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Rather than pretend like the Milton Bradley situation doesn't exist until some real news breaks, I'm going to go back to begging Jim Hendry to keep him on the team. Looking at some of the rumored deals that have been tossed around I realize that there isn't a single good trade that can be made here. I know that thinking you will get much back for an angry outfielder who is coming off his worst season ever is probably unrealistic, but that is why the Cubs need to keep him.
What we saw in 2009 was the worst Bradley can possibly be both on the field and off it. He blew up at fans, media, teammates, Lou, and just about everybody else. He had a below career average season and still managed to be a somewhat productive player for a few months. When the rest of the team crumbled around him in August Milton put up a line of .308/.427/.484 and pretty much was the only who didn't suck. Look at his B-R page and the sponsor, who is kind enough to point out that between April 28 and September 4 Milton posted an OPS of .846. Six bad weeks of baseball made him an unnecessary scapegoat. Did Milton have a sub-par season? Absolutely. Did he mouth off to the media too much at the end? Yes. Should the Cubs trade a .800 OPS outfielder for somebody else's trash contract? Hell no.
Look at the guys the Cubs are rumored to potentially trade Milton for and explain to me why trading him is a good idea.
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1. Aaron Rowand, remaining contract 3 years, $36 million
Rowand was given a huge deal after a monster 2007 season and hasn't been very good in San Francisco. He has had two seasons of wOBA below the league average of .330, and his defense has taken a massive hit at ATT Park. After having impressive UZR numbers for the Sox and Phillies, Rowand went into the negative range in 2008, and was able to be just about league average in 2009. Would a move to Wrigley and it's smaller outfield help Rowand, probably but it is still a larger financial commitment for a longer period of time. His last two WAR's were 1.4 and 1.9 numbers Milton came close to in his worst season ever, the only benefit here is moving Fukudome back to right field. Not worth it in my opinion.
2. Gary Matthews Jr., remaining contract 2 years $23 million
Now this looks almost exactly like Milton's deal except you get a player who is a whole lot worse. Matthews' has been nearly replacement level with his bat since signing with the Angels, and his formally awesome glovework in center has become just awful. He posted a -14.6 UZR in center this season, he is 35 years old, and he can't hit. I would say this is the worst possible deal Hendry can make, but this next guy is way worse.
3. Vernon Wells, remaining contract 5 years $98.5 million
The worst contract in baseball is about to become Canada's greatest nightmare. Wells is the franchise player in Toronto, though only because the team made him so with his huge contract. Wells managed to be worth -0.1 wins this season combining terrible, terrible, terrible defense in center with below-average ability at the plate. Add in the clever way the Jays worked his contract (clever if somebody else pays it) and you have an epic combination of awful. If the Cubs take on Wells' contract Toronto might throw a parade in Chicago's honor for taking their two worst contracts away from them. This would be a franchise crippling deal.
4. Pat Burrell, remaining contract 1 year $9 million
Burrell was supposed to help put the Rays over the top by adding an impact DH to an already powerful lineup, but he had a lot of trouble adjusting to the AL and it looks like the Rays would like to send him elsewhere for the final year on his contract. Milton Bradley makes some sense for the Rays from a baseball standpoint, and this deal would come with the Cubs likely covering a majority of Bradley's salary. Of course Burrell is nearly incapable of playing right field (he could hardly handle left) and is coming off his worst season ever. He would do nothing but be an expensive pinch hitter for the Cubs. $21 million over two seasons for one year of a replacement level pinch hitter? I think not.
The Cubs destroyed any value Bradley might have had when they suspended him in September. The only way they can trade him to another team is to take on a horrible contract that will ultimately cripple the team's already difficult financial situation. This is why the Cubs need to keep Bradley, you can't improve the team on the field by trading him, and I'm not sure he is the massive chemistry problem everybody thinks he is. He didn't make Soriano and Soto suck, didn't injure Z and Ramirez, and didn't sign Aaron Miles. Bring him back for another season, odds are he becomes really productive again and helps the team win a lot of baseball games. It might not be popular among the fans, but it is the smart baseball move.
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I'd challenge this claim. This is the definition of addition by subtraction.
However, I absolutely agree about unfair scapegoating (the Ramirez injury, Soto, Fontenot, Soriano's struggles, and the closer issue are all worthy of blame).