Day 4 in Indy: Harden to Texas, Radio Recaps, Bradley, and More

Former Cub Rich Harden is now a Texas Ranger!

Let's start with some radio recaps!

Paul Sullivan joined Mully and Hanley on 670 The Score yesterday to talk Cubs:

• Sully went to get a coffee and he ran into Jim Riggleman and Jim Hendry in the Starbucks line and Paul joked "Milton Bradley to Washington."
• The Twitter thing has really spread rumors, such as the Bradley to Seattle rumors.
• He still thinks the Rays are the front runners for Milton.
• Paul says J.J. Putz "is the flavor of the hour" because 6-8 teams are looking at him because he's cheap. Putz is coming off elbow surgery, and Sully doesn't know if he has anything left.
• Brad Penney getting $7.5 million is not a good sign for the Cubs, because Penney got a lot of money as a "crummy pitcher".
• Paul expects the Cubs to be more active in January when they can make signing for cheaper.
• The Cubs are going to make a push for Mike Cameron for a one year deal, or maybe one year with an option. They will also look at Marlon Byrd and some non-tender guys that come out.
• They are not going to make a big splash this offseason.
• Sullivan says that covering Milton Bradley was stressful, so he can't imagine managing him.
• Lou Piniella and Milton Bradley were not a great combo.
• Nobody in the organization has talked to Bradley this offseason. "It's almost like the guy has cooties or something," Sully said.
• There's zero chance of Bradley returning.
• Ricketts and Kenney continue to say that the Cubs are series about Naples, Florida as a possibility for Spring Training.
• Sullivan thinks the Cubs owe something to Arizona. Fitch and HoHoKam Parks are "not that bad of a facility."

Today Jon Heyman of SI joined Mulley and Hanley to talk Cubs and Sox:

• If the Cubs can't get rid of Milton they may have to eat 90-95% of the contract.
• The Rangers may not want Bradley.
• The Rays are adding money with the addition of Rafael Soriano, so Heyman doesn't expect them to pursue Bradley.
• Jon still doesn't think releasing him would have been the right thing to do. They still may be able to work something out to get rid of at least a few million dollars.

Bruce Levine was on ESPN Radio with Waddle and Silvy today:

• Jim Hendry is going to stick around a little late to try to find a trade partner for Milton Bradley.
• Jim has done everything he can to try to make a move. He is trying to look for other contracts that people are trying to get rid of.
• The Cubs are choosing to put the money they make pack into the team and the ballpark first. They will not add any payroll in 2010.
• The other moves the Cubs make will be effected by Jim working on the Bradley trade.
• Levine doesn't think the Cubs would ever eat all $21.5 million. They are trying to only eat $5-6 million.
• Bruce doesn't think anyone should feel sorry for Jim because of this situation.
• Pat Burrell does not fit on the Cubs, so if he comes over in the Bradley trade, they would have to turn around and swap him.
• The Cubs are interested in Putz, but the White Sox are the front runners.

And now the latest rumor notes:

• The Winter Meetings are over... and Bradley is still a Chicago Cub.
• Carrie Muskat says that the Cubs are now scrambling to move Milton. The Rays would prefer 1 year of Burrell to 2 with Bradley.
• Cubs officials said today that they are close to trading Bradley according to Bob Nightengale.
• Nightengale says that Milton is going to Tampa, but Tim Brown says that if a trade is close, it's not to the Rays.
• Hendry had good things to say about Sean Marshall, and he will compete for a spot in the rotation next year.
• Gary Hughes, a special assistant for the Cubs, was honored as Scout of the Year yesterday.
• Tim Wilken, the Cubs scouting director, took a look at the Colts' facility yesterday to check out their scouting and player evaluation techniques according to Carrie Muskat.
• The Cubs have not made up their mind as to whether Spring Training will be moved to Naples. Mesa has offered to add batting cages to Fitch Park that cost $750,000.
• Rosenthal listed the Cubs as one team interested in Scott Podsednik.
• Jim Hendry had a meeting last night with Casey Close, who is the agent for Ben Sheets, Derrek Lee, and Mike Fontenot. He has been meeting with Mike Cameron's agent as well according to Levine. Ben Sheets is the type of player that the Cubs may look at.
• Putz worked out for the Cubs on Wednesday, and he will do so again tomorrow.
• Bruce Miles provides us with an interesting tidbit on an expected trade: The Cubs also are indirectly involved with a player the White Sox lost in the minor-league portion of the Rule 5. The Sox lost righty Arismendy Mota to the Washington organization. The Cubs are expected to make a trade with the Nationals to acquire Mota. The Sox also lost right-handed pitcher John Lujan to the Mets in the minor-league Rule 5.
• Miles thinks the final decision in the Spring Training situation will tell us a lot about Tom Ricketts.

That's it for now, but there's more to come...