The first game of the series was won in extra innings when Aramis Ramirez hit a two-run walk off home run off Rockies pitcher Matt Belisle.  The homerun was just Ramirez’ fourth of the year.

In the second game of the series, Ryan Theriot and Starlin Castro each had two RBI to help lead the Cubs to victory.  Tyler Colvin got the start in left field and went 3-4 with an RBI.

Following the second game of the series, Lou Piniella announced that he was going to move Zambrano back to the rotation.  Actually, that’s not exactly what he said.  What he said was that he was going to move Z out of the 8th inning set-up role and stretch him out for longer appearances.  He was rather vague on whether or not this meant that Z would return to the starting rotation.  I think he will, but Piniella would not just come out and say that.

I know there are people who are still critical of trying Z in the set-up role, but I think it was worth a try.  The starting rotation has not suffered (which doesn’t say a lot for Zambrano) and the bullpen kind of stablized with Z out there.  Unfortunately, I don’t think the experiement worked as well as Piniella had hoped.  Z did okay, but he wasn’t the difference maker that the Cubs needed.  He also continued to pitch the same way he had as a starter, meaning he didn’t really let loose of the fast ball.  He paced himself too much and I think that hurt him.

It will be interesting to see who gets knocked out of the starting rotation to accomodate Z’s return.  Carlos Silva should be sent to the pen just because he’s right handed and he is experienced.  However, he’s won five games for the Cubs this year and he doesn’t deserve a demotion.  Tom Gorzelanny, on the other hand, has pitched well, but has a record of 2-4, despite a respectable 3.04 ERA.  If he wasn’t left handed, it would be a lot easier to predict his demotion to the bullpen.  However, the Cubs already have three lefties in the pen, so I’m afraid adding Gorzelanny would be overkill. 

Another option is that the Cubs could trade Gorzelanny away.  It may be too early for that, but Gorzelanny has not hurt himself this year.  He has been solid and would be a good #4 or #5 starter on a lot of teams.

Time will tell.  For now, the Cubs head to Philadelphia for a two game series tonight and tomorrow before heading to Texas to start interleague play with the Rangers over the weekend.  Tom Gorzelanny gets the start tonight against the Phillies 87-year old pitcher Jamie Moyer.  The outcome of Gorzelanny’s performance tonight could determine his fate for the remainder of the year…or at least the near future.

Trade Candidates

Melky Cabrera — After trading for Curtis Granderson, the Yankees suddenly have a surplus of good, young outfielders.  They may be interested in trading either Cabrera or Brett Gardner.  If the Cubs could snag Cabrera, they would be getting a guy that hit .274/.336/.416 for the Yankees in 2009 with 13 homeruns and 68 RBI.   The switch hitting Cabrera is just 25-years old and earned $1.4 million in 2009.  As a fielder, UZR/150 says he’s just slightly above average, posting a rating of 2.3.  UPDATE: Cabrera has been traded to the Braves, so he’s now off the board.

Shin-Soo Choo — Choo is a 27-year old outfielder from Korea.  Last year with the Indians, Choo hit .300/.394/.489 with 20 homeruns and 86 RBI.  He also had 21 stolen bases and was caught just twice.  It was the best year of his major league career.  He is currently listed as the Indians starting right fielder, but Matt LaPorte is breathing down his neck and Cleveland may be interested in trading him.  Choo has only played a handful of games in center field, but he’s been an above-average left fielder in his career and an average right fielder, so I’m assuming he can handle center field.  Choo earned $420,300 in 2009 and is likely due for a raise.

Rajai Davis — The Oakland A’s are stock full of outfielders, potentially making Rajai Davis available.  Davis hit .305/.360/.423 with  3 homeruns and 48 RBI in 390 ABs.  he also had 41 stolen bases and was caught stealing 12 times.  UZR/150 likes Davis, giving him a 17.8 rating in center field in 2009.  The 29-year old davis (he’s not a kid) earned $410,000 in 2009 and will likely be in line for an increase in 2010.  Jim Hendry and Billy Beane have worked well together on deals in the past.  Might the get together this off season on Davis? 

Jacoby Ellsbury — Ellsbury could be the odd man out in Boston now that the Red Sox have signed center fielder Mike Cameron.  It’s unclear where Ellsbury will end up playing or even if he’ll be starting.  In 2009, Ellsbury hit .301/.355/.415 with 8 homeruns and 60 RBI.  He also stole an impressive 70 bases while getting caught just 12 times.  He’d look good at the top of the Cubs batting order.  Ellsbury gets gigged for his 2009 UZR/150 rating of  -18.3, but I’m not buying it.  Chris Moore at BaseballAnalysts.com took a look at Ellsbury’s defense and concluded that UZR/150 probably missed the boat.  Ellsbury is just 26-years old and could fill center field for the Cubs for years to come.  And at just $449,500 per year (his 2009 salary), he’s a bargain.

Dexter Fowler — Fowler is a good looking young ballplayer (I sound like Harry Caray) who hit .266/.363/.406 with 4 homeruns and 34 RBI in 2009 for Colorado.  He’s just 23-years old and is coming off his rookie season with a lot of promise.  UZR/150 didn’t like his fielding much, giving him just a -20.3 rating.  Fowler is currently blocked in center field in Colorado by Carlos Gonzalez, another promising youngster.  There’s no guarantee that Fowler is going to follow up his rookie campaign by continuing to develop, but I think it would be a fairly safe risk for the Cubs, especially considering that he is so inexpensive (he earned just $401,000 2009).

Brett Gardner — Who would you take from the Yankees, Melky Cabrera or Brett Gardner?  In 2009, Gardner hit .270/.345/.379 with 3 homeruns, 23 RBI and 26 stolen bases in 248 ABs.  He’s a terrific center fielder with a career UZR/150 rating of 27.6.  In a crowded Yankees line-up, it’s tough to say who will be the odd-man out, but it appears to be either Cabrera or Gardner.  Could Gardner be the Cubs center fielder of 2010 and beyond?

Gary Matthews, Jr — The Angels badly want to trade Matthews.  Here’s what the Cubs should consider:  He’s not much of a hitter anymore, he’s not a very good fielder anymore, and he’s very expensive.  Need I say more?

Nyjer Morgan — Washington acquired Morgan last year from Pittsburgh.  He put together a good year between the two teams, posting a hitting line of .307/.369/.388 with 3 homeruns and 39 RBI.  He also stole 42 bases in 2009.  Unfortunately for Morgan, he was stealing third base on August 28 against the Cubs when he broke his hand and missed the remainder of the season.  In 2009, Morgan posted an impressive 40.5 UZR/150 rating.  Not only could he handle center field at Wrigley, but he could also be the lead-off hitter that the Cubs sorely need.  But why would Washington trade him?  Good question.  Unfortunately, at this moment, I don’t have a good answer.  At 29-years old, Morgan is a bit of a late bloomer.  He made just $411,500 in 2009 and is going to be affordable for some time to come.

Cody Ross — Ross is not a kid like a lot of the people on this list.  He’s 29-years old (that’s not that old) and is a bit more of a known quantity than some of the other trade candidates.  What we know is that he hit .270/.321/.484 with 24 homeruns and 90 RBI in 2009 for Florida.  We also know that 2009 was the best year of Ross’ career.  But to be fair, Ross has been coming on strong since 2007.  He primarily plays center field, although he also spent time in right field and is currently listed as the Marlins starting right fielder.  In center field, Ross had a UZR/150 rating of -9.5 in 2009.  Ross earned $2.225 million in 2009 and accepted arbitration for 2010.

Aaron Rowand — San Francisco would like to move Rowand’s contract.  In 2009, the 32-year old center fielder hit .261/.319/.419 with 15 homeruns and 64 RBI.  He had a 1.5 UZR/150 rating and he earned $8 million on a contract that runs through 2012.  He is still owed $36 million.  The Cubs don’t need to bring in an aging outfielder who is on the down-side of his career and making a lot of money.  Although I like Aaron Rowand, I don’t think he is the answer in center field.

Grady Sizemore — To be honest, I don’t think the Indians have any interest in trading Sizemore, but I saw him on another list, so I thought I’d include him.  In 2009, Sizemore hit .248/.338/.445 with 18 homeruns and 64 RBI in what by Sizemore standards was a down year.  Sizemore is signed through 2011 and is owed $13.1 million.  His contract also includes an $8.5 million option in 2012 with a $500,000 buyout.  Sizemore had a -4.0 UZR/150 rating in 2009, but he has a career UZR/150 of 5.4.  I don’t think it matters.  He’s not going anywhere.

Denard Span — Would Minnesota be willing to trade Denard Span?  If so, the Cubs need to get to the front of the line.  In 2009,  the 25-year old Span hit .311/.392/.432 with 8 homeruns and 68 RBI.  And he did it for a cheap $435,000.  UZR/150 gave him a fielding rating of -7.4, but from everything I’ve read, he does a fine job in center field.  He has emerged as one of the top lead-off hitters in baseball and would be a good long-term investment for the Cubs.

Willy Taveras — I’m pretty sure that the Cubs could convince the Reds to trade Taveras for a couple of prospects.  Cincinnati badly needs to cut payroll and the weak hitting Taveras is owed $4 million in 2010.  Trading for Taveras would not be a good move.

Vernon Wells — Okay, I don’t think the Cubs should trade for him and his monster contract either, but I thought he should be listed anyway because he’s available.  I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Wells makes a lot of money.

Chris Young — Young is a 26-year old center fielder for Arizona.  He hit .212/.311/.400 in 2009 with 15 homeruns and 42 RBI.  His UZR/150 rating for 2009 was -9.8.  I’m not as high on Young as some people are.  I do think he has potential, but I’m not convinced he’s ever going to realize that potential.  He’s signed through 2013 and is owed $26.25 million over the next four years.  The contract also includes a club option for 2014 for $11 million with a $1.5 million buyout.  Although I included him in this list, my hope is that the Cubs don’t pursue him.

Eric Young, Jr. – The 24-year old Young is an interesting player for the Cubs.  He plays both second base and center field (just like his dad).  As it turns out, the Cubs need to fill both positions.  At the moment, Young is a reserve for Colorado, but he appears to be ready for prime time.  He only played in 30 games in 2009, and is eligible for Rookie of the Year in 2010.   Trading for Young would be a bit of a risk.  Does he have what it takes to be an all-star caliber big leaguer?

Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes that Texas continues to be a possible landing spot for Bradley, but only if the Cubs pick up a “sizable portion” of Bradley’s contract.  Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated suggests that the Cubs may have to eat $16 million of the $21 million owed to Bradley over the next two years.  Is that really the best the Cubs can get for Bradley?

Bringing Bradley back next year seems highly unlikely.  According Heyman, Many Cubs players, including Aramis Ramirez and Carlos Zambrano, won’t even talk to Bradley.  Others reportedly applauded when it was announced that Bradley had been suspended late last season. 

Early in the week there was a rumor of a three-team trade that would send Bradley to Toronto, Lyle Overbay to the Mets, and second baseman Luis Castillo to the Cubs.  However, according to Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune (writing in the Boston Herald), Toronto wants no part of Bradley.  Who can blame them?

Most reports seem to consider Texas, Tampa Bay, and San Francisco as the most likely trade partners for Bradley.  There’s been a lot of talk about how much of Bradley’s contract the Cubs would have to eat in a trade with the Rangers, but virtually nothing has been said about who the Cubs might receive in return.  I had previously suggested that a Bradley for Michael Young trade might make sense from a financial perspective for the cash-strapped Rangers, but that doesn’t appear to be the deal the Rangers are interested in making.

Trade rumors with Tampa Bay and San Francisco involve one bad contract for another.  With Tampa Bay, the trade rumor involves Bradley’s remaining two-years at a total of $21 million for Pat Burrell’s one remaining year and $9 million.  Obviously, the Cubs would have to kick in some money.

The Bradley-to-San-Francisco rumor involves sending Bradley’s remaining contract to the Giants for Aaron Rowand’s remaining three years and $36 million.

Of the three possibilities, the rumored deal with San Francisco makes the most sense to me.  Assuming the Cubs would not have to kick in any money, they would be taking on an additional year and an additional $16 million in payroll obligation, but at least they’ll be getting a player they can use.  With Texas and Tampa Bay, their are either just paying another team to take Bradley off their hands or they are taking on a player (Burrell) that they can’t use (or both).  Adding Aaron Rowand to the line-up isn’t the perfect solution, but it is better than the other rumors currently floating around.

Whatever happens, Jim Hendry would be well-advised to make it happen fast.  Bradley is and will continue to be a distraction until the Cubs are rid of him.  There will be no “perfect deals” coming along that will allow the Cubs to dump Bradley.  What they need to do is choose the least bad option and move on.

UPDATE: Well, you can cross the Giants off the list of potential trade partners for Milton Bradley.  In an article by Paul Sullivan of the Chicago Tribune, Giants GM Brian Sabean said:

“A deal like that? For a player like that?” Giants general manager Brian Sabean said. “No. Is that succinct enough? I don’t know that addition by subtraction would work. Smarter people than us have tried that.”

Oh well.  Never say never, but it looks like any potential deal with San Francisco is dead.

Sullivan’s article also says that for the privilege of paying the Rangers $16 million or so to take Milton Bradley, the Cubs would receive a couple of unnamed, mid-level prospects to the Cubs.  Ouch…

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Tim Dierkes at MLBTradeRumors.com has an interesting post up concerning where he thinks the top 50 free agents will end up this off season.  Of particular interest is that he thinks Rich Harden will sign with the Red Sox and the Cubs will sign Billy Wagner.

In his post, Dierkes suggests that Boston will take a risk and sign Harden to a one-year, $7 million contract.  He compares the signing to what Boston did last year when they signed Brad Penney and John Smoltz.

I believe that now that Ted Lilly is a bit of a question mark for the start of the 2010 season, the Cubs will offer Harden arbitration.  If he is looking for another deal in the $7 million range, I think he’ll accept.  However, I believe he is looking for something closer to $10 million per year and would naturally prefer a multi-year deal. 

If he hits the open market (the Cubs have until December 1 to offer arbitration), Harden will initially hold out for a multi-year contract.  If one is not forthcoming, he may agree to a one-year deal, but I have to believe it is going to be closer to $10 million than $7 million.  So if Tim is right and Boston signs Harden, it will have to be late in the off season when Harden has tested all of the other options. 

For what it’s worth, Harden says he really liked Chicago and his agent, Arn Tellem, says Harden is 100% healthy.  Even so, Harden’s injury history does not inspire confidence.  His is an interesting case, particularly in an ecomony where most teams don’t seem to be open to taking on too much risk unless the price is right.

On Billy Wagner, Tim says:

37.  Billy Wagner – Cubs.  The Cubs don’t have much payroll space, and they may prefer to go with Carlos Marmol as their closer.  Then again, they wouldn’t do so a year ago when Marmol was coming off a good season.  The Cubs could offer Wagner a chance to close, as could the Orioles, Rays, Tigers, Angels, and Braves.  Even Wagner’s old teams, the Phillies and Astros, have back-end bullpen concerns.

Tim makes a great point here.  If the Cubs weren’t willing to hand the closer’s job to Marmol in 2009 after he had a really good 2008, why would they in 2010 after a 2009 season that saw Marmol lead all NL relievers in walks and hit batters?  Of course, Wagner’s contract expectations remain an issue.  He earned $10.5 million in 2010 and will likely be looking for a two or three year contract with a similar annual salary.  That’s a little rich for the Cubs’ blood.

Of course, this may be a moot point.  The Red Sox could offer Wagner arbitration and he could accept.  It seemed like a long-shot a week ago, but Wagner says that he enjoyed his time in Boston and his agent says he would possibly be open to accepting an arbitration offer.  As part of their trade with the Mets for Wagner, the Red Sox agreed not to exercise Wagner’s $8 million option for 2010, but they are free to offer the lefty arbitration.

Whatever happens, I strongly feel that the Cubs must address the closer role if they want to be a legitimate World Series contender in 2010.  If Wagner is not the answer, who is?

I previously mentioned Huston Street as a possibility.  He will receive an increase in arbitration from his 2009 salary of $4.5 million.  The Rockies don’t want to deal him, but may have to consider a trade in order to reach their budget goals.  Street would be one of their more marketable players and the Cubs would be one of several teams interested in the closer.

Another possibility is Francisco Cordero of the Reds.  The Reds are reportedly going to have to cut their budget from $71 million in 2009 to $65 to $70 million in 2010.  That might not seem like a big cut, but the Reds have contractual obligations totaling $66 million to just 10 players.  They are going to have to make some trades just to be able to field a full team.

Cordero is one of their most expensive players.  He’s signed through 2011 for $12 million per year with another $12 million club option for 2012 ($1 million buyout).  That’s expensive, but there are unfortunately no good, cheap options for the Cubs.

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Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cubs are nearing a deal to re-sign John Grabow.  Rosenthal says the deal could be for two years.  It could also be for 100 years, but probably not. 

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The GM meetings end today.  Will Milton Bradley be traded?  More tomorrow…

A Look At The Offseason (Part 1 – Infield)

A Look At The Offseason (Part 2 – Outfield)

Today, I’d like to focus on the Cubs’ starting and relief pitching.

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Four of the five positions in the Cubs starting rotation are pretty well set.  Barring an unforessen trade, the Cubs starters will include Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, and Randy Wells.  Lefties Tom Gorzelanny and Sean Marshall, along with right-hander Jeff Samardjzia will compete for the fifth starter position.  So the Cubs are set with starting pitching, right?  Maybe.

I don’t expect the Cubs to add another starter, but there are a couple of scenarios that make some sense.  First, I’ve previously set out a scenario where a Milton Bradley (and others) trade to Toronto could return Roy Halladay.  If that happened, then you can count Gorzelanny, Marshall, and Samardjzia among the faces in the bullpen.  It’s unlikely, but it would work.

If the Cubs are looking for a free agent starting pitcher (which I don’t think they are), there are two different targets I would suggest.  First is current Dodgers pitcher Randy Wolf.  In 2009, Wolf was 11-7 with a 3.23 ERA.  He earned $5 million last year, plus $500,000 for pitching more than 200 innings.  He’ll be 34 years old in 2010.

The other free agent target I’d like the Cubs to consider is former Brewers starter, Ben Sheets.  Sheets missed the past year while recovering from surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his elbow.  He thought he’d be ready to pitch again by mid-season this past year, but his recovery took longer than anticipated.  From all reports, Sheets will be ready by Spring Training.

Sheets is a buy low, high potential target.  When he’s right, Sheets is very good.  Of course, his health and durability are a question, so he shouldn’t cost too much on a one year deal.

The Cubs bullpen will include two of Gorzelanny, Marshall, and Samardjzia (the two not in the starting rotation). It will also include Angel Guzman and Carlos Marmol.  If the Cubs can re-sign John Grabow (which I expect), he’ll also be part of the bullpen.  Justin Berg, Dave Patton, Jeff Stevens and Mitch Atkins are also bullpen candidates.

The big question for me concerning the bullpen is whether or not the Cubs will be willing to start the year with Marmol as the closer.  All indications from the Cubs are that Marmol will be the closer.  If I were in charge, I’d be looking for someone else.

In 2009, Marmol lead all NL relievers in hit batters (12) and in bb/9 innings (7.90/9).  That’s not what you want from the guy who’s in charge of shutting down the opposing team in the 9th inning of a close game.  In 19 save opportunities, Marmol had 15 saves for a 21.0% blown save rate.  For comparisons sake, the Dodger’s Jonathon Broxton blew 14.3% of his save opportunities, Ryan Franklin of St. Louis blew 11.6% of his save opportunities, and the Rockies’ Huston Street blew 10.8% of his save opportunities.  Even Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets, who had a down year, only blew 16.7% of his save opportunities.  (In all fairness, Brad Lidge blew 21.6% of his saves and the Phillies are in the World Series.)

Marmol has been a great story for the Cubs up until now.  He joined the club as a catcher, was converted to a pitcher and at times has been dominant.  But he’s too wild and too unpredictable.  The Cubs need a closer they can count on.

Rob G. of The Cub Reporter has thrown out the idea of the Cubs signing free agent Kelvim Escobar.  Although he’s missed the past two years with injuries, Escobar is expected to be healthy going into next year.  Because of his past injury issues, he shouldn’t cost much and he could be brought in with the idea of either setting up Marmol or taking on the closer role. 

The Cubs could also decide to go after Billy Wagner.  After returning from injury last year, Wagner, who will be 39 years old next season,  looked like his old self.  He probably won’t come cheap, but he has the potential to be a dominant closer.  In 2009, between the Mets and Red Sox, Wagner only pitched 15.2 innings, but he posted a 1-1 record with a 1.72 ERA.  It’s a small sample size, but impressive nonetheless considering the circumstances.

The Red Sox have an $8 million option on Wagner for 2010, but they agreed not to exercise it in order to get him to waive his no-trade clause when he was traded from the Mets to Boston.  That must mean that Wagner thinks he can get more than $8 million per year and/or more years as a free agent. 

The latest news on Wagner is that he told a reporter that he is considering retiement and doesn’t plan to talk to teams when he hits free agency.  The next day, his agent said that Wagner’s statement was “premature.”  If he’s available, the Cubs should inquire, but my personal feeling is that his price tag is going to be too high.

There are a couple of other free agent candidates that are longshots, but possibilities.  If John Smoltz would be willing to return to the bullpen in 2010, then the Cubs should look at him to be their closer.  At the moment, it looks like Smoltz wants to start and St. Louis is willing to give him a chance, but we’ll have to see how it plays out.

The other option is of my own creation.  I mentioned earlier that free agent Ben Sheets is a pitcher the Cubs should consider.  Although he’s never closed before, it might be the perfect role for him coming off of a missed year due to injury.  It would allow him to pitch fewer innings and build his strength back up if his goal is to eventually be a starter again.  He has shown in the past that he has the mentality to be a closer.  Although I like the idea, I’m not so sure either Sheets or the Cubs would like it as much.

Other free agents to consider are Brandan Donnelly, Jason Isringhausen, Troy Percival, JJ Putz, and Takashi Saito.  I’m not suggesting any of them would be a good fit for the Cubs, but they do have experience closing and all are available. 

There are a couple of intriguing trade candidates that may be available.  The Cincinnati Reds owe Francisco Cordero $12 million per year in 2010 and 2011.  The team also holds a $12 million option for 2012 with a $1 million buy-out.  In fact, he is the highest paid player on a team with many needs and very little payroll flexibility.

In 2009, Cordero was 2-6 with a 2.16 ERA.  He had 39 saves in 43 save opportunities (9.3% blown saves).  He’s expensive, but could probably be had for a couple of good prospects.  On the other hand, I doubt if either team would be overly excited about making a deal within the division.  It happens, but it’s not preferred.

There is also a chance that Colorado may make Huston Street available.  Personally, I think this is a longshot, but the fact is that Street made $4.5 million in 2009 and is due for a hefty increase via arbitration.  The Rockies have a couple of  other cheaper (albeit, not as good) options at closer, including Manny Corpas who is returning from injury.  It seems to me that the only way the Rockies would trade Street is if they are really in a money crunch.  I know their budget is tight, but I’m not sure it is tight enough to trade such a valuable player.

In a nutshell, I don’t think the Cubs should count on Marmol to be their closer, but I have to admit that the options to replace him are rather limited.  The bottom line for me is that the Cubs have a top-of-the-line starting rotation and they need to have a dependable arm closing out games for them.  I don’t know for sure who that steady arm will be, but I do know that Carlos Marmol is anything but steady.

In my next report, I’ll wrap up this series and put together a proposed 25 man roster for the 2010 Cubs.

In an article by Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune, Jim Hendry is quoted as saying Joshua didn’t do anything wrong.  He said Joshua was brought in from the minors to replace Gerald Perry in June and was told it was a temporary assignment.  Hendry also told Joshua at the time that he could have his old job back if things didn’t work out.

Later in the article, Derrek Lee is quoted as saying, “I hate to say it, but a hitting coach is overrated.”  He also said that neither Perry nor Joshua were to blame.  If a player doesn’t hit, it’s the player’s fault, not the hitting coach’s.

In addition to looking for a middle-of-the-order bat and a leadoff hitter in the offseason, Hendry will now also be looking for a hitting coach.  What promises to be a busy offseason just got a little busier.

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The season isn’t quite over yet.  Both the Tigers and Twins won yesterday, so they will play a one game playoff today at the Metrodome in Minnesota.  This is the second year in a row the Twins will be playing in a one game playoff.  They lost to the White Sox last year.

-edit- The one game playoff will be held on Tuesday (10/6), not Monday (10/5).

The other teams going to the post season in the AL will be the Yankees, Angels and Red Sox.  The Yankees will await the outcome of today’s game between the Twins and Tigers and will then host the winner.  The Angels will host the Wildcard winning Red Sox to start their best-of-five series.

In the NL, the Rockies will travel to Philadelphia to take on the Phillies beginnning Wednesday afternoon.  The Dodgers will host the Cardinals at Chavez Ravine beginning Wednesday night.

I’m picking the Yankees and Red Sox to survive in the AL, while the Phillies and Cardinals will play for the pennant in the NL.  All Division Series games will be broadcast on TBS

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Alex Rodriguez entered the sixth inning of yesterday’s game against the Rays needing seven RBI to hit 100 for the season.  Time was running out and it didn’t look like he would make it.  What happened next is a new AL record.

 Rodriguez came up with two on and belted a three run homer off Rays pitcher Wade Davis.  The homerun brought him closer to the century mark in RBIs, and Rodriguez thought he might get one more at-bat in the game.  But as the Yankees continued to batter Rays pitching, that at-bat came sooner than ARod thought it might. 

The Yankees half of the sixth inning continued and Rodriguez found himself in the on deck circle when the Rays intentionally walked Mark Teixeira to load the bases.  Rodriguez then delivered his second homerun of the inning, this one a grand slam, giving him seven RBIs in the inning and a new AL record.  His second homerun of the inning was also his 30th homerun of the season, giving him seven consecutive years of 30 or more homeruns.

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I’ve advocated for a salary cap in the past on these pages.  I’m less concerned with a cap controlling a team’s spending as I am in forcing teams like the Pirates and Marlins to spend a minimum amount.  As it is, these teams are spending less on player payroll than they receive in revenue sharing.

Another concern I have with the disparity in spending is that  lower spending teams have trouble competing.  Of course, those who disagree with me point to teams like the Twins who have been at least in the hunt for the plaoffs most of the past decade.  The Marlins are another example.  Not only have they made the playoffs, but they won the World Series, beating the high spending Yankees.

As I’ve said in the past, the low spending teams making the playoffs is the exception that proves the rule.  Murray Chass disagrees with me.  In a recent article, Chass makes the assertion that there is no problem with the system as is and that it should be left alone.  To prove his point, Chass offers the following:

These are the teams, according to their rank in the salary standings, that have made the playoffs the last 10 years. This year’s lineup includes the Tigers and the Rockies, who had not clinched their spots when this was posted. (number in parentheses is the number of teams in the top 8 that were in the playoffs):

• 2009 (6): 1-4-5-6-7-8-12-17
• 2008 (4): 2-5-6-7-9-10-15-28
• 2007 (5): 1-2-5-7-8-22-23-26
• 2006 (3): 1-5-6-12-14-17-19-21
• 2005 (4): 1-2-5-6-10-12-14-16
• 2004 (5): 1-2-3-7-8-11-12-19
• 2003 (3): 1-4-6-10-11-17-23-26
• 2002 (3): 1-4-7-10-13-16-27-28
• 2001 (4): 3-5-6-8-9-12-17-26
• 2000 (3): 1-3-5-12-15-18-25-27

Chass’ point is that in almost every year, there are lower payroll teams in the playoffs.  Here’s my point: In seven of the past ten years, at least four of the top eight highest payroll teams made the playoffs.  And in every one of those 10 years, four of the top twelve spending teams qualified for the post season.  So what you have is the top spending teams claiming four playoff spots every year and the remaining 18-22 teams fighting over the remaining four spots.

I’ll be the first to admit that spending a lot of money doesn’t guarantee a team a spot in the playoffs.  Just look at the 2009 version of the Cubs.  But when money is wisely spent, the team that spends the most usually wins.

One of my favorite things is the changing color of the leaves.  Nature’s art show is spectacular.  There’s nothing better than sitting outside on the back porch or down at the lake, enjoying a cool beverage, and taking in the fall colors.  Fall really is a great time of year.

And yet, the fall is a sad time of year for baseball fans.  Baseball’s regular season is coming to a close.  The playoffs are exciting, but they also represent the end to another great season.  And on this, the final day of the regular season, we are counting the time until Spring Training in months rather than weeks or days.

The Cubs won’t be participating in the postseason this year, which is a shame.   And yet, those on us who have been alive for the past two seasons (2007-2008) were treated to back-to-back postseason appearances.  No one under the age of 100 can say the same thing.  Let’s hope that we can see the Cubs back in the postseason soon.

As we head into the postseason, we know that the Yankees, Angels, and Red Sox will continue playing.  The Tigers and Twins are tied in the AL Central, so depending on today’s results, we may have a one-game playoff tomorrow.

In the NL, the Cardinals, Dodgers, Phillies, and Rockies will vy for the chance to represent the NL in the World Series.  It is an exciting time, but I’m going to miss following the Cubs.

Just four more months until Spring Training… 

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Phil Rogers of the Tribune has listed ten different players that could fill the “middle-of-the-order” bat that Lou Piniella said he wants.  Before he lists his candidates, Rogers has to first blast Jim Hendry for signing Kosuke Fukudome and Milton Bradley to fill the void, both failing rather spectacularly.  I don’t have the best memory, but I don’t think anyone claimed that Fukudome was a “big bat” who would fit in the middle of the order.  However, Rogers point about Bradley is well taken.

There are a few names that intrigue me.  I could see Bobby Abreau or Rick Ankiel as possibile solutions.  But the guy that most intrigues me is Adam Dunn.

I have to admit, if you had asked me a couple of weeks ago about adding Adam Dunn to the Cubs, I would have been opposed to it.  But after going through the last two posts (Redefining Production Part 1 and Part 2), I have a new found respect for Dunn.  True, he’s not the most gifted fielder.  He also strikes out a lot.   But there are only a handful of players in the game that contribute more to their team scoring runs.  And as we established previously, the most important attribute in the game is scoring runs.

Rogers also lists Mark DeRosa as a possible bat to add to the Cubs 2010 lineup.  I really like Mark DeRosa and I was critical of Jim Hendry for trading him last offseason.  He’s a guy who leaves it all out on the field and is a great clubhouse guy.  In fact, he was one of the leaders of the Cubs playoff teams.  Even so, I’m afraid that ship has sailed.  DeRosa is going to be a free agent after this season.  He is also going to be 35-years old and is scheduled to have wrist surgery in the off season.  Not a good combination.  It pains me to say it, but I don’t think DeRosa is the solution to the Cubs’ needs.

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Check out these two clips from the Seattle Mariners radio network.  Mike Blowers makes an amazing prediction that actually comes true.

Enjoy!

So another year is in the books for the Cubs and we can officially turn our attention to a Cubs-less post season and what should be a busy and eventful off season.  Chief among the off season duties for Jim Hendry will be to move Milton Bradley and his big contract, as well as build a 2010 team that includes a middle-of-the-order RBI bat and maybe a lead-off man.

In an interview with WMVP AM1000 in Chicago, Lou Piniella reiterated that adding a middle-of-the-order bat is tops on his wish list.  He also was a bit critical of Bradley for driving in only 40 runs.

This second comment triggered a bit of a firestorm in the blogosphere between statheads and old school “I know what I see” types.  The statheads pointed to Bradley’s respectable OBP and reiterated their oft heard battle cry that “RBIs are team dependent.”  In other words, it’s not Bradley’s fault that people weren’t getting on base in front of him.  Lost of the statheads was the fact that Bradley only hit .205 with runners in scoring position (forgive me for using an archaic stat like batting average).

The old schoolers pointed to Bradley’s lack of power (12 homeruns) and RBIs (40) as proof that he did not contribute much to the 2009 Cubs.  They also argued that WAR and WARP and other stats are nice, but the essence of the game is to hit the ball and to drive in runs.  If you don’t score runs, you can’t win the game, no matter how high your OBP.  It’s an old arguement.

I straddle the line between the statheads and the old schoolers.  They both have their place.  In this arguement, I have to side more with the old schoolers, not because the statheads are wrong, but because Bradley just doesn’t have the stats to back up the statheads arguement.  In general, what the statheads say is correct.  Unfortunately, Bradley didn’t do enough in 2009 to give them the ammo they need to defeat the old schoolers.

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 Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago has written an article examining the horrible off season Jim Hendry had last Winter and suggesting than if he can’t turn things around next year, it will likely be his last as Cubs GM.  No new ground is covered in the article, but it is a good recap of how everything Hendry touched last Winter turned to crap.

When I look at Hendry’s body of work, I am a bit torn.  Early in his tenure with the Cubs, I think it is fair to say that he was a bit under the thumb of Andy MacPhail.  MacPhail, the current GM in Baltimore, is tight with a team’s money, so much so that he ran the Cubs like a small market team.  Hendry could do little to build the Cubs into a perrennial contender while MacPhail was in town.  As soon as he left, Hendry went to work.

For the first time in 100 years, the Cubs made the playoffs in back-to-back years under Hendry.  They were picked by most pundits to win the division in 2009, but things didn’t quite work out that way.  And that’s why Hendry is catching as much flack as he is.  But in all fairness, there’s no way Hendry could have foreseen the injuries this year to Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, or three-fifths of the starting rotation.  He couldn’t have known that Alfonso Soriano would have the worst year of his career or injure his knee. 

What Hendry should have known was that Bradley was a horrible fit for the Cubs (and maybe for anyone).  He should have know that Kevin Gregg wasn’t the answer at closer.  And he should have known that Aaron Miles wasn’t worth half of what the Cubs paid him.  Hendry can’t be blamed for the Cubs relative collapse in 2009, but there’s plenty that he can be blamed for.

In the end, I give Hendry a mulligan for the moves he made during last off season.  He didn’t do a very good job, but he did put a team on the field that, had they just met expectations, would have been a playoff contender.  Even with all of the team’s problems, they still are on pace to win 85+ games.   That’s not at all bad, especially for a team that underperformed so badly. 

Hopefully Hendry has learned his lesson about the type of player that can fit in and potentially thrive with the Cubs.  The upcoming off season will be an opportunity for him to put his new found knowledge to work.

Although the Cubs are not quite yet mathematically eliminated, manager Lou Piniella is already starting to turn his attention to next year.  In an interview with Carrie Muskat from MLB.com, Piniella opened up about his top three wishes for 2010.  They are:

1. Have Alfonso Soriano and Geovany Soto return healthy and productive.
2. Add a real nice RBI bat to the lineup (He never mentioned the words “left-handed”).
3. Add a true lead-off man

Wish number one makes perfect sense.  The Cubs were devasted by injuries this year, particularly to Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, and Alfonso Soriano.  If all three can come back healthy and productive next year, the Cubs will already be a better team than they were in 2009.

As for wishes two and three, you have to wonder where these new guys would play.  Piniella said that he’d like to move Kosuke Fukudome back to right field, so that would leave a hole in center and maybe one at second (depending on what they decide to do with Mike Fontenot).

I think all three wishes make sense.  Wish number one should take care of itself.  There’s very little the Cubs can do to guarantee it.  Wishes two and three are in the hands of Jim Hendry.  And if he wants a little help, he should read my thoughts (stolen from someone else) about calling his old buddy Andy MacPhail in Baltimore to make a deal.

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Phil Rogers at the Tribune is reporting on a rumored trade between the Cubs and White Sox.  In the trade, the Cubs would send Carlos Zambrano to the Southside in exchange for newly acquired pitcher Jake Peavy. 

Their contracts of the two pitchers are nearly a wash.  Z is owed $53.75 million through  2012 (with a $19.25 million player vesting option in 2013) while Peavy is owed $52 million through 2012 (with a $22 million club option in 2013 and a $4 million buyout).

There are a couple of things to consider here.  First, the rumor is being reported by Phil Rogers, so there’s a good chance that he just made it up.  After all, in the same article, Rogers is reporting that Red Sox first base coach Tim Bogar is a leading candidate to get the Houston Astros managerial job in 2010.  This, despite the fact that Bogar is contractually prohibited from accepting a managerial position outside of Boston until AFTER the 2010 season.  Phil apparently didn’t know that when he made up the story.

NOTE: Boy, do I have egg on my face.  After disparaging Phil Rogers for getting the Tim Bogar story wrong, I realized that John Farrell is the Boston coach that has a clause in his contract that does not allow him to accept a job as manager anywhere other than Boston before the end of the 2010 season, not Bogar.  It’s official.  I’m an idiot.  Sorry, Phil.  Mea culpa.

Even so, let’s think about the possibility of Z going to the White Sox in exchange for Peavy.  Z, who is 28-years old, has always liked the White Sox.  It might be because of the Venezuela connection with manager Ozzie Guillen (they also have similar temperments) or it might be the more “blue collar” feel to the White Sox.  Whatever it is, the White Sox are one team that Z apparently said he would be willing to be traded to (he has a full NTC).

As a Padre, Peavy made it clear that he would like to stay in the NL and would prefer to join the Cubs.  So we can be pretty sure that he would once again waive his no-trade clause to go to the Northside.   And to further add to the odd symmetry, Peavy is also 28-years old, just one day older than Zambrano.

Both pitchers had down years in 2009 and both suffered through injuries.  I think it’s fair to say that Peavy’s injury was more serious, but it appears he has fully recovered.  Some would argue that Zambrano’s back problems are potentially more serious because they are exacerbated by his reluctance to stick to a strict exercise program.

The two pitchers have comparable career stats as well.  Zambrano has a career record of 105-67 with an ERA of 3.50 and a 1.29 WHIP.  For his career, Peavy is 94-68 with a 3.28 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP.

I think we’ve established this much, a Zambrano for Peavy trade would be a pretty even swap.  So, should the Cubs do it?  I say yes.

The Cubs have struggled over the years with Zambrano’s emotional instability.  He can get shaken at times on the mound and he can act in inappropriate ways when he’s frustrated (Just ask Michael Barrett or the innocent Gatorade machine).  I think it’s also fair to say that Z has never lived up to his billing of being a staff ace.  He definitely has the talent, but he just hasn’t realized his full potential yet.  Maybe he can do that on the Southside where Mark Buehrle is considered the ace of the staff.

Peavy proved himself to be an ace in San Diego and could step into that role with the Cubs.  Ryan Dempster and Ted Lilly have both had good years, but I’ve never really thought of either of them as the ace of the Cubs pitching staff.

There you have it.  The rumor is probably made up, but I approve of it any way.

Of course, the problem for the Cubs is that they are running out of time.  The team only has eight games remaining this season, so even if they win out, it will still take a miracle to win the Wildcard.

The Cubs play their final road game of the season today in San Francisco.  Randy Wells (11-9) goes up against the impressive Matt Cain (13-7).

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The Tribune’s Paul Sullivan, who must just hate Milton Bradley, continues piling on him by pointing out that the Cubs are now 6-1 since the Bradley suspension and 20-10 for the season in games when Bradley does not play.  He uses this exchange with Jake Fox to prove his point:

Is it just a coincidence, or has the removal of Bradley from the picture improved the team’s chance of success?

“It might be,” Jake Fox said with a laugh. “That’s a funny point to bring up because I didn’t even think about it. I guess it could be, but guys are playing relaxed, and guys are playing fun.

“It’s a learning experience because it shows you if you just play that way every day, regardless of what kind of pressure is on you, regardless of what people may be saying or not saying about you, [it] shows you a lot about what we can do as a team.”

I’m no professional journalist, but it seems to me that Fox is just trying to deflect Sullivan’s question by being polite and giving a PC answer.  In fact, it seems to me like he is saying that the team is playing well because they are loose and having fun.  He doesn’t link that play back to Bradley; Sullivan does.

I believe that Bradley deserved all of the criticism he received for his poor play and bad behavior.  I didn’t think suspending him was a smart thing, but I was satisfied with it if it led to the Cubs trading him in the off season.  But the lengths that some members of the media have gone to continue the “Bradley Bashing” festival is too much.  It’s time to move on.

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In my post yesterday, I mentioned that the Royals had been suggested as a team that might have interest in acquiring Bradley.  You can cross them off the list.  Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star writes that Royals officials (Why are they unnamed?) dismissed the reports linking KC to Bradley and called the people perpetuating such rumors (I’m looking at you Paul Sullivan) as “idiots.”

This news from Kansas City is just fine with me.  I didn’t think the Royals matched up well for a Bradley trade anyway unless the Cubs just wanted to dump Bradley somewhere and continue paying most of his salary.

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The Royals may no longer be on the list of teams with an interest in Bradley, but the Mets, Padres, Giants, and Rangers are.  That according to Ken Rosenthal on his weekly video report (the bit about the Cubs and Bradley starts around the 1:45 mark).  Rosenthal says that all four teams have already contacted Jim Hendry about a possible trade.

Rosenthal adds that the Cubs are confident they can work out a deal for Bradley that does not involve them picking up his salary.  According to Rosenthal, the more salary the Cubs pick up, the better player(s) they’ll get in return.

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Whoever the Cubs get in return for Milton Bradley, manager Lou Piniella would like it to be a middle-of-the-order run producer.   You may recall that after the Cubs quick exit from the playoffs last year, the Cubs decided that what they were missing was a left-handed, middle-of-the-order bat.  Remember?  It was in all of the papers.

I said it then and I’ll say it again: The Cubs don’t need to get more left-handed.  They just need more players who can hit, regardless of the side of the plate they hit from (Are you tired of hearing me say that yet?)  It appears that Piniella is coming around to my way of thinking:

 ”You ask me, the biggest thing we need here is an RBI bat,” Piniella said. “We need an RBI bat to sit in the middle of the lineup with [Aramis] Ramirez and Derrek Lee.”

Does Piniella’s dream hitter have to bat left-handed?

“I don’t care if he hits between his legs, how’s that?” Piniella said. “Right-handed, left-handed, doesn’t really matter.”

Exactly! 

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Somewhere along the line, someone must have told Rick Morrisey of the Chicago Tribune that he is funny.  That person lied and did a great disservice to  people all over the world who are capable of reading Morrisey’s column.

In a recent column, Morrisey thought it would be funny to re-write Bradley’s apology as if Bradley himself had actually written it.  First, it doesn’t sound like Bradley wrote it.  Second, it’s not funny.  That’s a bad combination.

I’ve never been a fan of Morrisey, so this column just reinforces my opinion.  How many columnists does the Trib Sports Dept. have anyway?  No wonder they’re going through bankruptcy.

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I recently received a comment to a previous post that read “I’m in love with you, my adonis.”  I deleted the comment as spam, but then I got to thinking, what if it was legit?  Maybe someone out there likes this blog so much that they felt compelled to send in that comment.  Yeah, that’s probably it.  Until I’m proven wrong, I’m running with that theory.

Carlos Marmol came in to handle the bottom of the 9th.  As usual, Marmol made it interesting, giving up a walk and a hit.  But he struck out the other three batters he faced to earn the save and give the Cubs the victory.

Ryan Dempster looked solid, going 7.0 innings and giving up seven hits and two earnerd runs.  He walked one and struck out six.  Even with time on the DL this year for a broken toe, Dempster is up to 186.0 inning with a 3.68 ERA.

The win was a big one because Colorado lost to San Diego 5-4 to pull the Cubs to within 6.5 games in the Wildcard race.  To add even a little more hope to the scenario, The Rockies will be hosting the Cardinals in a three-game set starting tonight.  The odds remain incredibly long, but stranger things have happened (haven’t they?).

The Cubs are 4-1 in their last five games and are playing some of their best baseball of the year (which isn’t saying a lot).  Unfortunately, there are only 10 games remaining in the season to make a miracle happen.

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George Castle with TruSlant.com wrote an interesting and insightful article about his personal experience with Milton Bradley and how that experience mirrors Bradley’s overall behavior with the Cubs.  The article is nearly a month old, but it gives a good feel for what it was like to deal with the Cubs suspended right fielder.

Castle writes:

Bradley is quickly punching a ticket out of Wrigley Field with streams of consciousness about the apparent dislike, even “hatred,” shown to him by Cubs fans in the stands — and even waiters at the next table in a restaurant. The $30 million right fielder, who is just starting to hit conveniently too late to help the Cubs, even hinted at racism from some of the lunatic fringe in the ballpark. The race angle was predictable, given the devil’s brew of Bradley’s past outbursts, his four-month-long slump to start the season and the reprehensible actions of a loud-mouthed few who have aggravated African-American Cubs in recent seasons.

I don’t think Castle knew how accurate he was when he said “Bradley is punching a ticket out of Wrigley Field.”  I don’t think anyone could have foretold Bradley’s suspension a month ago, but Castle comes close.

The article goes on to detail Castle’s attempts to interview Bradley.  Although it seems hard to do, Bradley failed to attend three pre-set interviews with Castle over a four day period.  The interviews were set up through the Cubs Media Relations office and Bradley agreed to each and every interview.  Even so, he did not have the professionalism to cancel the interviews (if he couldn’t make it).  He claimed that he simply forgot about the second interview, but gave no reason (or apology) for missing the other interviews.

Actually, that last sentence is not quite true.  After missing the third interview, Bradley claimed he had been in the training room because he didn’t feel well.  However, Castle not only saw Bradley sitting at his locker at the scheduled time of the interview, but made eye contact with Bradley and even held up his tape recorder for Bradley to see to remind him of the interview.  In other words, even though Bradley knew that Castle knew that Bradley was just sitting in the locker room, he still made up a story to explain away his failure to keep his commitment.

The fact that Bradley takes absolutely no responsibility for his actions is old news by now, but Castle experienced this first hand back in May 2009.  Bradley was just starting his tenure with the Cubs and was already going through some tough times.  Less than two months into the season, Bradley had already been suspended for bumping an umpire and he was having difficulty getting his bat going.  In fact, at the time of the first scheduled interview with Castle, Bradley was hitting just .200/.328/.390 with five homeruns and 11 RBI.

The somewhat ironic thing to me was that Castle was going to interview Bradley specifically to give Bradley the opportunity to explain himself and let the fans know the kind of person he really is.  Bradley had claimed on several occasions that he was misunderstood, so Castle was willing to turn his entire radio program over to Bradley to try to overcome any misunderstandings.  In the end, I think Bradley did show exactly the kind of person he is, but I doubt if it’s what he had in mind.

Castle ends his piece with this:

Bradley has time to change, to grow as a man. However, the way he is steering his life, it will be best done elsewhere, and maybe away from baseball.

Indeed.

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The Associated Press (via ESPN.com) is reporting that the bankruptcy judge hearing the Tribune Company’s bankruptcy case has approved the sale of the Cubs to the Ricketts Family.  The Cubs (Chicago National League Ball Club) will now be taken through an expedited bankruptcy proceeding to make sure that the organization is free of liens and claims.  Approval from MLB will be the final hurdle that has to be cleared before the Rickettses are officially the new owner of the Cubs.  It sounds like the entire process can be wrapped up by the end of the post-season or shortly therafter.

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It’s official.  Rich Harden is being shut down for the remainder of the season.  Harden says that he’s suffering from some mild arm fatigue. 

“It’d be a lot different if we were in it and they needed me to pitch,” Harden said. “I’d be out there in a second and I’d be fine. I’m still healthy, feeling good and took that as a positive for this season.”

Harden went on to say that the decision to shut down his season was “mutual” between him and the club.  He said it would be good for the Cubs to test some of their young arms as the season winds down.

It’s not that I doubt what is being said, but I find the decision odd considering that Harden will be entering free agency at the end of the year.  The knock on him is that he is fragile and prone to injury.  As he prepares for a new contract, I would think he would want to end the year strong and at least appear durable (or at least as durable as Rich Harden can appear).  Shutting him down early, especially with his agreement, leaves the impression that maybe something is wrong with him.  It’s not the impression you want to deal with when you’re preparing for a new contract.

My guess is that the Cubs will offer Harden arbitration at the end of the year.  I expect that he will reject arb and will hit the free agent market with hopes of getting a long-term contract.  Someone might bite, but it shouldn’t be the Cubs.  Harden is a fantastic pitcher when he is healthy, but unfortunately, that’s not often enough.

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After initially saying he was not interested, Nolan Ryan has now confirmed that he is interested in purchasing a controlling interest in the Texas Rangers.  Ryan is currently the President of the Rangers and he owns two minor league teams.

Why am I including this bit of news on a Cubs blog?  Because the rumor has been floated that Texas could be a place where Milton Bradley could land next year.  Bradley enjoyed the best season of his career in Texas and he seemed to get along well with manager Ron Washington.  I have myself opined in the past that a Bradley for Michael Young swap could be a possibility.

The only reason Texas would agree to such a deal is because of the tremendous financial problems owner Tom Hicks is having.  Young is a huge financial liability for the team.  He’s the highest paid player on the Rangers and is stilled owed $64 million through 2013.

However, if Ryan becomes the owner of the Rangers, they will no longer be in the tough financial position they are in currently.  And without an incredibly strong financial reason to do it, I don’t think Ryan would tolerate an individual as troubled and flawed as Milton Bradley.  One of Ryan’s strengths, both on the field and in the front office, is that he is tough minded.  The same can not be said for Bradley.  If Ryan moves from the front office to the owners box, I think the possibility of a trade for Milton Bradley becomes unlikely.