The first day of the Winter Meetings was filled with more rumors than activity throughout the game ... and the Cubs were not exempt from the constant twittering and updates from the Marriott lobby in Indianapolis.
Most of the noise around the Cubs centered on Milton Bradley but there were a few new names added to the mill. Brandon Lyon, Gil Meche, Melky Cabrera and Braden Looper were among the players tied to the Cubs by the mainstream media on Monday.
Here is the update from Monday night ...
Milton Bradley
According to a report from Cubs.com, the Cubs, Rays and Mets were close to completing the three-team trade on Monday. The Mets want to wait to see if they can land Jason Bay or Matt Holliday. The long-rumored trade would have put Bradley in Tampa, Pat Burrell in New York and Luis Castillo on the North Side of Chicago.
The Cubs have talked to four teams about Milton Bradley according to a report from CBS Sports ... the Rays and Rangers are known while the Royals and Mets are believed to be the other two.
Jayson Stark tweeted two or three new teams have expressed interest in Bradley since the beginning of the meetings. The Rays are still in but Pat Burrell to the Mets is dead according to Stark.
Bruce Levine reported that the Cubs could still spin Bradley in a three or four-team trade that would net them Luis Castillo.
According to a report from the Tribune, "sources outside of the organization insist the best bet remains a deal with the Rays involving Pat Burrell." The Tribune reported the Cubs could possibly send Burrell to the Blue Jays for prospects.
The Tribune also reported the Mets deal involving Pat Burrell and Luis Castillo is dead.
Jim Hendry "spoke to five or six clubs about trade possibilities on Monday" but it appears Tampa is the only option for Milton Bradley.
"One major league manager said Monday he would gladly take Bradley, though he added his general manager wasn't interested because of possible negative reaction by the team's fan base. Another manager asked why the Cubs don't just bite the bullet and bring Bradley back rather than giving him away."
According to a report in the Sun-Times, the Cubs have given permission to clubs to speak with Milton Bradley ... but "no teams have done that."
Melky Cabrera
According to a report from the Tribune, if the Yankees acquire Curtis Granderson the Cubs could "take a run at Yankees switch-hitting centerfielder" Melky Cabrera.
The Cubs are rumored to have shown interest in Melky Cabrera in the past.
Braden Looper
According to a report from Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com, Braden Looper is interested in pitching for the Cubs. Looper lives in Chicago in the off-season and said the Cubs would appeal to him.
Looper was 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP last season with the Brewers. In 34 starts (194 2/3 innings), Looper walked 64 with 100 strikeouts and allowed 226 hits.
Looper earned $4.75 million and received a $1 million buyout when the Brewers declined his 2010 option worth $6.5 million. The Brewers are interested in bringing him back.
Gil Meche
Bruce Levine reported the Cubs and Royals discussed swapping Gil Meche for Milton Bradley on Sunday. The rumors were shot down earlier on Monday ... then squashed on Monday night.
Dayton Moore, the Royals GM, called the rumors "unbelievable".
Tidbits from Day One
- According to a report from Cubs.com, Carlos Zambrano has lost 15 pounds already this off-season.
- The Cubs have been talking to Mike Cameron.
- The Cubs are not looking to add a starting pitcher according to a report from Cubs.com. The Cubs have seven pitchers that will compete for five spots: Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Ted Lilly, Randy Wells, Tom Gorzelanny, Jeff Samardzija and Sean Marshall.
- Lou Piniella thinks Starlin Castro's natural progression would be for him to play in Triple-A ... but the Cubs will make that decision in the spring.
- Jim Hendry spoke with teams about middle relievers and centerfielders on Monday.
- According to a report on Cubs.com, Jim Hendry spoke with "some teams" about options they have not discussed before on Monday.
- The Cubs are interested in Orlando Hudson according to Bruce Levine
- According to a tweet from Jon Heyman, Rafael Soriano accepted salary arbitration Monday night and will remain with the Braves.
2009 Winter Meetings Recaps
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ChicagoCubsOnline will have full recaps and updates during the winter meetings. If the Cubs make a move, the CCO will post it. If the Cubs are rumored to be making a move, the CCO will post it ... so check back early and often to discuss all of the moves at Baseball's Winter Meetings here at the CCO.
Well, there's the updates ... and I'm sticking to 'em!
Thats such a BS comment to say the Cubs arent shopping for a starter because they have 7 starters for 5 spots...
Ya they have 7 starters but Gorzelanny, Marshall, and/or Samardzija are NOT starters on a playoff caliber team... Gorzo can look real good in one start and like absolute crap five days later Marshall seems best suited in our pen or on another team in trade, and Samardzija has shown absolutely ZERO reason to believe in him being capable whatsoever.
Hell, if thats our reasoning for not picking up a starter then why not just say we have 20 starting pitchers and include our AAA starters in the convo.
Also, why are we always CLOSE to these trades but can never do em... Close to Brian Roberts, practically had Peavy, close to Castillo/Bradley, etc... Will this EVERRRRR happen.
Enough talk about the 37 year old Cameron, ya i know he and piniella are buds and hes a leader but hes a 37 year old .250 hitter (we already have Soriano for pop with a low BA)
Enough talk about Byrd, hes just like Bradley (minus the headcase) coming off a career year in a contract season in a great offensive park.
I would be ok to settle for Melky Cabrera because hes young and seems to have a lot of potential.
All in all, TRADE FOR GRANDERSON...The tigers have pretty much been laughed at all day for what they asked for him and Edwin so they may have to lower their asking price. Theyre outta their minds if they think theyre gettin Castro AND two prospects after the down year Granderson had but I would give up Cashner, Vitters or both in a package.
Also I think Mike Gonzalez would be a solid pickup (even though he has the worst windup ever) and would be a great backup option in case Marmol flounders or gets hurt.
Gil Meche would be an awesome snag for Bradley as well, he is a solid pitcher with a high ceiling and would also likely see an increase in production in the NL.
I say try and trade Bradley for Meche,
Zambrano
Lilly
Dempster
Meche
Wells
Trade who ever (cept for Castro/Marmol) for Granderson.
Sign Orlando Hudson.
Hudson
Theriot
Lee
Ramirez
Granderson
Soriano
Soto
Fukudome
Sign Mike Gonzalez.
CL-Marmol
SU-Gonzalez
MR-Grabow
MR-Guzman
MR-Caridad
LR-Berg
LR-Atkins/Patton/Gray/Stevens
Now thats turning a rough offseason into a great offseason...
Like I said earlier, we are NOT getting Granderson......just like NOT getting Roberts or Peavy. Granderson can't hit leftys, is overated and is over rated plus chnging leagues will be a disaster for him.
Joel,
There are a few holes in your plan there.
1. Where does this magic money come from to sign Mike Gonzalez, Orlando Hudson, the additional money for Granderson, and the additional money for Meche? You are talking about at least an additional 15 million on the current payroll to do what you want there.
2. Granderson will not be a CUB. They only way the Tigers trade him to the Cubs is if Castro and two high pitching prospects are in a deal. Good bye future and Ricketts won't allow that.
3. Hudson is not a leadoff hitter. Far from it, ideally he is a two hitter at best. Plus, do you really want to count on a second baseman who got outplayed by a utility guy at the end of last season?
4. Acquiring Meche for just Bradley will not happen. They will want at least one high pitching prospect in return too. We really only have what about 3 Top pitching prospects in our system right now (Cashner, Carpenter, and Jackson).
5. Gonzalez does not make alot of sense in the Cubs bullpen. One you left out one of the two guaranteed lefties in the pen - Marshall. Signing another lefty reliever would give us what 4 bullpen lefties? And when Lilly comes back that will move more than likely Gorzy back into the pen as well.
The Cubs have stockpiled lefties lately, it's actually one of the strong positions this team has as bait.
HA....who doesn't know baseball, Joel?
You don't sleep do you Neil? Nice work.
As a baseball fan this week is as good as it gets. Sleep when we pass on. I'm up as long as Neil keeps feeding me the info. Good job Neil. This should be a fun week.
Yes, we all love Neil and ChicagoCubsOnline!
Braden Looper? He's awful. He was 14-7 with the Brewers because they have Fielder & Ryan Braun--players that can hit, and hit with power. He'd be lucky to be 7-14 for the run-less Cubs.
This Milton Bradley thing--no GM's even wanted to talk to him. It sounds to me like even Barry Bonds is more popular these days.
The Braves bullpen is suddenly very sound. Soriano is back; Wagner, and Saito, too. But they still need more bats over there.
Thanks guys!
And for the record ... I do sleep.
Very little.
Fox mentioned the Cubs interest in J.J. Putz
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10475170
If you were a GM what would you give up for Bradley really. He is worth very little except as a flyer or to get rid of garbage they hold as well. The most I could see anyone paying is 1/2 of his salary and sending nothing in return. More likely the Cubs and Tampa work something out and the Cubs end up eating eating 10-12 million and getting a bag of balls. Hendry and the Cubs overpaid and then with Bradley on que proceeded to destroy most of the value he had. The Cubs need to make this work or just dump him but if Hendry gets anything back at all it would be very suprising.
Doesn't it always seem like the Cubs pick from whomever the Yankees and Red Sox don't want.
I am very worried that Hendry will get hosed in a trade this week as his parting "gift" to Cub fans. I would be happy if there are no trades hence no further damage. My guess is that the Ricketts will be cautious and the only thing we are going to see is a Bradley dump and some minor tweaks which would be just fine. Cabrera is not going to happen imo because he would cost too much. Maybe Cameron unless some other team falls in love with him. The only real trade in the majors with any value is to dangle is Soto and he would be sold relatively "low" compared to '08 if he goes. In the minors I fear the other clubs know the value of our minor leagers better than the Cubs do so there would be no net long term gain. The mess has been made. I'd like to think otherwise but I don't believe there is a quick cure.
I think the Cubs have an added 10-15mm in revenue from the ticket increase and some more from the Harden release. Unfortunately these revenues appear to not be available...probably from increases to existing players, and the backloaded contract to Hendry's "major" investments.
Matt Murton released by Rockies to go to Japan.
Pirates shopping Zach Duke and Paul Malholm.
Take those flyers, then you have 5 competing for that 5th spot!
Seriously, I'd rather have Maholm than Gorzy and Duke than Shark.
Unless the Yankees bowl Detroit over with talent, Granderson will be mid-season deadline deal. I can't imagine the Tigers want to give Detroit anything.
that must have been Freudian...Tigers don't want to give the Yankees anything...
I've read Pirates' prices for Maholm and Duke are very high. While I like Maholm and Duke better than Marshall, Gorz, and Shark, I wouldn't trade top prospects for them ... and that is what it would cost.
Go get Granderson JH. Yankees want him bad. He would fix some of the wounds you caused by signing Bradley.
The Tigers don't need to deal Granderson this offseason and their asking price has been through the roof ... sounds like a recipe for him staying put in Detroit. Seems like they're throwing his name out there to see if a team will overpay ...
Cubs should trade Milton Bradley for Kerry Wood. According to Espn Insider he is available.
Like that idea.
The fascination over Granderson on the board is really puzzling.
The guy is a platoon player.
I just don't get it.
We already have that in RF with Fuk.
By the way, I know this is a little bit down the road, but for all those people willing to trade Vitters so easily, think about this for a second:
It's not unrealistic to imagine Aram opting out after next year. He'a already said that he wants to play for a winner and if the cubs don't show improvement, he could easily walk.
Just food for thought for all those who are so willing to dump Vitters for Curtis "Platoon player" Granderson. Be careful what you wish for.
Your right. Very important that Vitters has a big year at AA or AAA. Another brilliant contract perk given away by Hendry. He must lead the league in that sort of thing.
bradley for woody give them some money I would do that in a heartbeat. Don't need to sign Putz and you get a proven clubhouse leader back in our organization. Better than the burrell deal where we will struggle to trade him once we get him.
Other than the rumored three-team deal involving Granderson. Very quiet.
If the Yankees land Granderson I wonder if the rumor about Melky Cabrera is legit.
If the rumors of the three way deal between the Yankees, Tigers, and DBacks is accurate... then there's no way we could match the offer the Tigers have on the table for Granderson without including Sterling - and that's not something i think is a good idea. Normally I'm in the "a prospect is called that because he's unproven" camp and I'm all for trading the Pattersons and Pies for proven players... but in this case a slick fielding centerfielder that can't hit lefties - I'd rather keep the prospect and hope he matures. His power and speed is a great combo don't get me wrong... but it's only against 70% of the pitching out there. That puts a damper on the enthusiasm for me (smirk)
The report has the Tigers getting Max Scherzer from the DBacks and then two prospects from the Yankees on top of it - if I were the Tigers I'd jump on that in a heartbeat before someone noticed his L/R splits :-)
I'd much, much, much rather have Melky than Cameron or Granderson
And Wood For Bradley ? That's
just too good to be true
We can only dream.
That's a relief.... I'm glad Curtis is out of reach for JH. Classy player
but not that great. Time to unload Bradley
Granderson went to the Yankees.
Also in the deal.
The Diamondbacks receive a pair of starting pitchers: Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy
The Tigers receive four players: starter Max Scherzer, relievers Daniel Schlereth and Phil Coke, and center fielder Austin Jackson.
The deal is done ... Granderson to the Yankees, Edwin Jackson to the D'Backs.
Will mention details in tonight's recap once everything is official.
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10492960/Sources:-Yanks-on-verge-of-Granderson-deal
XM Radio is reporting the three-team trade as a done deal, pending medicals.
Would any of you want the Cubs to go after OF Ryan Churce. He was DFA today. I think he will be a good 4th OF and a good guy coming off the bench.
Tigers made out. But the Yanks didn't really give up much. Damn Yankees.
Will this make Melky available?
Exactly because they did not give up Joba or Phil Hughes.
"I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round"
Blizzard coming to Mad-city and I am stuck at work, so I might as well share some thoughts...
-I completely echo the tireless work Neil has put in. Thanks a ton my man!!!!
-Kerry Wood for Bradley would be the best deal EVER, compared to the one's that have been reported. Too bad it will never happen! It's a reasonable fit and a reasonable offer, Hendry won't think of it.
-Hendry's "This will be an exciting time" blah blah blah Gonna make a move Jimbo???? We all know you need to, and quite frankly are getting a little tired of deals that don't happen.
-Melky Cabrera...Hmmmmm....Switch hitter, "Clutch" hitter, solid defensively and a plus plus arm. And he is 25. That is leaps and bounds ahead of Mike Cameron, Marlon Byrd, Kosuke Fukudome, and MIlton Bradley. So now that it is near reality that C-Grand is a Yankee... How can we make this happen.
Heck between a Bradley with cash to Cle for Woody, and a reasonably small price to the Yanks for Cabrera, all wee need is a 2B. And to re-sign Reed is he is good to go. To me these are tweaks, and actually good ones. Because it appears as if our wish list of EY and Davis are not even on Hendry's inconsequential, completely inept and often wrong radar.
I WANT SOME GOOD NEWS!!!
But other teams getting high priced players and opening excess on their roster may be just what we need.
I would rather have Melky Cab than Cameron or Byrd. Wood over Bradley. Orlando Hudson signed as a FA.
Yankees gave up nothing for Granderson. Could of pulled this off JH. Althought the Tigers made out big time on this one.
Phil Coke, Austin Jackson and Ian Kennedy = Marshall, Colvin, whoever...
bad non-move Hendry.
I'm afraid Yanks are not going to give Melky away, but he's got to be available. I don't trust Hendry to be creative on this though. Why would he? Lou likes Cameron (12 years older) and Jim likes Byrd (9 years older).
Not sure how anyone can blame JH for this one. Austin Jackson is a Top 25 prospect in all of baseball ... clearly a better prospect than Vitters and probably a better prospect than Castro as well. I don't see how Jackson could be compared to Colvin ... not even in the same ballpark.
I'd say the Tigers did pretty well too, Schlereth was the 26th pick in the '08 draft.
Cubs probably had enough to get Granderson but could not act without moving Bradley. Yankees I am sure knew that as well.
This is good news
No more Granderson
Isn't it amazing how one STUPID move [signing Bradley] can curse a team for years to come?
Agree except for the word "one"
Rip...Soriano/Fuko/Bradley...The Terrible Trio...Because we have Sori for five more years at 18 mill plus...he is the number 1 bad contract...followed by Bradley at number 1 A Plus A.
(Nicely Donkey plus Donkey).
Granderson was a bad deal waiting to happen for us.
Everything is relative.
With the Yankee's budget and farm system...it was a drop in the bucket.
For us ...with our tight budget and weak system...Granderson would be a major investment. We can't withstand another bad investment...If granderson fails with the Yankees...they'll just sign a star at the trading deadline.
jc-363....Austin Jackson's ceiling is much higher than Colvin's...there's no equation there.
Cloycub...patience...I'm with you and would like some good news...but we all knew going into this off season that not much good would probably happen early...
and if not much DOES HAPPEN...that might be the best news of all...no screwups...
and Hendry 's job becomes more tenuous...
AND THAT...is the real concern...that Hendry takes a Soriano swing at a ball in the dirt.
hate miltonbradlet horrible desicion
off topic does any one know when more info comes out about the cubs con?
One could also might wonder if there is anything close on Bradley because if they did want get in on Granderson they would have moved Bradley immediately if something was "almost done". Hendry had to know the Yankees were looking and the only other explanation I could think of would be that the Tigers don't value that the Cubs could offer similar to Kennedy and Coke plus a prospect.
Be interesting to see what the Yankees do with Cabrera...he seems like a pretty good affordable player.
I really don't like this deal for the DBacks. The Tigers ended up with a very solid return in prospects for E Jackson and Granderson. The Yanks dealt one of the top OF prospects in the game, but landed a solid regular for the next few years in Granderson. But the DBacks dealt a promising young starter and a highly touted reliever for a starter whose been iffy (other then the first half of 2009) and a former top prospect with health question marks.
Coke pitched in 72 games for the Yankees and held 21. He has a low whip but it looks like the Yankees are trading Austin Jackson for Granderson, replacing Damon with Granderson. Thus, Cubs would have had to offer their top prospect plus durable reliever equivalent and former top prospect with injury concerns...
I feel like Granderson would have been a good investment, not a liability. I like his game a lot and feel like he is worth a prospect and a couple pitchers. Kennedy and Coke are nothing really. Hendry could have created a similar package - I should say the Cubs had the "pieces", obviously Hendry couldn't do it, for whatever reasons and lots of them.
DBacks were soured on Scherzer for reason we don't know.
I'd take Edwin Jackson over a lot of other starters.
Maybe, MAYBE Jimbo saw this coming and has been angling for Melky all along! Let's hope. Lots of upside in that kid.
just saw on twitter that gordon wittenmyer says "cubs close to a two-team deal with a surprise AL team for bradley. Could happen tonight"
I really hope that is true so we can just move on with the offseason plans
According to a tweet from the Sun-Times, a mystery AL team has emerged and a two-team deal could go down tonight for Milton Bradley
Woody ???!!!!!????
:-)
I want Kerry Wood...At least then if we lose we lose with people we love rather than a total idiot that we despise...Don't get me wrong I really want to win and I think Mr. Ricketts will give us a winner this year.
I'm thinking Los Angeles Angels....perhaps for Gary Matthews Jr....
Please, no.
I think I'd rather keep Bradley if it meant getting Matthews.
:-)
Purely a guess ... but how about Seattle. Don't they need an OF?
You may be correct...just read on mlbtraderumors.com that Carlos Silva might be a possiblity in a trade for Milton. I think i would rather keep Milton. Go get Woody!
They just dropped for Figgins, but I think Milton could be really comfortable in Seattle, but ideally he's a DH and they are brining Junior back, so I don't know. I hope it's not for Silva, that's about as bad a contract as Milton's. I'd like to get Lopez from the M's.
I don't want Matthews Jr. at all. He is a really expensive 4th OF. He is bad.
Tim Brown of Yahoo tweeted ... to the Mariners for Carlos Silva
http://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo
I guess one can only hope that a transition to the NL will have a postive effect on Mr. Silva.
Zdurenick (sp?) M's GM is on XM right now...they asked him about Milton!
Maybe something is in the works...good call David...of course he gave the old "i can't comment on players that aren't our property..."
They do need a catcher and 3B too.
MLB trade rumors says a trade with 3 team is 3/4 done.. rangers not involved
nieter are the rays..
Lets hope for something big!!!Is anyone else just hitting refresh over and over again.
Silva ? .... boy, oh, boy
I guess it just proves that there are lots and lots and lots of bad contracts out there.
The Cubs are not the lone rangers when it comes to stupidity. This guy is making 12M per year for the next 2 years...and he's bad. Real bad.
LOTS of bad, really bad contracts out there. Here is Passan's list, which I don't think is accurate, but point is Soriano isn't even on it!
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/The-10-worst-baseball-contracts-of-the-2000s;_ylt=AkQCH.Bqb6CR9IDahq0TISERvLYF?urn=mlb,206780
Quite intriguing. Silva has been B A D. and i think he has 2 more years at 12M$ per. He is a sinker ball pitcher...eh
They are "reporting" the rumor again on XM.
yeah idk if i want this but idk its getting rid of bradley
Again Wittenmyer tweeted that "high level Seattle source shoots down Bradley-to-M's rumors"
So will any of these rumors prove to be true?
The Sun-Times just tweeted that a high ranking Mariners source shot down the Bradley to Seattle rumor
Neil, that's the second time I've stolen your thunder, I'll just let you break the news from now on
Mike, not a problem. It is all about passing on info. Steal away ...
Good.
Silva sucks.
And the M's are my AL team! I want Milt out of my life all together!
If no GM has even talked to Bradley, wouldn't you then think that he is completely untradeable?
as the bradley talks bog down the entire offseason; let's consider why it has to?
what type of new owners do we have? seems like the same as the tribune to date:
only worried about revenue:
hence adding billboards to back of bleachers and increasing ticket prices again; yet payroll to be similiar?-huh?
and now we have to wait to trade bradley; how about go get the players JH wants and we'll worry about the damages of bradley from the billoards and tix increase...............this is so corp like to make JH trade bradley first....
i'm quite disappointed that the ricketts family is forcing JH to do this while the FANS will have to pay for higher tix next year...........
anyone else notice this......
You can't blame this on Ricketts. Wrigley needs a major overhall we have a top five payroll already so what do you want him to do. He is trying to be the Red Sox not the Yankees. Jimbo and his confidons are the ones that put us in this terrible position. Bad contracts and everything else. Of course I was excited about Soriano, Fukudome,and our other bad contracts but I don't get paid to evaluate talent they do.
Yes. I for one could do without hearing this exchange every time I enter the Wrigley bathroom: "Is that a troth? That's a troth. They want me to pee in a troth? I'm going to go pee in a troth. You want to stand next to me while I pee in a troth? That's a troth."
You hear the word fifty times per bathroom visit, and it won't be missed five years after they remove them.
lololol!!! true
yes-it is the owner's fault-now the ricketts; the tribune did not raise tix prices; the ricketts did. and they added the billboards. they had over a year to figure out what they were buying; the window w/ aram, dlee, sori, etc will close soon. NO ONE will go along w/ a rebuilding project; NO ONE gets a grace period after 101 yrs. NO ONE. so either don't raise tix prices or deal w/ a bloated payroll; 2010 has dlee, lilly, maybe aram, off the books plus only 1 yr left of fukunuts, 2010 is the beginning; so far it looks like the same "corp" ownership that the tribune stuck us w/ till they decided to SELL the team............if the ricketts don't get this, then don't buy the team. u bought it w/ bradley, we already went thru last year's crap of trading derosa to get bradley, don't screw up the next yr trading him too. the FANS deserve better and $2-3 million extra they may have to eat on his salary will be more than made up w/ a winning team.
Carlos Silva, No please Jim Hendry is killing me softly. Carlos Silva will be a bust. Thanks but no thanks.
Ryan Church DFA'd. Bats left with not enough power. No speed. Hits .270. Not alot to like about him. We've already got a sub-par RF in Funko.
I've got an idea: how about getting an OF that can crush the ball. You know, someone like Jake Fox.
I don't know how much stock to put into the Cabrera rumors, but I thought I'd weigh in on that. For a 25 yr old (next yr), CF with above average speed, above average defense, switch hitting, and hitting about .270 avg, .330 OBP and about 10 hr, 70 RBI, I wonder what the Yankees would ask for him. He's about 5 years younger than Granderson, a heckuva lot cheaper, and surprisingly close to Granderson's production at a similar age, only less power, and most important of all...less K's.
I'd be all over that trade in a heartbeat, but according to my observation, the Yanks now have the following OF:
LF-?
CF-Granderson
RF-Swisher
other OF options: Gardner, ?
With Damon and Matsui free agents, and Nady non-tendered, it appears the Yankees have depth issues in the OF, so we'd probably have to trade someone to get them their depth. For example, no less than Colvin, Fuld, and maybe Adduci or someone like that would have to be included (fine by me)....but would they even accept them? Gardner played a more than adequate CF for them, but offers no power that you'd need from a LF. Swisher and Granderson would provide that. I think the only possible way we get Cabrera, is if the Yankees sign Bay or Holliday.
I think we'll have to settle for a Cameron or Byrd in CF, and those are pitiful options. Can you imagine Cameron, at 37 yrs old, playing CF for us, hitting at a .250 clip, .340 OBP...maybe 20 hr if we're lucky, AND 150 K's?!? I can already hear Cameron's cries of racism from the bleachers. If you thought Bradley sucked this year, just wait for Cameron. He's even worse, IMO, because he K's way too much, and has a low OBP.
I expect some variation of a Loretta-type signing for the IF, because Hendry's always loved him. I also anticipate a Kearns signing (which, I'm actually okay with after having lost Fox already), then a cheap pitcher like Mulder, Sheets, Putz, etc....or someone else coming off injury, then a Byrd or Cameron in CF. That's about all the "moves" you'll see Hendry make.
In fact, I'd be shocked if we were even able to unload Bradley. I just don't see any possible way that Ricketts will eat 75% or more of Bradley's salary, and that's precisely what it'd take to get him unloaded according to most reports.
I'd be okay with a Kearns signing for RF platoon with Fukudome, and a Sheets and Putz signing, but those are the only "cheap" moves I'd be okay with. I'd love to trade for Melky Cabrera, then sign Lopez for IF depth, Blalock for 3B/1B back-up and have the following position players:
C-Soto, K Hill
1B-Lee
2B-Lopez, Baker
SS-Theriot
3B-ARAM, Blalock
LF-Soriano
CF-Cabrera, Fuld
RF-Fukudome, Kearns
I'd love to see Melky in a Cubs uniform too, then bring back DeRo.
I still haven't gotten over Hendry trading DeRo.