According to a report by Ken Rosenthal, the Cubs have discussed framework for a deal with the Blue Jays and Mets involving Milton Bradley. In a scenario described as a "longshot" by Rosenthal, the Mets would receive Lyle Overbay from the Blue Jays, Bradley would end up in Toronto and Luis Castillo would be in end up in Chicago for the next two seasons.
Updated - 9:26pm CST - According to Bruce Levine, the report from Ken Rosenthal has "some validity to it."
"The teams indeed have discussed the framework of such a deal, though not in direct fashion, according to major league sources. The Cubs spoke to the Mets about Bradley-for-Castillo, while the Mets spoke to the Jays about Bradley-for-Overbay."
Ken Rosenthal reported the Rays are the team most interested in acquiring Milton Bradley for Pat Burrell ... with the Cubs 'eating' a majority of the $12 million owed to Bradley in 2011.
The three-team deal does have "some legs, but not much" according to Rosenthal's sources
Milton Bradley is owed $21 million in the final two years of his contract ... while Lyle Overbay is owed $7 million in 2010, the final year of the contract he signed in 2007.
Luis Castillo, way past the downside of his career, is owed $12 million over the next two seasons, $6 million per year.
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If this is real, they should do it. Castillo is an on base machine and he would be the lead off hitter that we so desperately need. It also gets rid of a clubhouse cancer.
This is interesting. Anything to part ways with Milton early on!
Vintage Hendry
Yeah, I swing that deal. Bradley for:
Derek Lowe or Luis Castillo would be better than Pat Burrell.
If the Cubs got Elmo for Bradley it would be a good trade.
Ripken boy:
Are you Billy or Cal?
Castillo would be a good lead-off or 2 hole hitter. He's got good speed (but on the decline), and he is a former Gold glover. But would he be a significant upgrade over Baker?
Gary:
They aren't trying to upgrade over Baker. They are trying to unload Bradley.
The question is, would the club be better off with Castillo over Bradley?
I think the answer is self-evident.
So where are the RBI's that Bradley was supposed to get, going to come from? Certainly not Castillo.
That's a pretty poor excuse not to do the deal when Bradley himself only had 40 RBIs and was never likely to be a big RBI guy in the first place.
I would definitely be a big fan of this deal
Castillo plays a well above average Defense with above average speed and aside from his career bad year two seasons ago his BA has been above .290 just about every season of his career...
Lets all back off Hendry and remember hes the same guy that won us back2back division titles and has had a winnin record in i believe 5 of his 7 seasons.
He always finds a way to turn his mistakes into positives (Hundley) and busts his butt to make the best moves out there (signing Ted Lilly while in the hospital)
HE WILL MAKE THIS RIGHT...WE WILL WIN THE DIVISION IN 2010 (If Lilly is back in April)
Joel, I appreciate your entusiasm.
But until Soriano produces 40/40 again
or Hendry dumps him...He can't make it right.
I still think Bradley will be back in 2010. JH will slowly show signs that Bradley will get another chance.
We will not win the division in 2010 or 2011--Lilly or no Lilly.
We are not committing a crime or even being mean to accuse JHendry of total incompetence. If you think with your head, and not your Cubby-loving heart, you'll see that JHendry has completely destroyed any hopes of winning in the next five years. He blew too much cash on junk players, and now there is no money, and a not very good team. Just look at the Phillies.
You are way to pessimistic about things dude. Jim Hendry is not totally incompetent. He obviously struggled last year, that is a given, but if you look over his entire tenure, there are good moves as well. Add to that, that Hendry does deserve credit for building a team that went to the playoffs the two years before 2009.
Now, is it impossible for the Cubs to win in 2010. No and there are reasons why. The Cubs had one of the better pitching staffs last year that had struggles with injuries throughout. They have the majority of that staff coming back with one of the worst pieces gone. As for the offense, it is not unreasonable to expect Soto to rebound a bit should he stick around and Soriano is capable of getting back closer to his averages than last year. Should Hendry make the right other moves and a winning years is completely possible. Tough yes, but possible.
I will also take your exception to saying the Cubs are at least 5 years away. The Cubs are hamstrung this year and next, that is correct. However, by 2012 a lot of the current money is off the books and the few top quality prospects the Cubs do have should be ready to step in. Nothing is really five years off.
So relax and see how this off-season plays out for both the Cubs and the Cardinals because they have some holes to fill themselves. Just see what happens.
SuzyS...
I think you are wrong, I think, no I KNOW we can win the division with Soriano not bein a 40/40 man. (*see the 2007 and 2008 MLB seasons)
Also, as far as Soriano, yes it is a forgone conclusion that he is not a 40/40 guy but lemme say that it is easy to kick a guy when hes down and comin off of a career worst/injured season. Soriano will bounce back if healthy (see Paul Konerko injured in 2008 and identical numbers to Soriano of 2009...)
Dont forget how pumped you and everyone else was when Hendry made a statement and commitment to winning when he first signed Soriano...
Dont forget how pumped you were in 2007 when he had the best month of August in Cubs history to single handedly push the Cubs to the division title.
I cringed with the rest of you all season in 2009 while watching him suck but dont dismiss the 7 time allstar 100% until he has proven that he cannot come back from last season.
Joel,...I respect your opinion...but disagree with you.
1)I don't care about winning one of the worst divisionjs in baseball....I care about winning a World Series...
2)The day they signed Soriano...I thought it was a mistake...Too much/for too many years...and we're seeing that now...(Even Stony commented that Cubs fans would rue his signing one day.)
I like solid baseball. And Soriano was never accused of that. Out of 161 games last season...The Ciubs played solid,
dundamental baseball...less than 5 games. ( No errors/base running good/
ab's to the pitcher/bunts down etc.)
We did not take one series from any team with a winning record.
Soriano is fundamentally flawed...and now older and injury prone. Fuko is a helicopter with little power...and Bradley always acts like he just got out of Stateville and wants to take on the world...that's if he can remember how many outs there are.
I love the Cubs...but I was born in Boston...I don't care if we can beat Pittsburgh and Cincinnati...or the Cardinals and Milwaukee in bad years. I want to beat the Yankees,Boston,LA (Both of them consistantly.
Right now, we are challenged to beat Colorado and Florida on the road.
Florida...with a 30 mil payroll.
We spend like the big boys...we should win like the big boys...whose fault is that?
Castillo: the Mets are trying to sell high. The last two years he hasn't played all that much due to injuries. He may get $12 million to spend a lot of time on the DL.
I am sorry. But Hendry made a very smart move in signing Bradley. He was mis placed in the lineup by a coach that does not care. Bradley was hot in the #2 hole. Put him there. Let him get on base. Cmon Man!!!. Take that 11 million a year we have left and upgrade the bullpen go get Crawford (trade Soto, Fontento,and Marshall). Lou Pinella is the trouble in that dugout. He does not want to coach any longer. Not in his blood. He is a dope. Hire Sandberg now. Let him take this team to the promise land. I know Bradley will be back. Rickett's is a business man. No money to be made if Bradley is traded. This team needs to learn its lesson. Bad GM and Manager = PISSED OFF CUBS FANS!!!!
Steve...If Hendry's hand picked manager
didn't know how to use Hendry's hand picked expensive free agent (Bradley),
then it was not a smart move.
I agree Crawford would look great with the Cubs.
To everyone else...don't sweat the 3 way trade. It won't happen.
Look at it from Toronto's perspective...
Bradley and no salary relief for Overbay?
No Way...The Mets are dreaming.
Thats a first!
I've heard reasonable arguments on why the Cubs should stick with Bradley (tho I disagree) but I don't think I've heard a single fan say that the two year, $21M contract with a gimme 3rd year and another $12M to one of the most unstable (emotionally and physically)players in the game was a "very smart" move.
Very smart? Really? Very?
Btw, when the very smart JH signed Milton it was to fill a middle of the order left-handed void, that was Hendry's plan. It wasn't until Bradley sucked so incredibly bad that Lou started sticking him in different spots in the order to try to find somewhere, ANYWHERE he could hit. You can like Bradley, like the signing, even like the completely ridiculous contract, but don't put Bradley's failure on Lou. That's plain silly.
Ripsnorter,
I can see where your comin from assuming the Mets are selling high but its not just cuz of injuries...
as you can see barring 2008 he has been steady (outside of 2008 he has hit above .290 each of the past 8 seasons!)
2009...500 ABs
.302, .387obp, 20 SBs, 77 runs, 40rbis
2008(career worst year)300 ABs
.245, .355obp, 17 SBs,
2007...548 ABs
.301, .362obp, 19 SBs, 91 runs, 39rbis
He is a solid bat at the top of any lineup and will also be addition by subtraction as far as getting rid of the cancer that is MB...
Kosuke Fukudome
Luis Castillo
Derrek Lee
Aramis Ramirez
Mike Cameron?/New CF
Alfonso Soriano
Geovany Soto
Ryan Theriot
Thats great OBP at the top of the lineup... decent speed at the top and bottom...25+ HR power hitters in the 3-7 slots
Joel,
Yes, Castillo has attractive stats in past years, except 2007 and 2008. He only had 199 AB in 2007 because he was hurt. Add in a hurt 2008 and .248 BA, and add in the fact that he is 34 going to be 35 in 2010, and you have an aging star with the very real possibility of declining stats, imho.
Nah he didnt have only 199 ABs in 20007...
He was traded midseason from the Twins to the Mets
He had 199 ABs with NY hitting .296
He had 384 ABs with Min hitting .304
2007 TOTAL
548 ABs and a .301 BA
You just gotta double check what you read brotha
Joel, The line-up you just posted may actually happen...but man would it be OLD.
With that line-up...you have to assume
Soriano/Cameron/Castillo/Aram/Lee...and maybe Soto would all spend some time on the DL...so the real key would be the bench...and how much health a line-up like that could muster.
Factor in that we already need solid back-ups for Soriano and Kosuke...and it's just hard to imagine.
Somehow, we have to infuse some solid youth in the lineup.
I am completely with you, Suzy, and the majority here that want the youth movement to begin, BUT "old" lineups of solid performers can - and DO - get it done. That Yankee's lineup wasn't exactly a bunch of spring chix. Not that I am comparing Posada, Jeter, ARod, Damon, Matsui to the Cubs "old" guys.
I have to agree...but would not be overly excited. jc 3-6-3.
Anything that would get rid of Milton "Why Is Everybody Always Pickin' on Me?" Bradley is fine with me. The thought of getting a real ballplayer like Luis Castillo in return is mind-boggling.
Right now, were I Jim Hendry, I would pay 110% of his salary, just to be rid of him. Of course, i'm not in charge of the payroll, like Jim is. But a very legitimate question remains as to finding somebody nuts enough to take this mean-spirited whiner under any conditions.