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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, December 9, 2009

MLB: Cubs near tipping point on dumping Milton Bradley


By Paul Sullivan
Chicago Tribune

INDIANAPOLIS — Mariners President Chuck Armstrong was riding up the elevator at the Indianapolis Marriott on Tuesday night when he was asked if his club was going to acquire Milton Bradley.

"No," Armstrong replied. "I've been asked that three times the last hour. Why is everyone asking me that?"

Down at the Starbucks in the hotel lobby, a Rangers official poked at a reporter standing in line and asked aloud: "Hey, how's that Milton Bradley trade going?"

Two days into baseball's winter meetings, the Bradley situation has turned into a running joke, with team officials tripping over each other to deny any interest in the Cubs outfielder.

In the age of tweeting, blogging and facebooking, the Bradley rumors took on a life of their own Tuesday, promoting serial denials.

But the long-awaited dumping of Bradley could come as soon as Wednesday, according to one Cubs source who expected "one of the teams" that had been rumored from Day One as the landing spot.

While the Rays appear to be the "leader" in the Bradley sweepstakes, in a Pat Burrell deal that would include the Cubs eating most of Bradley's contract, rumors of a mystery suitor surfaced Tuesday.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry was mum, as he has been during the drawn-out saga. Hendry used to complain about rumors at past winter meetings. But now he sits back and laughs off the Bradley rumors.

The more, the merrier?

"I'm always hopeful," Hendry said. "Optimistically, hopefully we'll do something."

As Hendry spoke, a Foxsports.com report on the latest trade rumors glared from a laptop sitting on a hotel room table.

Hendry confirmed he met Monday with Bradley's agents, Seth and Sam Levinson, who have been his only conduit to the Cubs employee.

Bradley is going somewhere in what may be the ugliest divorce in Cubs history. Surprisingly, sources close to Bradley insist he's not overly "anxious" for a resolution. No matter where he winds up or who pays him, Bradley is guaranteed the remaining $21 million on his contract, and the Ricketts family probably will be paying the bulk of it.

"When you have a group that's going to own this franchise for decades and decades, then they're focused on the right things," Hendry said. "Let's keep getting better players, keep developing our players, let's do everything in a first-class manner and let's hope we can continue to build a franchise that maintains some success down the road on a more regular basis than the last 100 years."

Extra innings: The Cubs are one of seven teams interested in right-hander J.J. Putz, the former Mariners closer who is recovering from elbow surgery after going 1-4 with a 5.22 earned-run average this year with the Mets. ... ESPN.com reporter Jayson Stark proposed a new BBWAA award for relievers separate from the Cy Young award, which he hoped would be called the Jerome Holtzman Award for the late Chicago baseball writer who invented the save rule. The motion was tabled until July.