Soup for Bradley?

[nate82]

Suppan is a great #5 pitcher actually he is the definition of what a #5 pitcher is. The only thing wrong with Suppan is that he is overpaid for what he is and that is a #5 pitcher. Suppan's job is to go out there every 5 days and take the ball and pitch which the Brewers needed when they signed him and it is what he has done the last few years he has been with the team. Is Suppan the best pitcher on the staff? No not even close but he is a #5 starter in almost every rotation in the NL and even some in the AL. Washburn is very much like Suppan and people were and still are clamoring that the Brewers should have traded for him or to sign him in the offseason. That would be redundant though since the Brewers already have Suppan who in my opinion is better than Washburn.

 

Bradley just can't stay healthy to be an everyday OF. If the Brewers were in the AL I would love to have Bradley on the team. I think Bradley really needs to be on a small market team where the media isn't going to be hounding him everyday and where the expectations on him won't be that high. I still believe Bradley is a lot like Moss and Owens. Randy Moss was considered a club house cancer after he was trading away from the Vikings and the again when he was traded away from the Raiders. Now you don't even hear a word from him all that much. That has more to do with the veteran leadership on the Patriots than anything else though. If Bradley can get on a team with some good players that are already leaders and they are not looking at Bradley to be the guy to lead them then he will be fine.

 

I'm just not convinced Bradley will be healthy for a whole season and that is the reason why I wouldn't do a Bradley for Suppan trade.

[endaround]

Washburn's WAR for the past three years: 1.8,1.3, 2.0. Suppan: 2.7, -0.1, -0.4. Suppan had a career year in 2007 and now has been replacement level for two seasons. He's Claudio Vargas who is free talent. I don't do th trade unless it equals salary so Bradley can be cut at any time but if the Cubs basically pay the entire difference I would have to do it.

[RightFieldCoder]

Here's why I'd be weary of the deal:

1) Suppan is an ex-Pirate.

2) Suppan is an ex-Cardinal.

3) We've had trouble hitting against Suppan before.

 

If we add "4) he's on the Cubs", Soup will pitch a perfect game against us.

[nate82]

Washburn's WAR for the past three years: 1.8,1.3, 2.0. Suppan: 2.7, -0.1, -0.4. Suppan had a career year in 2007 and now has been replacement level for two seasons. He's Claudio Vargas who is free talent. I don't do th trade unless it equals salary so Bradley can be cut at any time but if the Cubs basically pay the entire difference I would have to do it.

All while pitching in a pitching friendly ballpark in Seattle and the AL West where the only place that isn't a pitchers haven is in Texas. You put Suppan in a pitchers ballpark and he will have better numbers than what he puts up in the NL Central.

 

Washburn talent wise = Suppan. I don't care what WAR says because their talent levels are about the same.

[CheezWizHed]

No way the Cubs trade Bradley in their division. To see him highly motivated every time you play them?

 

I'm open to brining in Bradley (seems like he played well for Macha in OAK), but at a greatly reduced rate.

[Mike]

No way the Cubs trade Bradley in their division.

This would be the absolute wrong thing to do bringing in Uncle Milty. Besides the injuries, attacking announcers and fans alike there is too much baggage. From an objective standpoint (2005 through 2009) he has only averaged playing in 98.5 games per year.

 

That would not be smart.

[fondybrewfan]

No way the Cubs trade Bradley in their division. To see him highly motivated every time you play them?

 

I'm open to brining in Bradley (seems like he played well for Macha in OAK), but at a greatly reduced rate.

He would essentially be free, The Cubs will probably pick up atleast 8o-90% of the rest of his contract just to get rid of him. Maybe the Crew would have to give them a mid level prospect.

 

Bradley would come extremely cheap for any team that wants to take the risk. I am not so sure that the Cubs wouldn't trade within the division either. Yeah maybe Bradley would step it up against the Cubs, but he will likely implode on his own teammates sooner or later just like he did with the Cubs.

 

If you can get a player of Bradley's calibur for $2 million a year you have to atleast consider it. He is an injury concern and isn't a good OF anymore but it is only $2M, so there isn't that big of a risk. For $2M if he sucks its no big deal, obviously the larger concern is the potential to currupt team chemistry/clubhouse

[yogallardo43]

Like you said, there's no risk. Even if he doesn't mesh well with the team, we can just cut him lose. The reward far outweighs the risk. That's as long as he remembers how many outs there are in an inning.

[ILuvDaBush]

It seems like most of the black marks about him are just a matter of his pride being questioned. I have no problem with "The Board Game." The guy brings OBP to a team that severely lacks it. Imagine him hitting #2 or #5 in next year's lineup. And between Prince-Braun-Bradley, perhaps teams will finally think twice about plunking us (or at least plunk Bradley the most).

[NievesNoNO]

If the Cubs will pay some salary too then I'd be in for this one. Even if it was straight up I'd be O.K with it. We'd have a lot more flexibility this off-season with regards to our outfield and ridding us of Suppan's contract would be wonderful. Bradley's talent has never been in question. He does seem like the type that will never figure it out, but it'd be worth the risk. Character issues or not he's got talent. I wouldn't want him coaching my son's little league games, but professional athletics isn't life it's basically a fantasy world so talent wins out in this case. Maybe a move to a smaller market like Milwaukee would let him thrive.

[Mike]

fondybrewfan wrote:

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CheezWizHed wrote:

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If you can get a player of Bradley's calibur for $2 million a year you have to at least consider it.

OK, I'm on board (worth the risk) if we can get him for $2.0M, but I don't think that will happen.

 

Please remember my earlier post about only averaging 98.5 games per year since 2005. You will not change the spots on a leopard, especially this one, so the $2.0M would turn into $3.3M. (162/98.5)*2.0M

 

He just won't play a full season if not for behavior then for injury.

[Invader3K]

MLB Trade Rumors has an interesting story up about a possible Milton Bradley/Vernon Wells swap with the Blue Jays.

"It's early on, but we think this one has some legs," said one Cubs official. "But they aren't the only team we are talking with."

[endaround]

Wow. That will be one of the most expensive and least productive outfields ever if the Cubs do that.

[The Truth]

I think I'd rather stick needles in my eyes than watch Milton Bradley in a Brewers uniform

[TooLiveBrew]

Wow. That will be one of the most expensive and least productive outfields ever if the Cubs do that.

I'm going to keep my hopes up that this deal happens. That would be amazing.

[twobrewers]

A Cubs source quickly responded to the report by saying the rumor has "no legs at all," adding the team has not discussed the possibility of bringing Wells to the North Side.

 

Chicago Tribune