Granderson, Bradley, Bell, and More

Update 3- Bruce Levine Chat Info

• The Royals are only in the exploring stages with the Cubs. As of this morning, the Royals GM Dayton Moore had not talked to Jim Hendry. However, there we plenty of conversations between the teams scouts last night
• Lou Piniella thinks Castro needs more seasoning.
• The Yankees are now the front runner for Granderson.
• The Cubs have other areas that they will address before second base, but they are still interested in Orlando Hudson, or they could end up with Luis Castillo.
• The Angels and Cubs have talked about a Bradley for Gary Matthews Jr. swap.
• When the Cubs refurbish Wrigley Field, their goal is that they will not have to play anywhere else during that time.
• Pat Burrell cannot play right field.
• Kyler Burke is going to need at least two more years in the minors, but he's on the fast track.
• Soriano's main goal this offseason is to strengthen his lower body and work on his core muscles. The Cubs have been monitoring his work and they will send some of their people over to the Domican Republic, where he is training, to check his progress.
• The Cubs are concerned about Reed Johnson's back problems.
• The Cubs would only trade Carlos Zambrano is they could get a better pitcher in the deal.
• Ryne Sandberg "could be on the fast track for Wrigley, depending on how the 2010 season turns out for Lou Piniella.
• Some front office people like Gil Meche, while other think he's "a little weak-minded". Levine wouldn't "call that a real hot rumor at this time".
• The M's got to Chone Figgins so fast that there was no time for the Cubs to get involved.
• Some media reports have overstated the Cubs' interest in Mike Cameron.
• Bruce thinks Cameron's days as an impact starting center fielder are behind him.
• The Cubs have not talked to the Giants about a Roward for Bradley trade.
• The Cubs may look at signing guys like Ben Sheets and J.J. Putz, who would be rehab projects.
• Levine would take the White Sox pitching staff over the Cubs. The only thing wrong with the Cubs staff is that they are coming off an injury-plagued season.

Update 2- Info from Chicago Tribune Live @7:05 CT

• David Kaplan talked to Phil Rogers from the Tribune on the CTL on CSN Chicago today. They talked about the winter meetings and more.
• Lou Piniella says that Jim would like to make a deal for Milton Bradley in the next few days. Lou thinks that Bradley "could have a nice bounce back year" for somebody.
• Rogers doesn't think that the trade will get done by the close of the Meetings on Thursday.
• Phil says the KC is in the picture.
• The center field pursuit and Milton Bradley are not related.
• Curits Granderson is still on the table for the Cubs.
• Kaplan thinks the Cubs are "an arm short in the rotation".
• Rodgers says that the Cubs don't feel like they have to add a quality arm, but they know they could use it. Phil likes Gil Meche from the Royals calling him an interesting name.
• Phil reports that Heath Bell is on the radar, but we have heard that that rumor is untrue.
• The Cardinals have "a ton more issues than the Cubs".

Updated 6:30 CT- Peter Gammons said on Baseball Tonight on ESPN2 that he thinks the Bradley for Burrell trade will work. Gammons thinks Bradley will make a terrific DH for the Rays. Then the Cubs would try to find a team who would take Burrell.

Also, Phil Rodgers said earlier today that Juan Pierre could end up back with the Cubbies.

A few tidbits:

• Ryan Theriot told David Kaplan on Sports Central last week that he would be willing to move to second base if it helps the team.
• The asking price on Curtis Granderson is very high. Buster Olney said on Baseball Tonight that the Tigers are asking for Starlin Castro and 2 pitching prospects in return for Granderson.
• The Cubs have spent the 4th most money of any MLB team in free agency since 1998 at $598.4 million. They are behind only the Yankees, Mets, and Boston.
• Gordon Wittenmyer heard that the Tigers may not be trying to move Granderson this week.
• Jim Hendry laughed off a rumor that the Cubs are interested in Heath Bell.
• Hideki Matsui will not come to the Cubs.

Bruce Levine was on Waddle and Silvy from the Meetings today:

• The Meetings are a lot like the 10, 20, 30 year reunion.
• Levine says the Cubs talked to the Royals last night, but nothing was intense. The names Bradley and Meche did come up.
• The Cubs had interest in Gil Meche the last time he was a free agent.
• Levine says that the likelihood that Bradley will be moved by the end of the meetings is much better.
• Hendry has been talking about all kinds of teams about the players that they want to move to try to work out a Bradley swap.
• The Pat Burrell thing doesn't really work out for the Cubs because they would have to have a trade lined up to turn around and trade Burrell, who is not a fit for the Northsiders.
• Most teams feel that Milton Bradley in the right scenario will be fine. Smaller market teams' GMs "feel very comfortable bringing in Bradley" because there is not as much coverage their.
• Levine once again mentioned the idea of Rick Ankiel in the Cubs outfield in 2010.
• Jim Hendry has "talked at length" with Toronto about Roy Halladay, but those talks were about 6-7 weeks ago. The Halladay scenario is tough because you have to make sure you can get him to a long term deal.

More soon...