Larry Stone of The Seattle Times is reporting that the Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners are set to unload a pair of bad contracts on each other with a trade involving Milton Bradley (OF) going to the Mariners in exchange for starting pitcher Carlos Silva (SP). No word yet on how the money will shake out for both teams as I doubt the Cubs are going to take on $3 million more over two years for Silva’s services. The Cubs have been in the news all offseason with their desire to unload their mistake from last season in Bradley. However, the Cubs had much difficulty finding someone to take Bradley off of their hands due to his large contract and character issues. The most rumored destination for Bradley was with the Tampa Bay Rays for Pat Burrell (OF), however, the two teams never could agree on how much money the Cubs would take on in the deal.
For Seattle, they continue their off season splurge with the acquisition of Bradley. The Mariners are now adding him to the likes of Chone Figgins (3B) and Cliff Lee (LHP), as they have put themselves in position to be the early front runners for the NL West crown. The Mariners hope that manager Don Wakamatsu can handle the enigmatic Bradley and motivate him to become the hitter he was with the Texas Rangers two years ago, where he led the AL in OBP. I think Seattle is taking a low risk gamble because Carlos Silva was a candidate to be released in Spring Training. I feel Bradley can thrive in a market like Seattle where he is away from the big market in Chicago.
For the Cubs, they get rid of a player they feel they had to get rid of. After suspending Bradley for the final two weeks of the season last season, it became apparent Bradley would be traded this off season. The team has been in a holding pattern all off season and were not willing to add new players until they finalized a trade for Bradley. Getting a player such as Silva back in the deal is very questionable. Silva was a workhorse type pitcher for the Minnesota Twins earlier in his career which led his big money contract with the Seattle Mariners. However, his time in Seattle has been disastrous as he went 4-15 with a 6.46 ERA in 2008 and 1-3 with a 8.60 ERA in only 8 games last season due to injury. I am just not sure what the Cubs are thinking of getting from Silva, but I am sure we will get an all positive spin from management on this one.
What do you think of this trade? Were the Cubs better off just releasing Bradley or should they have tried to salvage the relationship with him?
Horrible!!! What a joke….. The Cubs management has always sucked and this deal is no different!!!
I fail to see where this is a that great of a deal for the Mariners. Bradley is a nice offensive player, but, the M’s need a guy that can put in the middle of the lineup and count on him to deliver 30 homers and knock in 100 runs.
Milton will thrive in Seattle. He will be able to disappear from the media and just play the game. Silva is a joke though. It’s tough work to keep losing for 100 yrs but the Cubs always manage to find a way
Wow, Carlos Silva? Cubs organization must be strapped for cash. can anyone tell me why they stopped pursuing a burrell for bradley trade w the rays?
I am guessing that the Rays didnt want Milton’s baggage around a group of young stars. I also think that the Cubs backed themselves into a corner with blatantly admitting that they were going to move Milton at all costs. Common sense tells you that the best time to buy is when you see someone in desperation and the best time to sell is when you don’t have to. The Cubs announcing to the baseball world that Milton would not be back in 2010 didnt put alot of leverage on their side. It is tough to dictate an asking price or something of value in return when you have already basically offered to give it away. Because the drama and falling out that was so well documented by the media, it turned Milton into a PR nightmare. No longer could the Cubs put a positive spin on Milton and sell him as an OPS guy that had a great eye for the strike zone and the ability to prolong innings (which is apparently what they sold Hendry on). The only people the Burrell trade made sense to were Cubs fans. Once again Cubs management screwed this one up. I cant remember the last good signing the Cubs made. Maybe Theodore Lily?!?! Milton-Bust. Soriano-Overpaid. Fukudome-over paid. Gregg-Bust. Aaron Miles-Horrible. Rich Harden- Failed Experiment.
I just hope they will do something good this year like sign Matt Capps!
The suspense on the Matt Capps signing will come Wednesday night as he will decide between the Cubs and Nationals. Boy what a Christmas present that would be. I love fighting it out with the Nationals for players.
Is the Cubs management worse than the Bears management?!?! Thats a for real question.
Thats debatable. The current Bears regime is awful, but at least they got to a Super Bowl three years ago. I can’t say that for the Cubs.
First off i would like to say: Hello fine gentlemen,
Alex you bring some very good points my friend, although Capps does sound like a great deal i am still a little worried because he is coming off a rough season but we will see what happens on wed. and then can look forward to a good surprise….either way it goes ill take capps over silva any day…but as far as management issues…bears are by far the worst…when they went to the SB they had a different management team in place than they do now…since then they went out and picked up an offensive coordinator that came off the worst years of college football EVER and is now allowing him to run our offense …thus horrible production offensively then they went out and got a a guy that ended 0-16 last year…the cubs although make some bad decisions and bring on players that tend to flop in turn the cubs do what they can to unload those players ….Jerry has gone on record as saying ” why spend top dollar for veteran players when we can luck out and get someone late in the draft” but then pick up Pace OL at the end of his career ….the cubs at least draft right and go out and get the best player possible ….most of the time. and if someone isn’t working out….GONE
Let’s face it, unless you enjoy hockey you favorite team needs to be outside of chicago. I think you have to fire the management for the other 4 teams. Even kenny can’t stop signing guys that are going to be grandpas in a couple years….Why does it always seem so obvious what the formula for winning is when your on the outside looking in?
Go Hawks, John McDonough is an incredible marketing guru and they have a great mix of young talent and veteran leadership. Which no matter the sport is a great formula for success. Its what the Yankees used back in the late 90′s, what the Braves have used and more recently what the Red Sox’s have had. But i digress, GO HAWKS!