Something to do while waiting for the next chapter of the Milton Bradley saga...

by ballhawk on Dec 8, 2009 9:00 PM CST

As we sit around waiting for Milton Bradley to be dealt (or not), it's obvious some of us are anguishing, some of us are seething, some of us are laughing, some of us are drinking... well, you get the idea. And whenever a name is bandied about as a possible return in a trade, invariably somebody here throws up a little in their mouth.

So in honor of Bob Barker's upcoming birthday (he'll be 86 on December 12), I thought a little "The Price Is Right" game could help put things in perspective. Of course, this will be a little tough to do in a two-dimensional blog, so you'll have to use your imagination. But here goes...

Below is a list (in alphabetical order) of many of the names that have been mentioned as possible returns on a Bradley deal. Imagine these names are on cards attached to big velcro board:

Burrell (TB)
Byrnes (AZ)
Castillo (NYM)
Lowe (ATL)
Matthews (LAA)
Meche (KC)
Millwood (TEX)
Ordonez (DET)
Rowand (SFG)
Silva (SEA)
Wells (TOR)

Part 1 of this game is to rearrange the cards from Best to Worst (as in trade return), You have 60 seconds, starting... NOW!

Ok, time's up! Wow, that was fun, eh? But wait - there's more... Now imagine two of Bob Barker's lovely assistants...
...come up to you and give you two more cards:

KEEP (#%&!)
RELEASE (21M)

Part 2 of this game is to take these new cards, go back up to the board, and put them where you think they should go. You have 10 seconds, starting... NOW!

Well? How'd you do? Care to share with the rest of us? If so, post below. Who knows, you might just be picked for the...

Showcase Showdown!!!!

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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Comments

This is why

that BCB is the best blog out here.

Great Work.
I would take Mags from the Tigers.

by Grockcubs on Dec 8, 2009 9:09 PM CST reply actions

I think Ballhawk is the best poster on this site

and posts like this prove it.

Bravo, Ballhawk (And the Indians? Meh. Major League was a good movie though.)

by shoemile on Dec 9, 2009 2:37 AM CST up reply actions

well, one way to look at is...

…being an Indians fan for the first 30 years of my life prepared me well for what it would be like to be a Cubs fan for the next 20 or so.

Of course, another way to look at is somewhere somehow I pissed off the gods but good and this is their revenge – Indians and Cubs…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 9, 2009 8:32 AM CST up reply actions

I dunno if I'd go THAT far...

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Dec 9, 2009 12:29 PM CST up reply actions

you're referring to the movie, right? ;-)

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 9, 2009 12:32 PM CST up reply actions

Wait there is life outside of the trade?

That’s not true!!! WHY THE F*CK WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU AHOLE!! Ok maybe your right but you gotta give a little something here for it to work. I don’t know what I’m going to do this is the worst thing I’ve ever read, this day could not get any worse. Fine, F*ck it, you’re right.

by Ditkavsworld

by gaclaudy on Dec 8, 2009 9:17 PM CST reply actions

I say...

Lowe
Millwood
Burrell
Meche
Ordonez
Rowand
Silva
Byrnes
Release
Castillo
Wells
Mathews

by Hilary Lee on Dec 8, 2009 9:19 PM CST reply actions

Is there an option of "All these trades suck"?

This Chicago Cubs team is currently Aaron free. Keep it that way, please.

by jesus christos on Dec 8, 2009 9:20 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

+1

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 8, 2009 9:46 PM CST up reply actions

Yep, it's called the RELEASE card

of course, now you got me thinking…

I think I need to update this post and add another option – the KEEP card. I’ll get right on it…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 8, 2009 10:44 PM CST up reply actions

Ok, I changed the "game" dialogue above and added a "KEEP" card.

Feel free to update your answers if you like.

oh, and I added a little eye candy too. Always a good thing…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 8, 2009 11:07 PM CST up reply actions

I'm game

Meche
Lowe
Burrell
Castillo
Ordonez (no place to play however, or would put him higher)
Rowand
None of the rest really, but definitely no Mathews or Wells

"It's been my policy to view the Internet not as an 'information highway,' but as an electronic asylum filled with babbling loonies." - Mike Royko

by DTJchris on Dec 8, 2009 9:35 PM CST reply actions

Hmm

A-Rod
Ichiro
Pujols
Ramirez (Manny or Hanley)
Zimmerman
God

either are fine with me

Wrigley Bound in the Summer of 2010

by Chanman25 on Dec 8, 2009 9:47 PM CST reply actions

Eric Byrnes
Meche
Wells
Castillo
Ordonez

Gag me on the rest.

"The riches of the game are in the thrills, not the money." --Ernie Banks

by dtpollitt on Dec 8, 2009 9:50 PM CST reply actions

Wait wait wait

Are you saying that Eric Byrnes is the best option?

by Wreckard on Dec 9, 2009 9:51 AM CST up reply actions

Ok

Ordonez
Lowe
KEEP MILTON I DON"T WANT ANYONE ELSE.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim

by Doggie Stalker on Dec 8, 2009 10:08 PM CST reply actions

I sense another Big Gulp bet coming...

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 9, 2009 10:00 AM CST up reply actions

I said I did not WANT anyone else

I did not say the Cubs would not trade him for anyone else

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim

by Doggie Stalker on Dec 9, 2009 2:12 PM CST up reply actions

Well, seeing as how there's no prize for this one (I was kidding about the Showcase Showdown)...

…I guess I can play without worrying about a conflict of interest.

Millwood
Burrell
Castillo
Matthews
RELEASE
Ordonez
Meche
Lowe
Rowand
Byrnes
Silva
Wells

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 8, 2009 10:39 PM CST reply actions

Here's my updated answer to reflect the KEEP option

Millwood
Burrell
Castillo
Matthews
RELEASE
Ordonez
Meche
KEEP
Lowe
Rowand
Byrnes
Silva
Wells

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 8, 2009 11:14 PM CST up reply actions

Out of curiousity...

…why did you rank Matthews so high? I’ll admit I have barely watched the guy play, but it seems like his name only comes up when people are talking about disappointments and bad contracts.

That said, this is a fun post. Kudos :)

…and, as long as I’m here:
Lowe (ATL)
Millwood (TEX)
Ordonez (DET)
KEEP (I’m hoping for a bounce-back in ‘10—yes, I’m a hopeless optomist at times)
Rowand (SFG)
Castillo (NYM)
Burrell (TB)
Matthews (LAA)
Meche (KC)
Wells (TOR)
Byrnes (AZ)
Silva (SEA)
RELEASE

by MarchHare on Dec 9, 2009 9:21 AM CST up reply actions

well, keep in mind, "high" is a relative term compared to what else is on the list... ;-)

…and I did have Matthews as a last resort before just releasing Bradley.

But my rankings were mostly driven by dollars & length of contract. Milwood & Burrell, we’d be done with them in a year. Castillo we’d have for two years, but he’s fairly cheap (6M each year). Matthews has only two years left (like Bradley) and just about the same dollars, so it came down to who would be less of a distraction.

I’ll admit I haven’t watched him lately, but I’m assuming Matthews would be better in center than Bradley, moving Dome over to right which is a good thing. And two years ought to be just enough to bridge us to our next CF wunderkind (Jackson, right?).

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 9, 2009 11:52 AM CST up reply actions

but I’m assuming Matthews would be better in center than Bradley,

Just barely

This Chicago Cubs team is currently Aaron free. Keep it that way, please.

by jesus christos on Dec 9, 2009 4:23 PM CST up reply actions

That makes sense to me...

I had been ranking by how likely I expected the player to produce, but the dollar/contract rankings you used add some off-season flexibility for some additional roster moves.

I really enjoy the rampant off-season speculations, even if (and quite possibly because) 99.9% of them don’t go anywhere :)

by MarchHare on Dec 9, 2009 8:01 PM CST up reply actions

Are we to presume that it’s a straight-up trade? The Cubs don’t have to pay any of Bradley’s salary and the other team doesn’t pay any of the player they give the Cubs?

Forget all that other stuff. I gotta believe.

by drewishdrewid on Dec 8, 2009 10:47 PM CST reply actions

Well, for those players whose contracts are smaller than what is owed Bradley, i.e. Burrell, Millwood, et al

…I think you need to presume that we’ll end up paying most of Bradley’s salary.

But for those players whose contracts are larger than Bradley – coughcoughWells – then, yeah, go ahead and presume it’s a straight-up player swap.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Dec 8, 2009 11:05 PM CST up reply actions

why not send him to Pittsburgh

for their entire team, that would be clsoe to equal in salary, right?

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 8, 2009 11:09 PM CST reply actions

close even

baseball is a game of outs......pop out, ground out, line out, pitch out, strike out, fly out, and Fox and Bud's favorite black out

by Cubbie-Tim on Dec 8, 2009 11:37 PM CST up reply actions

Deep thoughts

Lowe (ATL)
Ordonez (DET)
Meche (KC)
Millwood (TEX)
Keep
Castillo (NYM)
Rowand (SFG)
Byrnes (AZ)
Burrell (TB)
Silva (SEA)
Release
Matthews (LAA)
Wells (TOR)

by DMCub on Dec 9, 2009 7:18 AM CST reply actions

Lowe (ATL)
Millwood (TEX)
Meche (KC)
Keep

That was easy, at least for me. It’s going to be harder for Jim, however

Numbers may not lie, but they don’t tell the whole truth (and nothing but the truth), either. -- Doug Glanville

by leothelip on Dec 9, 2009 8:32 AM CST reply actions

OK, I guess I'll play...

… from best to worst:

Lowe (ATL)
Ordonez (DET)
Castillo (NYM)
Meche (KC)
Millwood (TEX)
Burrell (TB)
Rowand (SFG)
Matthews (LAA)
Byrnes (AZ)
Silva (SEA)
Wells (TOR)
RELEASE
KEEP

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al Yellon on Dec 9, 2009 9:55 AM CST reply actions

Lowe (ATL)
Meche (KC)
Keep
Millwood (TEX)
Burrell (TB)
Ordonez (DET)
Release
Castillo (NYM)
Rowand (SFG)
Seppuku
Matthews (LAA)
Silva (SEA)
Byrnes (AZ)
Wells (TOR)

by Wreckard on Dec 9, 2009 9:57 AM CST reply actions

Seppuku

lol

Numbers may not lie, but they don’t tell the whole truth (and nothing but the truth), either. -- Doug Glanville

by leothelip on Dec 9, 2009 11:20 AM CST up reply actions

$1!!! Wait, what? OK, here goes:

Lowe (ATL)
Millwood (TEX)
Meche (KC)
Ordonez (DET)
Castillo (NYM)
Burrell (TB)
Rowand (SFG)
Keep
Release
Byrnes (AZ)
Silva (SEA)
Matthews (LAA)
Wells (TOR)

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Dec 9, 2009 11:14 AM CST reply actions

Hmm...

Keep
Meche (KC)
Castillo (NYM)
Ordonez (DET)
Lowe (ATL)
Rowand (SFG)
Release
Matthews (LAA)
Burrell (TB)
Byrnes (AZ)
Millwood (TEX)
Silva (SEA)
Wells (TOR)

Randy Wells. A product of the Roy Halladay School of Pitching, located in Toronto, Canada. Possible relocation.

by Cub Style on Dec 9, 2009 7:01 PM CST reply actions

I'd involve Millwood in the Keep pile but he's kind of a non-option now.

Randy Wells. A product of the Roy Halladay School of Pitching, located in Toronto, Canada. Possible relocation.

by Cub Style on Dec 9, 2009 7:03 PM CST up reply actions

So keeping Milton is your top choice?

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Dec 10, 2009 8:58 AM CST up reply actions

i'm thinking

cub style misconstrued the game as “who to keep and who to release”.

by nathew on Dec 13, 2009 11:20 PM CST up reply actions

This depends on some assumptions...

I’m assuming trades involving just Bradley and the listed player, and in some cases, the Cubs sending extra money. Also, I’m noting the years and dollars left on these players’ contracts. All dollar amounts are in millions. All these trades are basically fantasy-land, as has been discussed ad-infinitum.

Meche (2, $24), Cubs send $6 (Royals would have little reason to do the deal w/o serious cash, maybe more than this)
Millwood (1, $12), Cubs send $3 (this trade is even more fantasy-land than the rest, as he’s already been traded)
Lowe (3, $45)
Keep Bradley (2, $21)
Castillo (2, $12), Cubs send $9 (this equalizes dollars, and is something I’ve heard batted around here)
Rowand (3, $36)
Silva (2, $23)
Ordonez (2, $33)
Byrnes (1, $11), Cubs send $3 (I’m assuming a small one-year-deal surcharge)
Burrell (1, $9), Cubs send $6 (I think I’ve heard $6 batted around here)
Release Bradley (2, $21), team that picks him up for the minimum sends Cubs <$1
Matthews (2, $23)

Run 40 million dollars straight through a paper shredder (about 223 hours, assuming 2 sec. per hundred-dollar bill shredded and one full-time employee working on the job; costs, not in megadollars: $1784 for one minimum-wage Illinois laborer, $30 for a paper shredder, and $40 million, of course, in cash. A withdrawl of this sort might cause a shock to the nation’s vulnerable banking system and throw the economy into full-scale depression. Which puts us just slightly ahead of the last option.)

Wells (5, $105)

by aldimond on Dec 10, 2009 2:27 PM CST reply actions

Nice assessment.

Unless I’m misreading something, it still appears Burrell is the quickest and relatively cost-effective solution.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Dec 11, 2009 9:20 AM CST up reply actions

I'm not sure where you're reading that.

On my list, trading for Burrell is just slightly better than releasing Bradley outright, and only 3 spots above running cash through a paper shredder. To be fair, there’s a pretty big gulf between a Bradley trade and a Matthews trade, a significant gulf between Matthews and the paper shredder, and a significant gulf between the shredder and Wells.

It seems like the Rays read the Bradley market as, “We only have to slightly beat releasing Bradley”. In the deal as I have it, the Cubs pay $15 million for one year of a player whose bat fell off a cliff last year and whose defense is not far above Dunn-level. If he provided the Cubs 1 WAR I’d be shocked. I’m saying that at this stage in his career if Burrell was responsible for the Cubs improving 10 runs over just playing Micah Hoffpauir I’d be shocked.

I can understand the idea of trading for Bradley for Burrell straight-up, but sending $6 million to the Rays for the privilege is insane. It does have the advantage over just about all the other trades of being something that’s at least been talked about.

by aldimond on Dec 11, 2009 10:53 AM CST up reply actions

Well, I was referring more to time and dollars and cents...

…not production on the baseball field. But is there really no way Burrell is going to bounce back at all next season? He was a 3.2 WAR player just in 2008. I also now see that he had some neck strain problems this past season. Maybe he’s over those?

And, yeah, Burrell is also the most attractive deal because it appears to be the only possible one.

Catch my act on Twitter as @dat_cubfan_dave.

by daver on Dec 11, 2009 12:01 PM CST up reply actions