Don't believe the Chicago Sun Times or Tribune who are already in Hot Stove League mode...
The Rays will not acquire Milton Bradley, unless Chicago is willing to basically give Bradley to Tampa Bay for free.... However I strongly believe that Tampa Bay is trying to trade Pat Burrell to Chicago or for that matter any team that will listen.... The Rays were pleased with the way Willy Aybar performed the last 6 weeks of the season... Willy hustled down the line. Had more professional at bats. Drove in some key runs. Displayed some pop in his bat. Hit the ball the other way at times... I don't think Joe Madd would have any problems inserting Willy as the DH in 2010.
Or to have the DH role as a mix and match position... The Rays would love to free up more salary $$$ to acquire a couple of bullpen arms. Pick-up CC's option. Tender several Arbritration eligible players with contracts.. And decide what they will do with Navi, Zaun, Riggans and possibly another catcher they may want to acquire.... Bradley to Tampa Bay??? 200 to 1 longshot.... Too much risk for a risk adverse organization...

I hope you are correct about Bradley, he would be a huge detriment in the clubhouse which is not an area of strength for the Rays right now. The team needs positive leadership, not a guy who has a pattern of undermining leadership.

But I don't know if Aybar has much to do with it, his 2009 stats are almost identical to 2008. Of course that was part of the reason that many of us were not at all pleased (and said so on here) when the team signed Pat, there seemed to be plenty of flexibility with Aybar & Zo to make the DH spot more fluid and able to be used by guys during "rest days" rather than sitting them and taking the bat out of the lineup.

Burrell is not a disraction, keeps his comments positive and he runs hard although he is very slow. Not a lack of trying on Pat's part, something that cannot be said about Bradley. He has been a negative influence on every team on which he has played.

Another vote of NO!

I say get Bradley. The Rays need some fire. They are too laid back.

There are plenty of fiery players & coaches who do not argue with and then go on a tirade about the players, coaches, organization and fans of the team (over)paying them.

Milton Bradley would not light a fire on the Rays, he would do all he could do to burn them as he has with every other team for which he has played. It is a pattern, not a one- or two-time thing.

I agree with coach... Bradley wouldn't do anything to help the Rays... He was brought to the Cubs, much like Burrell was brought into the Rays, to help produce runs.

Niether produced.... and if I was going to have to pick, I'd easily pick Burrell over Bradley. How many times was Burrell brought up for getting into with Maddon or another player?? Once. You can't say the same for Bradley.

They need some fire...... They don't need a whole bunch of smoke, which is what Milton Bradley is.
This guy, from what I've heard, is an absolute nightmare.

MAYBE

The only thing good about signing MB is that he might actually have cajones to come out in the media and say, "Joe Maddon's a joke, nobody here respects him."
That's the only upside I see to signing this guy is that he'd actually put a little pressure on Maddon and the RFO.

In that case, the Rays ought to sign me!

Let's think this through - I probably field only a little worse than Clank Aybar, I could probably beat Pug in a foot race, even with my arthritic hip, I wouldn't strike out more than Burrell and BJ combined, and I would certainly be a better bench influence than most of the stiffs this year.

AND I would play for league minimum.

That's it! Sign me to play for the Rays! It won't be the first time they signed some broken-down old geezer for peanuts!

<<<That's it! Sign me to play for the Rays! It won't be the first time they signed some broken-down old geezer for peanuts!>>>>

LOL

I'm all for it, and when Joe keeps playing you when your hitting the interstate (.095) we can bash Joe!!!!!!!!11111111111

Rumor has it these talks are heating up again.....

The Cubs are desparate to get rid of him and are hoping they can find a su.., I mean taker.

One more year of Burrell at $9 mil or two of Bradley at over $10 mil does not seem to be a very difficult choice IMO.

Word is the Cubs are will ing to eat most of his 2011 salary to get rid of him but that doesn't help the Rays much. Still paying 9-10 million for a guy who did not exactly produce (either Bradley or Phat Pat). If the Cubs are desperate enough to eat 3/4 of his total salary why bother to trade him?? Just cut him and take the loss.

I can't see the Rays being desperate enough to take him unless the Cubs would be willing to eat part of his 2010 salary as well as his 2011 salary. You are right Phat Pat for one year is a better deal, better in the clubhouse if not on the field.

That doesn't mean the Cubs aren't still trying to sweet talk the boys... They are desperate to unload Bradley.

I would be against Bradley unless we had a Cliff Floyd type to mentor the guy. I'm just wondering if there is a guy out there that Bradly respects enough to listen to. However, if the Cubs were going to eat most of his salary and take Pat Burrell off our hands, I would be awfully tempted.

According to Fox these talks are heating up again at the GM meeting. The hold up is still the money but now there is talk that Bradley may renegotiate his contract to get out of Chicago.

As much as I would love to ditch Fat Pat I don't think getting a guy with his inability to play well with others is the best idea. If they get him it better be a a HUGE discaount since there is only one year left on Fat Pat's contract and 2 left on Bradley's.

Keep Burrel. At least his contract ends in 2010. We are already in a hard space, no need to pile up rocks every year. Could you imagine the backlash? They took Burrel, then turned around and got Bradley? Talk about a PR nightmare. Maybe Michael Vick will play baseball here for us next season.

As had been mentioned by quite a few, two years of Bradley on the team could cause real internal problems for the Rays, having Burrell for one more year is only lack of production and the contract is done.

Outside of the one run-in with CC there has been no complaining from Pat, just him admitting that he is not doing what he & the Rays expected when he signed. Milton loves to deflect the blame to anybody else, and this team being full of young guys needs positive role models not finger-pointing.

According to DRaysBay they are about 3 million apart on the money so this may end up happening. Much as I want Fat Pat to be gone the only way this works is if the Cubs pay enough of his salary that the Rays can cut him at any time when he starts to act out. It doesn't sound like that is what will happen.

I have to agree. One year with no production vs two with Bradley seems an easy choice. The Mets were looking at Fat Pat. Pay half his salary and ditch him. That will leave 4.5 million for the Rays to play with. There are plenty of guys that can rotate the DH role/give guys days off in the field.