Better to do this than to let it become a media mess next season.

Mister George Castle
is quite the bench jockey with
other folks money.

Look, I understand why so many want Bradley released. It absolutely is the quickest solution to the problem. But I’m still not convinced that Burrell would be absolutely useless.

Pat the Bat is 33 years old. He’s already been signed once as a DH. Surely he knows – or at least suspects – that he’s heading into the twilight of his career. So who’s to say he wouldn’t embrace – or at least accept – a role as a mostly bench guy?

Soriano’s had injury problems (admitted or otherwise) every year he’s been with the Cubs, so Pat’s probably going to see some time in left field. And Derrek Lee has his bulging disk problem, so Pat could well see some time at first base, too. Otherwise, he’s a big bat off the bench. And if he excels in this role, who knows? Maybe the Cubs move him at the trade deadline. Maybe he gets a better job (or goes back to being a DH) in 2011?

I see what you did
Should he stay or should he go
Their trash or our trash

At some point, the Cubs organization probably needs to look at Bradley’s contract as a sunk cost. if they can’t trade him. If he performs and behaves like he did last year for the remainder of his contract, he still gets his money. At that point, has he improved the team? No.
If they outright release him, he still gets his money. Is the team better now? Unknowable at this time.

The organization has to decide if they want to gamble that Bradley is going to turn around and perform like they expected when he was signed. If they have serious doubts about his ability to turn it around, then they need to look at the contract as sunk cost for which they will not be recovering their money. They could then take the painful step of releasing him and moving forward.

Cubs as an organization made a decision in a vacuum last Sept when they suspended Bradley indefinitely. It was a good decision then, Cubs team suddenly found a spark.

Sure the $$ is atrocious. Sure now another budget is affected. But reality is that until there is a taker there is no market. It might be money well spent for it will send a message throughout the entire organization and league….for as a HOF Coach once said the ultimate power you have is to determine when and IF a player can play and then where.

The How is up to them.

By not even allow him on the bus, in the locker room and still paying him you are saying that he does not belong. There are rules but put him in that category or release him and make back the minimum.

Sure it is not my money but I think fans would actually respond and continue to fill the seats on this gesture. I myself would buy MLB.com

As an expat who left Chicago back in ‘77, and at the time was 16, I know little about U.S. labour laws. If the Cubs don’t dump or move Milton Bradley: Would Bradley have to be used as a player? Is there legal requirement or a possible contractual obligation to put him on the roster? Or could Cubs, for example, send him to San Marino as an overpaid scout?

I’d like to see a poll: If Bradley does not get traded, would you 1) play him or 2) release him.