I’ll withold judgement on Dunn versus Bradley. I prefer not signing either, but if Jim and Lou require one or the other, I’m waffleing and believe it comes down to dollars.

If (IF), Bradley can be signed for fewer years and less annual dollars, he may be the better gamble.

The case for Bradley is simple. All other options have negatives when they play. Bradley’s only drawback comes when he doesn’t play. The Cubs bench depth goes far enough to cover the injury time. When Bradley’s injured, we’ll just plug in Mike Fontenot and see if he’ll be ready to take over full-time in 2010.

If you’re going to pay a free agent like this the money he’s going to be asking for (likely in the 3-year, $30 million range), you’ve got to make certain that you’re going to get fulltime production out of him.

I think this is where the real hang-up is. We don’t like to see guys making millions of dollars if they aren’t “working” for it (ignoring that rehab can be harder and more work-like than playing baseball). This is especially true when an injury comes from that player’s own anger issues.

But that’s the nature of baseball today – imperfect players get paid millions of dollars. Rich Harden will get paid millions of dollars in 2009 and he may only pitch a half dozen games. But both Bradley and Harden are worth it for the Cubs because we have so much money to spend and the depth to cover their injury time well. The Cubs are better off taking the risk with Harden and Bradley because if they happen to be healthy in October, they take our club to another level of performance. And if they’re out all season long, we’re still good enough to get to October without them.

But, if we can get the Parker Brothers to go with him, then we’ve got something.

That said, the reason I don’t like him is the inconsistency. We already have inconsistent in the lineup and we don’t have to sign it for 3 years.

Bradley’s 162 game avg line is: .280/.370/.457 20HR, 342B, 79RBI, 87R, 77BB

Which obviously had to be extracted because he’s only played more than 100 games 3 times in 9 year career. A career in which he has played for 6 teams in 9 years, so there are likely 6 other GMs who think that Bradley has other significant drawbacks beyond on-field performance….which was a rarity in and of itself.

Bradley’s avg. errors in a 162 game season: 6.6
Dune’s avg. errors in a 162 game season: 10.8

Dunn’s 162 avg. game line: .247/.381/.518, 40HR, 292B, 91RBI, 100R, 114BB

BTW, Dunn has played more than 100 games 7 of 8 seasons.

We need productivity on the field, its the only way to bring home a championship. The player that gives us the least likely chance to perform on the field for us is Bradley. Ergo, he’s the worst of the three (or more) options.

a LH bat is to “break up” the batting order so pitchers see a different look and don’t get to pound the same side of the plate?

If, for no other reason, I’m tired of hearing about the Abreu-Bradley-Dunn debate. I’d rather have Dunn, but Bradley might stay away from injuries next season. That’s optimistic thinking. I was worried that Kerry Wood was going to have a problem more serious than the blister last season, but he didn’t. I like Wood more than Gregg, but Gregg is our guy now.

Good luck to both Milton Bradley and Kevin Gregg! May injuries not befall Bradley! May control problems not befall Gregg!

It takes quite a man to fight back from injury 80 times. What internal fortitude!

In +/-2000 the Cub’s opened the season against the Expos and Milton Bradley was playing for them. I was talking to him and a few other players during batting practice and invited them out for a few drinks after the game. Graeme Lloyd (sp?), Britt Reams, Scott Strickland and Milton all came out and joined us. Milton could not have been a nicer more down to earth person. Granted this is as small of a sample size as possible but it is worth something.

You list all this guys DL trips and on field episodes but you don’t list any of his accomplishments. You don’t list how he led the AL in OBP and OPS last year. You seem to really hate this guy and why? I don’t think it’s the injuries because you are the same person who was saying we should re-sign Kerry Wood because he’s over his injury concerns when in reality, if you did a list of his injuries it would be twice as long as Miltons.

I don’t know why anybody would not want this guy. Who cares he’s an asshole? The guy can hit a baseball from the left side of the plate very well. I’ll take 25 assholes if it gives the Cubs are World Series.

about the structure of the contract. The Cubs showed interest in Bradley a couple of years ago, when Dusty talked to him. Milton knows Hendry is interested in him, and the fact that the Cubs are talking to Bradley now without simultaneously dealing with Dunn or others is another indication of that. He may very well be willing to come to a place he is wanted, and where he can win, for a contract with some incentives.

I think it’s quite possible the announced deal will be something like $8 M guaranteed for the first two years, plus incentives for games played that could bring it as high as $12 M per year, and a vesting option for the third year that kicks in if he plays in at least 100 games in the second season.

Personally, I think that’s better than signing Dunn for 3/36 or so. Particularly because the difference in guaranteed money might determine whether we keep DeRosa going into the start of the season.

If he would just let MB punch out the ump, he never wouldve sustained an acl injury, way to go Bud

the last season he played in over 100 games was 2004. Throughout his 9 season of playing, he’s only played in over 100 games 3 times.

…is how the fans will treat him. You can see by these threads that, like Jacques Jones, many if not most of the fans here have already decided they don’t like him.

We don’t have a good recent history with African American ballplayers who are sensitive to fan criticism.

Now, on the plus side, we know Bradley will produce, which is something you can’t say about the Hawkins, Pattersons, and JJ’s of the world.

It is a blue “L” on a white background and that is what it’s called.

Why would google be advertising that on BCB?

Per ESPN 1000’s Bruce Levine, Aaron Miles is now a Cub (meh) and Milton Bradley will be signed w/in the next 2 weeks to 10 days.

Think about this:

Jim Hendry got Edmonds this season and we pretty much hated the move: “Oh he’s no good, he’s hurt all the time, his a Cubs killer blah blah” And then look how well he played for us last year.

Rich Harden: Probably has had just as many injuries as Bradley; But I tell you we where doing back flips when he was traded here.

Given Hendry’s track record I think that we should give him the benefit of the doubt for now. Because there’s no questions that Milton Bradley is a very good offensive player when he’s healthy.

Link

This has got to be a far better option than getting roped in to Bradley, or even Dunn, for 3-4 years.

I know the official Al stance is Adam Dunn and I agree that ‘The Game’ would be a risky and volatile addition to our Cubbies.
(I will cheer him on if necessary)

I personally prefer the talents of one Bobby Abreu and I think he can put up decent numbers against good pitchers. I think Dunn is just another vulture and The Game is just going to be a distraction

Why his Dad, Milton Bradley Sr, of course!

With all these moves being made I’m starting to wonder if maybe the new owner is in place. I saw that idea mentioned on another board an I agree that it is very possible.

In the last 18 hours things have gotten really busy in Cub land after reports said nothing would happen until a new owner was in place.

1. San Diego injury
2. Going up to the broadcast booth last year to confront Jim Levebre

Not sure what the situation was with LA and the bag of balls he threw on the field. Nor the “coke throwing” incident. More?

Anyone have more background on the situations that have made him such a loose cannon?

As long as he is a great teammate and doesn’t make a habit of getting suspended he brings a fire to this team that I can’t recall we’ve had for some years.

If he remains helthy this year people will look back on this potential deal and applaud.

Just my opinion…..

As I said concerning last years Trade That Shall Not Be Named, I’ll root for MB if he becomes a Cub, even if I think Hendry’s smoking crack on this one – especially since he sent Mark DeRosa packing. But it will be another roller coaster on this one.

as a Bay Area resident and an A’s fan too, I remember the passion he brought to the ‘06 playoff race, the funny handshake with Swisher whenever either one hit a homer. He was also the only guy on the whole team who hit in the playoff series against Detroit. You don’t want him on a losing team but I can guarantee the Cubs wouldn’t have gone down quietly to the Dodgers with him on the bench.