went on this year was well known around baseball and with his lack of production and contract, he has almost no trade value.

[17 Seconds]

So how DID Texas get such a bombastic season from him anyway? Can't all be explained with park factors...can it?

 

the park certainly helped, but he was still really good. he's shown he can get hot and putu p big numbers. the problem is, most years he doesn't get that hot.

 

also, iirc milton had a ridiculous babip last season

[Soul]

Edit-darn double posts Edited September 21, 2009 by Soul

[Rob]

You may be right, but again, who plays RF for the Cubs next year?

 

I can see the Cubs moving Fukudome to RF and doing something absolutely asinine like getting Chone Figgins for CF.

 

That's a lot smarter of a move than making Milton Bradley the focus of your offseason plans.

 

Figgins is basically the same age as Bradley and is way, way worse at baseball

 

Figgins at his peak is an OBP machine who has no power... or what Bradley was in a down season. But if we're picking up Bradleys contract to go after Figgins, we're effectively paying Figgins $20+ mil per season.

[imb]

Edit-darn double posts

 

 

the park certainly helped, but he was still really good. he's shown he can get hot and putu p big numbers. the problem is, most years he doesn't get that hot.

 

also, iirc milton had a ridiculous babip last season

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Because much of Bradley's value is wrapped up in his on-base percentage, I think some people tend to see him as a litmus test in the increasingly tiresome sabermetrics vs. crusty old baseball men debate. Never mind the fact that Billy Beane, after seeing the error of his ways, jettisoned MB as soon as possible (that must make Billy Beane a racist).

 

The fact that MB has had problems everywhere he has been seems to elude some people. Be angry at Jim Hendry for signing Bradley in the first place, don't be angry at him for suspending him (and I doubt Hendry gets anything for him on the trade market).

 

He won't get anything now that he suspended him.

 

He wasn't going to get anything if he didn't suspend him.

 

It's his 6th team in 7 years and there already were probably a fair number of teams that wouldn't touch him because of his rep. Everything that went on this year was well known around baseball and with his lack of production and contract, he has almost no trade value.

 

I don't see it that way. There's a huge difference between a guy talking about being unhappy(making it more likely he gets traded) and his general manager suspending him for 10% of the season.

[CubbieBum]

You may be right, but again, who plays RF for the Cubs next year?

 

bobby abreu maybe? his fielding blows but he's been easily worth the $5M the angels are paying him. it seemed like the market settled and he was the last one standing; there may be another situation where everyone is all set and the cubs end up with bobby abreu or reggie sanders type.

 

as for trades, maybe cody ross? he's due for an arbitration raise, similar to josh willingham last year, and the marlins didn't get all that much for willingham because they needed to dump salary. ross isn't great but he'd be a plus fielder in right and could probably be had without giving up a ton.

 

what about luke scott? he could come cheap and he has a .902 OPS against RHP the last 3 seasons. Maybe a platoon with Johnson? Doesn't sound exciting, but it should get pretty solid production

 

I wouldn't mind Luke Scott. He's got pretty good power and in the cubs lineup I would imagine he would see a little better pitches to hit than he does with Baltimore.

[OleMissCub]

try and steal my boy Seth Smith from the Rox. They have way too many good outfielders as is and he'll likely just be a backup next year.

 

307 AB's, .303/.387/.531, .918 OPS, 133 OPS+

[Rob]

Seth Smith is largely a byproduct of Coors.

 

Luke Scott isn't a bad player, but last I heard MacPhail was asking an absurd amount for him. (as he does for everybody)

[Derwood]

too bad Jeremy Hermida hasn't panned out.

[Rob]

Here's the thing. We know Hendry probably wouldn't have made this move if he didn't already have a target in mind. Given the comments to the media, I'm convinced it's probably a speed guy.

 

I'm hoping it's BJ Upton. I'm scared it's gonna be Sam Fuld. I'm scared shitless it'll be Chone Figgins.

[Derwood]

Here's the thing. We know Hendry probably wouldn't have made this move if he didn't already have a target in mind. Given the comments to the media, I'm convinced it's probably a speed guy.

 

I'm hoping it's BJ Upton. I'm scared it's gonna be Sam Fuld. I'm scared [expletive] it'll be Chone Figgins.

 

It'll be Figgins.

[SouthSideRyan]

this thread would be a really good one to focus on if anyone here decided to clear the riff-raff out of nsbb and make this place awesome.

 

meaning: people who disagree with you

 

right?

 

Meaning [expletive] morons who cite batting average and RBI.

 

And yeah, my racist accusation was really [expletive] dumb.

[OleMissCub]

Meaning [expletive] morons who cite batting average and RBI.

 

 

you talking about me? I haven't referenced either of those this entire thread.

[SouthSideRyan]

Realistic Cub possibility: We bring up Colvin and he looks great the last 15 games or so of the year. We DFA Bradley, because no one will pay ANYTHING of his contract, nor give us anything for him, because of what's happened here.

 

Colvin goes into next year as our starting RFer. He proceeds to put up a line of .245/.270/.360 for April/May and then we send him down only to use Hoff there for June/July, where he puts up the same line as Colvin. We finish next year with Fukudone in Rf and Johnson in CF fulltime, with the main offseason goal of 2011 as "we need more lefthandedness"

 

At least the fans will like Tyler and his can-do attitude and inability to take a walk.

[Derwood]

Meaning [expletive] morons who cite batting average and RBI.

 

 

you talking about me? I haven't referenced either of those this entire thread.

 

no, he wasn't talking about you

[SouthSideRyan]

I've never been a big believer in clubhouse chemistry. Hell, the 1970's A's dynasty would regularly get into fistfights in the clubhouse. But, all rules are off when it comes to Milton Bradley. He's the exception to the rule. The man in a cancer and a nutcase and the sooner we cut him loose the better.

 

Why are all rules off when it comes to Milton? Was the A's team he was on just that incredible that it managed to make it the playoffs with him? How bout the Dodgers in '04?

 

Milton's probably an [expletive], and unbalanced. What this has to do with his ability as a baseball player is beyond me. The fact that he made you and other Cubs fans sad by telling them they were hateful idiots doesn't change the fact that he's likely to be a good player next year.