Re: Rosenthal: Multiple teams after Bradley

[Rob]

 

I doubt that Crisp is much of an option, but I can't believe anyone is talking about Fuld in a starting role next year.

 

I must have missed the part where we have a better internal option right now if Bradley has to leave, as you have said numerous times.

[Backtobanks]

The Braves are planning on competing this year. They aren't going to trade a guy who was a top 3 pitcher in the NL last season for the stuff you're talking about. It's not even worth discussing.

 

The Braves have a ton of pitching (which is why Lowe/Vazquez are trade bait) and are at least 2-3 hitters away from coming close to the Phillies. Adding Bradley and Fox fills 2 holes in their offense while decreasing payroll for 2010. Don't forget the target team has to be close enough to contending to think Vazquez will be the difference and be willing to give up an important part of their offense to get him. Names like Hawpe, Cruz, and Crawford are possibilities, but Cruz and Crawford are pretty young to be given up for a 1-year pitcher. Also, the Mets should bounce back some with health and 1-2 free agents. The Braves aren't going to be contending unless they add a lot of offense.

[Backtobanks]

 

I doubt that Crisp is much of an option, but I can't believe anyone is talking about Fuld in a starting role next year.

 

I must have missed the part where we have a better internal option right now if Bradley has to leave, as you have said numerous times.

 

Obviously, the Cubs don't have an internal option to start. Fuld is a wonderful story, but he's not a ML starter. My opinion is that Bradley has to leave, but the only opinions that count are the Cubs' front office and they seem to agree.

[Little Slide Rooter]

 

I doubt that Crisp is much of an option, but I can't believe anyone is talking about Fuld in a starting role next year.

 

I must have missed the part where we have a better internal option right now if Bradley has to leave, as you have said numerous times.

 

Obviously, the Cubs don't have an internal option to start. Fuld is a wonderful story, but he's not a ML starter. My opinion is that Bradley has to leave, but the only opinions that count are the Cubs' front office and they seem to agree.

 

As of now, there is about 8 million dollars to work with. Depending on what is done with Bradley, a few more bucks could be freed up. Lou has stated that he wants a speedy leadoff hitter and an RBI producer. More than likely , he gets 1 of the 2, and it will be a CF or a RF. Im going to guess that they go with an RBI guy. Im guessing thtat its Hawpe, Hermida, or Burrell. I doubt that Fuld is a starter for us, but Id be surprised if he doesnt earn a bench job.

[Banedon]

The way that all the talk was going, I thought Bradley would have been traded as soon as Hendry rolled out of bed this morning. Hopefully he's letting a "bidding war" of sorts develop.

[Tyrant]

Adding Bradley and Fox fills 2 holes in their offense while decreasing payroll for 2010.

 

How does it fill two holes? Jake Fox has almost no value to a National League club.

[jersey cubs fan]

Somebody needs to figure out how to grow the Philly dislike for Cole Hamels right now into a need to move him and then figure out a way to turn the Bradley dump into a Hamels acquisition.

[Backtobanks]

Somebody needs to figure out how to grow the Philly dislike for Cole Hamels right now into a need to move him and then figure out a way to turn the Bradley dump into a Hamels acquisition.

:pig:

[Backtobanks]

Adding Bradley and Fox fills 2 holes in their offense while decreasing payroll for 2010.

 

How does it fill two holes? Jake Fox has almost no value to a National League club.

 

Stick him at 1B and let him grow into it. Assuming he will hit, he won't be the worst 1B in baseball.

[TruffleShuffle]

Somebody needs to figure out how to grow the Philly dislike for Cole Hamels right now into a need to move him and then figure out a way to turn the Bradley dump into a Hamels acquisition.

:pig:

 

jersey kinda has a point though, people are pissed off at hamels right now and feel like he quit on the team (which he didn't, but whatever).

 

that being said, the phillies are a smart, well-run organization and i'd be very surprised if they don't tell hamels to just relax and recharge his batteries in the offseason. the fans are fickle but they also know that hamels was probably the biggest reason that they won in 2008, and i don't think there's really much of a groundswell to run him out of town.

[TruffleShuffle]

Adding Bradley and Fox fills 2 holes in their offense while decreasing payroll for 2010.

 

How does it fill two holes? Jake Fox has almost no value to a National League club.

 

Stick him at 1B and let him grow into it. Assuming he will hit, he won't be the worst 1B in baseball.

 

sounds like a ringing endorsement.

[RedFlash]

jersey kinda has a point though, people are pissed off at hamels right now and feel like he quit on the team (which he didn't, but whatever).

 

To be fair they made be mad at him right now, but consider the fact that he help lead them to a World Series just LAST YEAR takes a lot of sting away from this year's disappearance. Had the Phillies NOT won it last yr, then Phillies fans would be frustrated and prepared to run Hamels out of Philly. So I think this "pissed off" feeling will subside very quickly.

[Tyrant]

Assuming he will hit, he won't be the worst 1B in baseball.

 

Oh, forgive me. You're right. Teams are probably lining up to trade for a guy who, if he hits, won't be the worst first baseman in baseball.

[Keener98]

Somebody needs to figure out how to grow the Philly dislike for Cole Hamels right now into a need to move him and then figure out a way to turn the Bradley dump into a Hamels acquisition.

 

Bradley in Philly would be all sorts of entertaining.

[jersey cubs fan]

Somebody needs to figure out how to grow the Philly dislike for Cole Hamels right now into a need to move him and then figure out a way to turn the Bradley dump into a Hamels acquisition.

:pig:

 

jersey kinda has a point though, people are pissed off at hamels right now and feel like he quit on the team (which he didn't, but whatever).

 

that being said, the phillies are a smart, well-run organization and i'd be very surprised if they don't tell hamels to just relax and recharge his batteries in the offseason. the fans are fickle but they also know that hamels was probably the biggest reason that they won in 2008, and i don't think there's really much of a groundswell to run him out of town.

 

Yeah, I don't actually think anything can come of it, which is why i said "grow the dislike", like some sort of CIA funded coup. I haven't been around a lot of Phillies fans recently, but the ones I do know are all bitching about him. My guess is that on top of the fact he was so good last year, they will realize they need the pitching.

[inari]

Adding Bradley and Fox fills 2 holes in their offense while decreasing payroll for 2010.

 

How does it fill two holes? Jake Fox has almost no value to a National League club.

 

Stick him at 1B and let him grow into it. Assuming he will hit, he won't be the worst 1B in baseball.

 

Assuming he hits is not a safe assumption to make.

[davearm2]

The way that all the talk was going, I thought Bradley would have been traded as soon as Hendry rolled out of bed this morning. Hopefully he's letting a "bidding war" of sorts develop.

I had myself convinced that this Bradley situation would be resolved immediately after the WS -- like today or tomorrow. Today doesn't look likely.

[jersey cubs fan]

The way that all the talk was going, I thought Bradley would have been traded as soon as Hendry rolled out of bed this morning. Hopefully he's letting a "bidding war" of sorts develop.

I had myself convinced that this Bradley situation would be resolved immediately after the WS -- like today or tomorrow. Today doesn't look likely.

 

For the first time in a long time I heard Mike and Mike this morning and Buster Olney was on and supposedly getting a bunch of texts about a developing deal and I was thinking it was Bradley.

[davell]

If this thing doesn't happen before FA starts, I could see this dragging on all winter, just like Sosa did.......

[javy knows my name]

If this thing doesn't happen before FA starts, I could see this dragging on all winter, just like Sosa did.......

I don't see how that could be a bad thing. Hendry's already telegraphed that he wants Bradley gone at any cost. I don't also want him jumping at the first offer he gets.

[davell]

If this thing doesn't happen before FA starts, I could see this dragging on all winter, just like Sosa did.......

I don't see how that could be a bad thing. Hendry's already telegraphed that he wants Bradley gone at any cost. I don't also want him jumping at the first offer he gets.

 

 

My reasoning for why I think it's a bad thing is this: We wait it out and then everyone has already filled their holes through free agency or with other trades. And that may not be a horrible thing if I thought Hendry would then try to make it work with Bradley on the team. But, I see the opposite and Hendry desperately paying all or most of his deal at that point(and Ricketts caving in and letting Hendry hang himself in the process) while not doing much of anything else at all this offseason.

[jersey cubs fan]

If this thing doesn't happen before FA starts, I could see this dragging on all winter, just like Sosa did.......

I don't see how that could be a bad thing. Hendry's already telegraphed that he wants Bradley gone at any cost. I don't also want him jumping at the first offer he gets.

 

It's a bad thing because it leaves the team unable to make other moves before this one is made and they know what they are left with, and at that time the good players are gone and most teams have made the trades/signings they want. That could leave them in a situation where all they do is dump Bradley and sign a hitting coach, while resigning a mediocre reliever of their own, and maybe acquire some other bench schmuck.

 

2005 sucked, in part because the 2004/2005 offseason was all about dumping Sosa and that didn't happen until February.

[CUBZ99]

If this thing doesn't happen before FA starts, I could see this dragging on all winter, just like Sosa did.......

I don't see how that could be a bad thing. Hendry's already telegraphed that he wants Bradley gone at any cost. I don't also want him jumping at the first offer he gets.

 

It's a bad thing because it leaves the team unable to make other moves before this one is made and they know what they are left with, and at that time the good players are gone and most teams have made the trades/signings they want. That could leave them in a situation where all they do is dump Bradley and sign a hitting coach, while resigning a mediocre reliever of their own, and maybe acquire some other bench schmuck.

 

2005 sucked, in part because the 2004/2005 offseason was all about dumping Sosa and that didn't happen until February.

 

Last year, delay would have been a good thing. Hendry could have signed Abreu (instead of Bradley) for a discounted one year contract. Hudson could have been acquired for a few million more than Miles. The better deals seemed to be made right before spring training.

[jersey cubs fan]

Last year, delay would have been a good thing. Hendry could have signed Abreu (instead of Bradley) for a discounted one year contract. Hudson could have been acquired for a few million more than Miles. The better deals seemed to be made right before spring training.

 

Last year was odd. It was the middle of the financial meltdown and nobody had any idea how the recession would affect ticket sales. Seemingly only the Cubs and Yankees were signing guys.

 

If trading Bradley is the big move of the offseason, and it takes place in February, it could mean this team does nothing to get better in 2009 and actually takes a step back.

 

I'd rather he get the best deal he can, but I'd also rather it get done before free agency (unless Ricketts says, "F it, go get what you want and we'll deal with Bradley later'.)

[dew1679666265]

If this thing doesn't happen before FA starts, I could see this dragging on all winter, just like Sosa did.......

I don't see how that could be a bad thing. Hendry's already telegraphed that he wants Bradley gone at any cost. I don't also want him jumping at the first offer he gets.

 

It's a bad thing because it leaves the team unable to make other moves before this one is made and they know what they are left with, and at that time the good players are gone and most teams have made the trades/signings they want. That could leave them in a situation where all they do is dump Bradley and sign a hitting coach, while resigning a mediocre reliever of their own, and maybe acquire some other bench schmuck.

 

2005 sucked, in part because the 2004/2005 offseason was all about dumping Sosa and that didn't happen until February.

 

If it drags into February, that's not good. But, it dragging on for a while (maybe early to mid January) might actually be a good thing. The longer this goes, the more free agents will be signed by other teams and the fewer options teams bidding on Bradley will have. There's a chance a team in mid January will see a dwindling free agent/trade market and make a stronger bid for Milton.

 

Also, the likelihood that we'll have the money for big free agents is quite low, so most of our free agent work this offseason might be closer to bargain bin stuff anyway and that usually picks up in late January and into February.