Rays Interested in Bradley?
October 8th, 2009 | by Jason Collette |Chris DeLuca of the Chicago Sun-Times says so:
Sources say the Cubs have been pushing the Tampa Bay Rays for a quick deal. The Rays were one of Bradley’s top suitors last winter until the Cubs let the world know they had a three-year, $30 million offer on the table. The Rays loved Bradley’s on-base magic and manager Joe Maddon is so self-assured — to a fault — he believed he could handle Bradley’s unique personality as deftly as Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington did in 2008.
I would be interested in this as Bradley was my top choice in last year’s free agent class because he could switch hit and play the field. If the Cubs would do Burrell for Bradley so both teams could shed contracts they regret inking, I am on board with it. The thought of paying Burrell $9,000,000 next year sickens me because the Rays are paying a declining skill set who is a double detriment since he is a huge risk when he puts a glove on.
Tags: Milton Bradley, Pat Burrell, rumors
By Tom Dubberke on Oct 9, 2009
The trade certainly makes sense for the Rays from a talent or skill set standpoint. However, any club with serious playoffs aspirations, like the 2010 Rays, really need to think long and hard about whether they can put up with the inevitable distractions that Bradley has created just about every place he’s played.
One thing to be said for Tampa: it’s a small media market, where Bradley will, perhaps, have fewer opportunities to put his foot in his mouth than Chicago or Los Angeles.
By Jason Collette on Oct 9, 2009
Thanks for the comment, Tom. Bradley certainly is a risk with his temperament and it would work out to a high risk – high reward situation. I think Maddon and the right hire as hitting coach would be a good combination to help keep Bradley on the right track. I think guys like Dukes and Young were just too young and foolish at the time they were here to accept such guidance while Bradley has the experience to know when someone is trying to help him. Of course, Bradley has to be willing to help himself.