Milton Bradley is gone. On Thursday, the Padres were optimistic that they’d retain his services, but now it appears that the Texas Rangers have swooped in and grabbed him.
Because the Padres didn’t offer Bradley arbitration, they won’t receive a compensatory draft pick. (We didn’t re-sign Bradley, and all we got was this lousy T-shirt.)
Congrats to the Rangers, who have made the bargain signing of the winter. Bradley comes with considerable baggage, but he is a difference maker in the lineup, the likes of which the Padres hadn’t seen since the days of Ken Caminiti, Tony Gwynn, and Greg Vaughn in ’96, ’97, and ’98, respectively.
Here’s hoping for better news on the Kosuke Fukudome front. The Cubs seem to be the front-runners for his services, but as Bradley and the Rangers have reminded us yet again, it ain’t over till it’s over…
[Thanks to reader Marsh for the tip.]
You know at the end of the season I could have gone either way on the Bradley signing, but now this it pretty crucial since it seems like the Pads put a lot of eggs in that basket. I guess they HAVE to get something done with Cameron now.
Also the Cubs are really sounding like they are going to go crazy with the Fukudome offers now. I really want the Pads to sign him but the cubs are talking 5 years $13M+ that is starting to look like a bad contract. Lets just hope he likes fish tacos, the sun and Beautiful women more than money and deep dish pizza.
It says that Bradley signed for 1 Year $5M + incentives with the Rangers. Really guys the Pads could not pony up $1M more to get a .300 hitter with a .500 SLG?
Wow…..I just got done reading the UT story from Canepa about Jenga saying he felt like he wasn’t wanted here in SD. Bad news for us. Jenga has some serious problems but so do the Padres and they needed his bat.
2: You say that as though Bradley came back to the Padres and said, “they offered me a million more than you did, care to match it?”
Ok……now that this player loss has settled in………how about we put Joyner in center, Giles in left, and T Gwynn back in right?
1:
The Cubs pockets are far too deep for the Padres to get in a bidding contest with them. They have spent the last week, waiting for Fukudome to say no. Instead of trying to aquire a player who is within their means.
RE: 4 UT said that Bradley felt the Pads did not want him…
I’ve stuck up for Bradley a lot, but we can’t put any weight in him saying he felt the Padres didn’t want him. Or rather, he can say it, but how can anyone know what it would have taken to convince him otherwise? Wine and roses? Thrice-daily love messages on his cell?
Unlike draft picks we’ve lost over a few thousand bucks, Bradley was asking for a lot of money, for one season, and he’s a big risk. The Padres were smart to draw a line and not cross it.
I’d put that money in Jon Lieber. Or trade for Matt Morris with the Pirates picking up half his salary. Hope to grab Prior in either case.
I think Scott Hairston could start.
Back on 12/5 mlbrumors noted a rumored Franklin Guterrez,Kelley Shoppach & Clff Lee for Jason Bay and Ronny Paulino deal that quickly died. At the same time it was suggested SD and the Rangers were interested in Bay. With the Rangers out (presumably) and Barrrett accepting arbitration, the Padres would seem positioned to match what Cleveland proportedly offered. Maybe Pittsburg would go for Germano, Barrett and a decent prospect.
i wouldnt mind pulling off a trade for nyjer morgan. he really impressed me in his series against the padres. could bat at the top of the lineup and provide us with speed and a consistent center field.
Bradley has never before hit like he did in his 40 games with us, so a repeat of last year seems unlikely. When he’s healthy, he’s an above average player, but not a superstar. It hurts to lose him when we thought we had him signed to a bargain deal, but there are other viable options. I’d really like to see Geoff Jenkins signed now to platoon with Hairston in left.
Like it or not, ut reports, SA says “no significant changes” in Petco dimensions in 2008.
I am so freaking glad Bradley won’t be on my team again.
I wasn’t looking forward to him embarrassing us as a team again. I wasn’t looking forward to attending the Padres/Yankees game, watching him mock the crowd, and feeling anxious surrounded by thousands of Yankees fans. And I wasn’t looking forward to reading all the articles debating whether Bradley was healthy for the team or damaging to the team.
I want every single person on my team to be a positive role model. That wasn’t Milton Bradley. I’m glad he’s not on my team.
Re: 14
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
2008 OF:
LF: Headley
CF: Fukudome
RF: Giles
17:
CF: Fukueome
Wishful thinking. The Cubs will give him an offer that he can’t refuse.
18: Plus, Fukudome cant play CF in the NL West
16: Comments like this make me want to coin the term “WWTGP?”…
“What would Tony Gwynn Post?”
20: TGWP the woman makes a good point
What about Jenkins is he still viable? I know he was on the Padres “wish list” early, but that list is usually not too realistic.
I haven’t heard much about Trot Nixon. He’s coming off a surgery shortened year, and could be fairly cheap?
Shannon Stewart?
The Bradley discussion doesn’t make me go zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, but the only way to root for a team filled with 25 positive role models is to create a virtual reality franchise and watch their simulated games in a sensory deprivation tank.
A lot of it depends on your view of a positive role model. For a lot of people Peavy isn’t exactly fitting that description right now, out drinking at college bars and the flap this past season about talking through the national anthem
You rarely find a perfect role model. Kids are better off emulating the positive traits and recognizing and learning from the negative traits. We can learn as much from the people we don’t want to emulate, as from those we do and even the great role models have flaws that we wouldn’t want emulated. Why hope for the mythical perfect role model when you can cobble one together from the positive traits of all the guys out there.