this is so sad. he has been my favorite dodger the past 2 years. sigh.

Milton, Milton, Milton

This guy has so much talent and potential.
It's a sad story, but his days as a Dodger are numbered.

The guy is his own worst enemy. He just doesn't get it. What a waste, if only this guy could stay healthy, just imagine the numbers he could put up.

Milton, you have the talent to be a special ballplayer, your mouth and poor decision making keep getting in your way.

Good luck Milton, I wish you the best, with whatever team takes a chance on you next year.

maybe they could use him in oakland?

You know, defending Milt is probably not the most popular pastime among Dodger fans right now, but I think a few things should be said. That article that Jon linked us to is hardly damning evidence that Bradley is a brute.

There were three reported incidents. On two of them there is no allegation Bradley physically molested his wife in any way. In fact, Bradley was the only reported victim in the first incident. The police did not make any arrest on either occasion. I have some experience in this area of criminal law, and believe me when I say that police take DV very seriously these days and arrest on any credible report of violence. So that they did not make an arrest is evidence that Bradley did not assault anyone.

Which leaves us with the second incident, an admittedly bad allegation by Bradley's wife. She says he choked her with his forearm--it does not say for how long, and there is no report of injury to her throat. She does have a cut lip--according to her own statement when Bradley hit her hand, which then flared back into her mouth. We have no statement from Bradley reported. So what to make of this?

Well, the police say they would have made an arrest--that is SOP when you have a visible injury and a battery report. The DA did not file a case, however. Perhaps they did some investigation and things were not as bad as they seemed from the initial report. We may never know.

So I am not defending domestic violence or downplaying it in any way, but there are two sides to every story. Milton Bradley is obviously an angry, troubled man. A close examination of his past, I am almost sure, leaves no documented incident (other than the above) where he actually assaulted another person. Milt blows up, he throws things near people and he makes ill-advised comments. But he has not, correct me if I am wrong, attacked anyone. So I just wanted to say that in defense of Milt before he leaves Dodgerville...

This is unfortunate. It is also interesting that we haven't heard about it sooner. It appears there is something else going on with MB that contributed to the Kent dispute.

One last thing, as some of us call for JT or Depo's firing or are sure we are right in whatever position we take, (me included) this is a reminder that as fans we rarely have all, even most, of the relevant information.

I don't understand. He's still black, so that makes everything ok? No?

Ah, sarcasm.

Understand where you're coming from, Charlie, but when you add the fact that the police have had to respond three times to the other known incidents involving Bradley, you get a picture of a man with a pathological tendency to fly out of control. Sure, counseling will help (lithium would help!), but this doesn't sound like a problem that's going to be solved overnight. It's gonna take years.

Like Vishal said, sad.

4 - So that they did not make an arrest is evidence that Bradley did not assault anyone.

Is it possible that he is shown some leeway/given latitude in these situations because he is a high profile personality? Maybe, maybe not, but if it looks like a duck...

It seems obvious that MB has some major anger problems... he has been my favorite for 2 years as well, but his actions indicate he needs some serious help. I hate to see him go, but if his personal life is spilling over into the clubhouse and onto the field then he needs to go.

A very sad day...

My wife has spent quite a lot of time working with DV victims... and while I understand we don't know all the facts, this is a harder blow against Bradley than him disrupting "team chemistry", as far as I'm concerned.

He is one of my favorite players to watch on the field... but if these reports have any basis in fact then I also have no problems with the Dodgers letting him go.

Truly a shame.

Well, let me play the devil's advocate. Is it possible that his wife, in the midst of a pregnancy, is totally paranoid and irrational? I mean, the thrown cellphone sounds bad, but objects thrown has happened in my relationship (not by me, and not AT me). I had a friend who was married (not anymore) to a hysterical woman who could not have a reasonable discussion, and was given to fit of rage. I realize that MB is not the calmest person, but pair him with hellcat, and the combination cannot be good.

9 - The article has the responding officer stating he would have arrested Bradley at that time if he had been present when the officer arrived.

As far as the high profile personality bit, no way. They have to make an arrest, as the department would be liable for any more abuse occurring after they left.

This all looks very bad for Bradley.

Watching the Phillies the other night, it appears they have a need in the OF. Old Man Lofton currently patrols CF for them. They have Jason Michaels, who could be packaged with a pitcher for Milton if the Dodgers were so inclined.

They're also interested in moving Ryan Howard along, so maybe the trade could be expanded.

11 - Doesn't really matter how the wife was behaving, Kayaker...if it gets physical, the offending party is subject to arrest.

Sorry. No amount of irrationality on anyone's part is an excuse to abuse a wife, much less a pregnant one. I can't stand wife beaters and don't want to see Milton again. I was willing to cut him a lot of slack, but this is crossing the line.

14 You can't make the blanket claim that the wife's actions don't matter at all. There are cases of DV where it is wife inflicts violence on the husband. The best course of action would be to fend off the blows and leave at the first opportunity. Only if we would do the optimal action 100% of the time.

Anytime a domestic dispute turns physical, the man has everything to lose and nothing to gain.

One more thing. There is a double standard that all men are supposed to accept chivalrously. Women can hit, but men cannot. I say neither should hit. One time, a girlfriend got mad and threw a 5 punch combination. I did not hit her back, nor did I have any desire to. But I was very upset at her for using that "trump" card. I lost a lot of respect for her. If women want equality, they should behave like they deserve it.

6 Welcome back Steve. It seemed like you were gone forever. The A's actually managed to re-take first in your absense. Should be a good series starting tonight.

I work with people alot and marriages continually. I've noticed that a good assumption, that almost always proves true, is that people act better in public than they do in private. If you see someone who is obnoxious in public, they will be even worse with their family. If you see someone who is violent in public, it is even worse with their family. There are exceptions to the rule, but unfortunately I do not see them often. My first reaction to the bottle throwing incident was that I felt horrible for MB's wife because I had a feeling what she was probably facing.

17. You bet there is a double standard. And it's a good one. Men 99.9 percent of the time are the stronger of the two. So you HAVE to err on the side of ther female in these cases. Sounds like you did exactly the right thing. This is just one of those things that men have to live with. And if you can't, then you go down the path that Bradley has.

With all due respect, kayaker, I'm not sure that's the relevant issue here. Milton is a man with a history of violent behavior and emotional outbursts.

This report states 3 seperate incidents of DV over the course of a couple of months, and it seems that you are trying to grant him the benefit of the doubt on one. Given the other two incidents, along with his history, I'm certain he has not earned it.

16 - Reread my post, Kayaker, and you'll see I said nothing of the sort. It doesn't matter what sex the person inflicting the blows is.

And pushing a phone into anothers mouth, as well as putting a forearm across another's throat, is abuse.

I didn't even know Milton Bradley was married. But I will say that the Daily Breeze reports are a thousand times more damning than any argument with Jeff Kent.

But the record of pro sports is such that men who engage in domestic abuse will still find work. Robert Parish was one of the subjects of a lengthy Sports Illustrated report about the topic. Parish denied all the allegations, said he was a model citizen and he's still something of a folk hero in Boston.

The Astros did cut loose Julio Lugo after he was involved in a domestic abuse incident. But the Devil Rays signed him up right away.

I would not want to see Bradley go down the path of Lawrence Phillips.

As a big Milton Bradley supporter, there is no reason to think that this isn't true. The pattern of his behaivor is obvious.

He just dosen't like anyone telling him what to do.

Sad.

I'm just going to lay it out the way I see it and I'm not putting in any pathetic "what a sad case" lines. This @%@#%^@# has been a problem for two seasons now, but any "man" that can lay a finger on his wife, let alone a PREGNANT one, is trash in my book and deserves to rot in a wasteland. See you later Milton and I'm sorry I ever got a picture of you with my kid.

The over/under on the time it takes Milton to appear on Real Sports is 6 weeks.

I'd be very interested in the origins of his anger. I'm guessing something horrible happened, or continually happened in his childhood to bring out that kind of rage.

So we already know this about MB: He's an angry person with an explosive temper, by his own admission. He has had ugly outbursts at many points in his career. He has drawn the attention of the police three times for domestic incidents, including once when there was physical evidence of abuse (the bloody lip).

And is it fair to assume that, for every incident bad enough to warrant calling the police, there are others that didn't rise to that level?

I'm with you, Jon. I've been ambivalent about Milton because of his outbursts, but this will make it hard to stomach him ever wearing Blue again. Even given mitigating circumstances, I can't have any warm feelings for someone who would hit his pregnant wife.

Not to make light of Bradley's off field family situation, but what kind of trade value is he going to have after the recent blowup with Kent and now the DV allegations. Who in their right mind would give up good value for a player carrying as much baggage as Bradley. There is no Al Davis in baseball! On a sidenote, I have to question the timing of the DV story. Why is it that the DV story came out at this time? Leaked? Or just timely reporting? vr, Xei

Here's a vote for the Dodgers taking the Jose Guillen approach and cutting him today. He's done for the season anyway, and along with being a disruptive influence on the team, maybe he's also a wife beater.

The Angels didn't cut Jose Guillen. They suspsended him and then traded him.

The timing couldn't be more normal. Bradley is in the news. It could have been a leak, but more likely, the Breeze knew Bradley lived in their coverage area, knew he is already a story and decided to check polce records to see if there was anything else out there. That's how reporting is done.

in other news: I wonder who they might have in mind for specific roles?

CHICAGO - The Dodgers don't figure to make more than a handful of minor-league call-ups for this year's September roster expansion, a concession that they don't want to crowd the clubhouse with players who won't play significant roles and the fact several current players are due off the disabled list in the near future.

"That's a lot of guys here already, even though we only have 25 active," general manager Paul DePodesta said. "There probably won't be that many guys (called up), and the ones who do get called up will be guys who have specific roles to play. We're not going to bring guys up just to let them experience the major-league lifestyle."

29 - Obviously the Dodgers could just not offer him arbitration, but that would be giving him up for nothing.

30 - Guillen wasn't cut, he was suspended then traded in the offseason.

If Guillen had trade value, I don't see why Bradley wouldn't.

Probably leaked, but I think police actions of this sort are a matter of public record, so it could very well be a case of a very enterprising reporter.

We're not going to bring guys up just to let them experience the major-league lifestyle

read: 'We won't be starting anyone's clock's early just for the hell of it.'

I'm sure that made Fearing's day.

Be patient, Jon; we'll get around to discussing the rest of your post eventually :)

34 I stand corrected, thanks. But I was arguing more generally for a "get rid of him without delay" approach.

As for trade value, Guillen was healthy, for one. And domestic abuse is a little worse than arguing with your manager.

Rebranding alert:

db1022 is now known as blue22. I hated that screenname.

I agree that Houlton pitched the way you should with a big lead. Make them hit it.

39 - dbcooper would have been cool...

36 - 40-man roster expansion does not count toward ML service time. Service time can only be accrued on the 25-man roster.

The 40-man expansion was created specifically to give teams the chance to test out their young players without starting their service clocks.

42 - Wow, I had no idea. Thanks.

32 - Seconded.

42 - That is the first I've heard of that. Being on the 40-man alone doesn't count toward service time, but as I've always understood it, active MLB duty in September did count. I could be wrong - I've just never heard your statement before.

DLowe's G/F ratio of 3.04 is 2nd only to super-sinker Brandon Webb.

Does that mean Lowe only gives up 400 foot flyballs?

I've always been a big Milton supporter, but he really has crossed the line here. Yes, I know we should give him the benefit of the doubt, but that article was truly damning when placed together with all his on-field incidents. And IIRC, Milton has punched an empire in the minors before.

I feel terrible for his wife, but I can't say I really feel sorry for him anymore. Good riddance.

WWSH

Say it ain't so, Milton. Say it ain't so.

From the Times this morning: The only top prospect likely to join the Dodgers in the next week is infielder Delwyn Young, who was promoted to triple A at midseason. When the Suns finish the playoffs, reliever Jonathan Broxton and catcher Russell Martin probably will be called up because they are on the 40-man roster.

Otherwise, DePodesta will pick a name or two from a list of midlevel farmhands that includes Cody Ross, Mike Rose, Jason Grabowski, Chin-Feng Chen, Jose Flores, Norihiro Nakamura, Henri Stanley and Joel Hanrahan.

Last season the roster expanded to 33 players. There could be fewer this time around.

So is Valentin considering hanging it up for the season?

The Dodgers will keep Bradley on the DL instead of cutting him because if they did make the playoffs, they could replace him on the active roster with someone from the minors.

No, really, that could be part of the reasoning!

And no trade value. Thanks a lot Milton. What a waste.

51 - Well, what are the options?

Offer him arbitration, and hope to trade him?

Decline arbitration, and become a FA with nothing in return?

Someone will give him a 2nd chance. That's the way things are.

52 - Sorry, I guess this will be a 3rd chance for Milton.

43, 44 - Whoops, I was wrong. It DOES start the service clock. I feel bad for not checking my facts before posting.

If there's anything we've learned from following professional sports, short of turning into Rae Carruth or Pete Rose, there's always a second chance.

48. I heard it mentioned here before that Kuo would get called up to do some loogying. Seems like a specific enough of a role.
vr, Xei

56 - I think they are worried about a Wunsch-like workload as the only lefty in the pen.

Better to not even give Tracy the temptation.

52 - unfortunately those are the options. And if I count all the incidents right (including Cleveland) I think we're on to the 6th chance or so.

I mean, if you're a GM, do you take him? No way. In a span of a month, he's successfully:

1) alienated a clubhouse
2) tore up his knee
3) domestic violence

That coupled with the anger issues that are no doubt still prevalent?

NO WAY I'm taking that flyer. Come on man, would you?

58 - If Kenny Lofton was my starting centerfielder...

56. I agree that Kuo would be a great addition to the bullpen. Unfortunately, he is not on the 40 Man Roster, and Jacksonville will be in the AA Playoffs for a few more weeks - both of those hurt Kuo's chances of being called up.

Steve Howe kept getting jobs. Darryl Strawberry did.

Milton Bradley still has a ways to go.

Well, he won't change, and neither did those you mentioned. If someone wants him that's great! Just get him outta here.

The things that we all liked about Milton (intensity, talent, youth, admission of anger problems, desire to improve) will be enough to sway another team into taking a chance on him.

Look at Ron Artest in the NBA.

Not that anyone here is advocating keeping Milton, but could you imagine the problems. You have a guy who can't control himself who will now be exposed to fans who know his past. What happens when he is patrolling center field in SBC or Wrigly. The fans will be yelling things and maybe throwing things just to try and provoke that short fuse. If he stays in the national league, will the pavilion folks at DS ride him next year when he is a visitor? I would suggest that he should go to some AL Central team where his actions probably have not received so much attention but been there done that.

As far as his depreciated trade value, let's not forget the guy has an 80% tear of his ACL. His value was already depressed.

I recognize it would be a marginal waste, but I agree with whoever said just cut him. From a PR standpoint it would make McCourt look good. Sitrick where are you?

63 - Artest signed a contract before all that stuff went down. Artest, Tyson, Rider ... Bradley's doing a great job if he's interested in joining that list. And if you thought the media jumped on the Kent situation, wait until they start up with this. ESPN hates the Dodgers already.

Some team will sign Milton once he can pass a physical; he'll just have to do some sort of penance as usual - reduced salary, behavior clauses, more anger management, more scrutiny, that sort of thing.

64 - "The fans will be yelling things and maybe throwing things just to try and provoke that short fuse."

This risk is nothing new - it was true ever since the technicolor bottle incident.

Would this be a good time to update the career progress of Andrew Brown and Franklin Gutierrez?

Update up top featuring none other than ... Ron Coomer.

Howe, Straberry, and others: that was pre-political correctness. Its a diffrent world. JFK was allowed to bang all kinds of women. Clinton, not so lucky.

Yeah, in light of all the recent "character" lip service from McCourt and DePo, how do they justify keeping him? The club could very well be targeted for organized protests if they don't react strongly to the domestic abuse allegations. That happened to the likes of Lugo and Barajas, if memory serves.

65 - Artest signed the contract before he started the riot in Detroit, yes, but everyone knew he was a nut before that.

Even still, there would be a line a dozen long of NBA GMs who would trade for him right now.

Leonard Little killed an elderly lady drunk driving, spent 3 months in jail, came back to play in the Super Bowl that year.

Earlier this year, he was hit with another DUI, but still remains gainfully employed with the Rams who originally drafted him.

Not saying its right, Rick, just that it is.

Not sure I'm right here, but is trading Milton even realistic? To do that you'd either have to trade him in the next two days while he's injured and under a dark cloud, or you'd have to offer him arbitration. I can't see them doing the latter, because that might be the best deal he'll get, in light of the circumstances, and they might find no one willing to take him off our hands next season.

61. There's no doubt that Bradley will still have a job in MLB, the selfish question for us Dodger fans is can we get anything of value for him at this point?
vr, Xei

73 - You're correct. Milton's trade value was lost with the knee injury, not with any subsequent news.

Thank god for the US Open tennis coverage to get me through another day of TV watching and pain pills, and glad to see DT doesn't have a movie/tv show thread this week. :) vr, Xei

76
You could watch CNN or FNC or MSNBC and realize how nature is something that is far more powerful than us. Quite humbling.

Looks like the Braves are going to have to play a lot of makeup games at end of the year as the remnants of Katrina are hitting Georgia today.

75 - Mostly correct, but I think his behaviorial history also has a deleterious effect on his trade value.

Geez, Xeifrank's stoned to the eyeballs, and he's still trying to dictate the thread ;)

78 - it did, but it didn't eliminate his trade value for 2005. He could have been seen as, "get him away from Kent and we've got a bona fide CF."

The knee injury did eliminate that trade value, such as it was.

77. I have officially overdosed on hurricane coverage yesterday. Watching reporters stand in the midst of the hurricane then see how close pieces of sheet metal and roofing could come to hitting them got old after a while. But your heart definitely goes out to those living in the region. vr, Xei

I don't ever want to see him in a Dodger uniform again, but the best thing for Bradley may be to lay low in Japan for a couple years. Then try to latch on with another club after some of this has blown over.

There is one HUGE difference between Bradley & Artest: Artest has NEVER been in trouble off the court and is a great family man. He has 3 kids and a wife and is a wonderful father and role model (off the Court).

Artest had cooled his jets before the Debacle in the Palace and had few problems the year before.

While not condoning his behavior, I too, would have also went into the stands on that night!

I have the solution - Milton Bradley for... Steve Finley. Straight up.

It might at least shut Plaschke up? :)

King Kaufman writes about the Dodgers situation in his Salon.com column today.

Warning, there's a really long ad you have to sit through.

80 - Yeah, you're right there.

80. Jon is right. Some team would surely overlook his eratic behavior, conclude that they could make him productive at a discounted salary. Oh wait, that was the Dodgers two years ago.

81. Careful Frank, you are getting close to one of those TV threads. :-)

82 - While fully suscribing to the idea that a little Zen Buddhism would do MB a world of good, not sure the Japanese would have much admiration for his personality traits.

So how much would MB likely get in arbitration? With no MB and a hole to fill in left field what become our outfield options for 2006? Does Werth get to keep his starting job? Does signing Giles become even more important? Or moving one of the youngins to the OF? Things could be ugly again next year. vr, Xei

Until about two weeks ago, Bradley stood to make somewhere on either side of $4 million in 2006 from the Dodgers. You can throw that into their 2006 outfield budget.

83 - Well, instead of Artest, how about AI? He threw his wife out of their home, naked, after an argument. He brandished a pistol and threatened teenagers with it, breaking his way into his cousin's home. And is one of the highest-paid athletes in the NBA.

And of course there's the Kobe question...

That's an awful lot of questions for the Vicodin impaired, XF :)

89 - Well, I'd have to think that the pitching will be better. Broxton might make the team as well as Kuo, perhaps even Billingsley (although my guess is 2007 is more likely for him).

A full season from Navarro could also be nice.

But, yeah, the outfield needs an upgrade. I'm content to stick with Werth in a corner spot. I'm willing to write off some of his struggles this season on the timing and severity of his wrist injury.

I'm a big Matsui fan. Giles would be OK, too.

85 - That Salon article is a good one. Personally, I feel like it seconds (unawares) much of what I've been writing.

There is a whole book about successful felons in the NFL called, PROS & CONS, by Benedict and Yaeger

Low battery! You guys lucked out. :)
vr, Xei

94 Yes, I liked it too, though I don't remember Lasorda being quoted in the Plaschke column. I know we talked yesterday about Lasorda possibly undermining Depo, but that was from unnamed sources I thought.

95 The Ravens have a linebacker that may have played a part in a murder and he's still out there.

Lets say for some reason Mccourt wants to splurge and picks up matsui and giles who then plays center? Also isnt Dunn gonna be FA also? Oh yeh Damon can play CF so theres the OF covered, Matsui,Damon, Giles. In yo face.

King Kaufman frequents Baseball Primer and other blogs, so he's pretty tuned in.

Before this mess I would have liked to see Giles signed and Werth demoted to 4th OF. Now I think the best we can hope for is Drew in CF, Giles in RF, and Werth/Ledee in LF. I wouldn't be opposed to Matsui either, but I prefer Giles and think he is a more likely target anyway.

I think that would be a healthy upgrade over this year's OF-- barring health.

sorry about my punctuation,

JD is a great center fielder

In 99 i forgot about DREW silly me sorry I wont post again for 2 fortnights.

From today's Wash Post chat with the Os beat writer, Jorge Arangure, Jr.:

Olney, MD: Now that the Os are in the middle of their annual late season swoon, I don't think it is to early to think about what they are going to do in the offseason to add to the team, especially since they appear to have a lot of cash to play with for that purpose. What does the market look like and are there any players that you think they should make a serious run at? This assumes of course that our wonderful owner won't blow it again this year.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: There are some interesting players out there this winter, but none that are what you'd call franchise players. Brian Giles, Paul Konerko, A.J. Burnett are all available and would be fine additions, but at what price? Here's an interesting scenario: What if the Dodgers non-tender Milton Bradley, making him a free agent? Would you o's fans take a chance on him? I've heard mixed answers.

A couple of these posts have raised interesting points. 95 makes me think; is off the field aggressive behavior more accepted because football is an aggressive game? Or basketball because (gulp) the majority of players are black (believe me, I feel uncomfortable as hell typing that last question). Are we all just a little smug because baseball is a genteel sport?

I'm just advancing these thoughts; not saying I believe or agree with them.

Link for 105: http://tinyurl.com/7tqyr

Jon,
Since my occasional comments are usually tag-ended a day or so after a thread is fresh, don't know if you saw my demurral the other day when you wrote, "The Dodgers have to make a baseball decision with regard to Bradley, not a therapeutic one." In short, an artificial construct, impossible of execution in the real world, like so many of the abstract spidey-webs a good many folks here get caught in. Witness the almost (not quite entirely) inapplicable gas about Kent's first-pitch predilections. There are dozens, possibly hundreds, of contextual questions to be asked about each of those at-bats before any meaningful truths can begin their delicate and complex emergence from the apparent form or apparent chaos, depending upon any individual's a priori comfort zone.
I was a skeptic about Milton's "transformation" in the off-season - there were too many clues for continuing struggles even between the lines of artful and disingenuous press releases. I've also never been as impressed at the level of his native ball-playing skills as a lot of posters here - I think Milt looked relatively good because the organization can't/won't surround him with genuinely talented guys just now.
But of all the things I would have liked to be wrong about this year, his becoming a genuine contributing citizen woulda been at the top of my list. So I share your sadness, and only hope the transformation takes sooner rather than later, especially with a wee one on the way.

Please see new update above on Dodger draftee Jayson Whitehouse.

#101: This year's OF would be a healthy upgrade over this year's OF--barring health :).

I agree that Giles should be the primary target and I wouldn't mind Cruz Jr. signed as a 5th outfielder considering the health issues we've dealt with this year. An outfield as follows would be fine by me, even considering all 5 of them have significant injury risks:

RF: Brian Giles ($9.00 million)
CF: J.D. Drew ($11.00 million)
LF: Jayson Werth ($0.40 million)
Bench: Ricky Ledee ($1.50 million)
Bench: Jose Cruz Jr. ($1.75 million)

TOTAL: $23.65 million

Without Bradley, that would still leave $13 million for a starting pitcher and potentially a stop-gap third baseman.

110-Drew,Werth and Ledee are paid for, why would you factor their prices into whats left over for a pitcher and/or thirdBaseman?

111 - Budgets are usually calculated on an annual basis.

Chris H.,

With a playful smile on my face: "Barring injury..." Was that the unmagical mantra chanted in Dodger offices before-during-after every misbegotten twenty and thirty and fifty-
million dollar deal this winter past?
Good news! Gotta go....be well, Blue Gals and Blue Guys...

Why doesn't Valentin just take off the brace? he has plans to retire anyway.he only brings power to the table (along with better than avg defense) if he can't drive the ball he is a defensive replacement at best.

Is that brace just an extra level of protection/stability or does he have to wear it? from football experience I know a lot of players wear it because of the extra level of protection but did not need it in order to play. I get the feeling that is the case with Valentin. Take it off Jose.

When do Kent's and Drew's contracts expire? They will be tough to replace, but will atleast free up some money. Atleast Kent will be tough to replace, Drew has to actually play before he becomes tough to replace. vr, Xei

114 - I'd rather he left it on and they used Perez.

Kent has one more year. Drew has 4 but he can opt out after next year.

re 105 and 107 and general "who would want Milton Bradley now" sentiment (although in fairness, the latest news is not well-known outside (or even inside) LA at this point.

From the same chat:

Burke: Bradley might just be good for the Orioles. First, he plays hard, gets emotional, and plays harder. Second, with Tejada as a real leader, Bradley wouldn't have to be appointed to lead like the Dodgers tried. Third, ummm, he's alive and plays the outfield.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Yes. Yes. And YES!!!

106- I'm sorry, but just for advancing such thoughts in this day & age, I'm afraid you'll have to burn in hell. sorry.

I should add, if Drew has a year like this one, he would not opt out. Only if he produces big next year would he give up his current contract.

116

agreed, I didn't know that was an option in tracy's mind.

But why not take it off while batting especially if it you are a PH?

It could make Drew more likely to not opt out of the contract if he gets to play CF everyday.

It's never been clear to me. Does he get the chance to opt out each year after next, or does he either leave after next year or be locked in for the last three?

I believe it was two years and then he has the one time option.

116-I was asking why would you include Drew,Werth and Ledee's contracts when your talking about available money to spend, considering the 100mil promised cap. They dont factor into whats left over and from the different numbers I've seen there's gonna be around 30 mil to spend.

122- The way the papers described it, he has one escape clause at the end of year two.

derrrrr 112.

118 and the spin/denial for other teams begins...Yes, it was all that leadership pressure that drove Bradly to crack his wife in the mouth.

123, 125 - I'm hoping that's the case because it would be really annoying having to wonder if he's leaving or not for three straight years.

#110 - I think it will take more than $9 million per to sign Giles. I expect it will take somewhere between $10.5 - 12 and at least 3 years to lock him down.

#113 - My comment was slightly tongue in cheek, but Giles has a good track record of health. As we all know, Werth and Drew do not.

127 Don't argue with it, LAT. We want something in return.

I'm still processing Jon's inital post, let alone all the comments, but a few half-baked thoughts:

There seem to be a few different threads running through this discussion of Bradley, though the end conclusion reached by nearly everyone is the same (i.e. dump Bradley). I have to say I'm not quite there yet. But maybe I'm just being contrarian. So what are the rationales for getting rid of Bradley? It's hard to cleanly separate them, but here's first shot:

1) "NIMBY"-- This is sort of what I take Jon's post to be. The reaching of a certain frustration level such that it's just not worth the aggravation. Get 'em out of here so I can stop thinking about this guy, worrying when the other shoe will drop.

2) "Character Counts"-- Some seem to suggest that the recent bad acts committed by Bradley are so contrary to our moral norms that we must cast Bradley out, to send a message to him or to the public at large, that such actions can't be tolerated.

3) "Between the Lines"--The notion that Bradley is damaged goods has also taken root. Well, he's clearly damaged. And no, knee injuries aren't good. But the list of players who have come back from knee injuries is a long one. I suspect that, absent the other troubles, peope would not be that quick to send Milton to the scrap heap for a partially torn patellar tendon.

4) "Outside the Lines"--Bradley qua clubhouse cancer. The notion that he's a distraction, deterimental to team chemistry, etc.

Like I said, this is likely (perhaps definitely) an imperfect taxonomy. But I think it might be a starting point. Do people think these are all equally legitimate grounds for jettisoning Bradley? Thoughts?

118
It's no fun to have other teams salivating over our most talented players. Are we Royals fans now? And exactly one year from now we'll be reading the same stuff in chats about Drew.

127 - I'm guessing the haven't read the Daily Breeze report yet. Most people in Southern California won't have read it yet, let alone the East Coast.

106 - It bothers me because he's on the Dodgers, and that he's a low-life scumbag pregnant wifebeater. Not to mention all the rest of the junk we (I) have had to endure from him. I've actually been waiting for a good excuse to get rid of him, as odd as that sounds.

A good column by Eric Neel:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=neel/050830

In light of the Daily Breeze article, I'd like to retract my desire to have 9 Milton Bradleys on the field. I'd actually like 0.

This team is falling apart.

131- How about this reason, Kent & Bradley simply won't co-exist anymore & Kent is not the one I'd wish to see go.

131 He's proven he cannot deal with his anger at work. He's now shown that he takes the anger home and practices on his wife.

For me there's no amount of production on the field that would make me want him after that, but he's not put up numbers in his two years here to even have an argument.

they don't need to be all equally legitimate for some people to them add up to the conclusion that he should be gone.

pesonally, i'm not totally firm in the conviction that he needs to leave, but my support for him has eroded considerably.

What if?

1. DePo said "I made a big mistake with Adrian Beltre;" and

2. Adrian Beltre said "I made a big mistake;" and

3. The Mariners were willing to "eat" about 6 mil of his contract; and

4. We traded A. Perez, Aybar and Choi for Adrian;

5. Could he again become the player he was in 2004?

Could it happen?

140- What if the yankees trade us a-rod & jeter for those same guys?

140 I'm guessing you mean eat 6 million PER YEAR. Which is about 24 million total. I doubt they would do that.

I don't want Jeter. I'll keep Choi and send them Perez and Aybar for A-Rod.

I'll even throw in Izturis if they want him. A-Rod should be at SS.

131 - I wouldn't say your #1 summarizes my post altogether accuarately. It's not about Bradley not being worth the aggravation or worrying about his other shoe.

It boils down to this: in about three months or so, the Dodgers have to decide whether to offer a player with a health and behavior issues salary arbitration, which would guarantee him $x million for 2006. I can't see doing that anymore, unless the Daily Breeze report somehow grossly mischaracterizes Bradley's behavior. (Of course, I'm willing to hear Bradley's side of it - as the Daily Breeze was. I'm speculating that he doesn't have enough to change my mind.)

A new team will have more latitude in the terms it will set for Bradley - lower salary, non-guaranteed salary, behavior clauses, mental and physical "rehab," that sort of thing - in addition to whatever suspension he might receive. Bradley will work again somewhere. But because of the way the system is set up, it doesn't make sense for the Dodgers to offer arbitration.

I suppose the Dodgers could preempt arbitration by signing him to such a contract now, but with so many questions unanswered, how can they?

I think that's what I think. I'm not sure if I'm being clear. But it's beyond the emotional issue of frustration. It's an objective reaction to the latest red flag with Bradley.

Icaros, brilliant! Let's have a Guiness 8^)

#126: Our total salary this season, including benefits, insurance receipts, and cash payouts is about $97.5 million. Next year, with that projected outfield our total salary would be about $84 million (I bumped Giles up to $10 million). Assuming $97 million as a preseason cap, it would leave about $13 million remaining. Here's the detailed breakdown:

#1: Aybar, Willy (2B/3B $0.32 million)
#2: Brazoban, Yhency (RP $0.35 million)
#3: Broxton, Jonathan (RP $0.32 million)
#4: Choi, Hee-Seop (1B $1.25 million)
#5: Cruz Jr., Jose (OF $1.75 million)
#6: Dessens, Elmer (RP $1.30 million)
#7: Drew, J.D. (RF $11.00 million)
#8: Gagne, Eric (RP $10.00 million)
#9: Giles, Brian (RF $10.00 million)
#10: Houlton, Dennis (SP $0.33 million)
#11: Izturis, Cesar (SS $3.10 million)
#12: Kent, Jeff (2B $9.00 million)
#13: Ledee, Ricky (OF $1.50 million)
#14: Lowe, Derek (SP $9.00 million)
#15: Navarro, Dioner (C $0.32 million)
#16: Penny, Brad (SP $5.50 million)
#17: Perez, Antonio (2B/3B $0.34 million)
#18: Perez, Odalis (SP $8.00 million)
#19: Phillips, Jason (C $1.15 million)
#20: Robles, Oscar (2B/SS $0.34 million)
#21: Sanchez, Duaner (RP $0.40 million)
#22: Schmoll, Steve (RP $0.34 million)
#23: Werth, Jayson (OF $0.40 million)
#24: X: Starting Pitcher (SP $?? million)
#25: X: Third Baseman (3B $?? million)

Benefits: $7.55 million (from Hardball Times)

Total: $83.41 million

Is anyone else nervous about signing Giles? I've gotta think he'll get 4 years, and he's already showing signs of decline. (Even when you factor in park effects, it seems to me he's fallen off some from his peak. And that slide could only be expected to continue.)

His .300/.400/.500 season is very nice at age 34, but are we confident he'll get anywhere near that when he's 35-38?

He's been one of my favorite players for years, and that alone would make it sweet to see him in blue. But if he commands a premium contract, it would be risky.

Kaufman made a good point. Drew, (and, by extension, Werth) can hardly be considered "injury-prone" when discussing the current year's injuries. HBP resulting in a broken wrist is not normal wear and tear.

Yes, we know Drew has gotten hurt in the past in more conventional ways, but unless he's suddenly decided to go after Biggio's record we can assume he's not gonna break a wrist again that way in the future.

Oh, for those 'Ewa beach fans, down at the bottom of the previous thread I posted a link to the celebration plans for the kids' arrival at the airport last night. If you look at today's Honolulu Advertiser (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com) you'll see photos and links to stories about that arrival as it happened.

Anyone notice that we're 4.5 back again?

Of course Peavy and Prior stand in our way today...but let's see what happens!

Did anyone catch the interview with Tracy on the SCSR? if you did then was I the only one that noticed that they tried a new camera angle on him, instead of the camera shooting straight on or down on him, the camera was at his feet looking straight up kind of giving him this aura of a man with a vision.

147 - I agree. I don't think Giles is the right fit due to age and salary. We'll face stiff competition from Houston, SD, and Atlanta.

Matsui would be nice, but I think Wilkerson could be had from Washington.

152 - I think Cruz, Jr. could be as good as Wilkerson next year. Brad's had a lot of nagging injuries that hurt his production.

dangit. I mean 151.

145 I love Guiness.

154- Me too, all those cool world records.

155 Remember the guy covered with bees?

I think I would go after whichever young outfielder Cincy wants to give up. Dunn, Kearns or Pena would all be a significant upgrade with plenty of upside. And they say they aren't trading Griffey, so they've gotta get rid of one of these guys.

The good news for Milton is that players with baggage that include spousal abuse issues manage to find jobs in MLB, just ask Wil Cordero;

The better news for Dodger fans is that he won't be our problem anymore after this offseason.

In my experience, the fact that the DA's office chose not to file charges and prosecute the most serious (July 11) incident doesn't mean it didn't happen, just that under the high standard of beyond a reasonable doubt, they may not be able to make the case to a jury.

In domestic violence situations where the victim is the only witness, a lot of times in the absence of overwhelming evidence there are problems prosecuting the matter, if the victim decides for whatever reason (fear, hopes for reconcilation) not to cooperate.

Why Giles?

I'd rather sign Johnny Damon. We need a leadoff hitter.

Or Matsui, who is also a free agent.

135
That column is the Plaschke Antidote.

"We want to live in a world where people are rewarded for being good to one another."

I've always pictured a quote like this pinned up in Plaschke's cluttered cubicle downtown under a signed photo of Alex Cora.

"Bill you can be my dance partner any day.- Best, Alex #13"

157 Damon (who should play LF - he can't throw), Drew is CF and Pena (lower $alary) in RF. That would be nice.

Jon (and others):

Like I said, a first shot (and a quick one...I'm supposed to be doing some real work!). Comments on my 131 are all germane. Jon, it seems to be your response is, uh, non-responsive as far as the underlying rationale that is motivating you. I guess, what is it that's your tipping point? If instead of the DV allegations there were three new reports of clubhouse antics, how does that change things. If the pateller tendon was strained instead of torn, how does that change things. Is it a baseball decision, or a mora decision? A little bit of both? If Bradley was under a long-term deal, how would you evaluate the situation? Yeah, lots of questions.

137 I don't buy that. Until there's proof that Bradley or Kent have egos the size of Shaq or Kobe (a long way from happening in my book) I don't think there's a reason to think they can't coexist. Even if they hated each other's guts.

138 I'm guessing this is sort of the "character counts" argument, that good play doesn't balance out bad acts. I agree with this. But my question is: how is dumping Bradley a solution? If we accept that he'll end up somewhere, is it likely that getting shipped to anothe team will actually help him confront his underlying issues? Maybe yes, in part for cntract-related reasons detailed by Jon, or just as a slap in the face. But I tend to think more than just a "shake up" is needed for Milton to turn things around.

162. As far as helping Bradley? I don't have the answer, though I think only he can help himself. Maybe he should leave baseball altogether.

But the only way for the Dodgers to solve their problem is to get rid of him. They've given him many chances and have publicly supported him in the past. He's blown all those chance. There comes a time when the organization has to seperate themselves from him.

159, 161 - Damon just isn't that good. DePo and Beane let him walk when he was in his prime.

I seriously doubt he'd sign him to a big deal five years later.

I can't speak for Jon, but as for me, the tipping point is the report of domestic abuse. That makes Milton Bradley more than just cranky.

Bradley's injury is fortunate for both he and the Dodgers in a way in that he is out of the media spotlight. The big problems can be avoided until the knee injury is resolved. Isn't it true that all big problems can be avoided if you ignore them?

162 - in the interests of getting my own work done and my sanity, I'm not going to get into hypotheticals. The situation is too nuancy as it is.

I don't think my response was non-responsive - I just can't give you a single, inflexible rationale, which is what you seem to want, for a very complicated situation

#159: Johnny Damon is not a bad option.

Giles 2005: 53.6 VORP, 34 years old
Damon 2005: 44.9 VORP, 31 years old

But, I imagine Damon will get a much longer and lucrative deal, because A) he's younger and B) he plays center field. Damon has less value to the Dodgers since J.D. Drew can play center field.

The Dodgers would probably be looking at 4 years / $44 million for Damon vs. 2-3 years at $10 million per year for Giles. Considering the state of our farm system, I'd rather sign Giles to a more lucrative 2 year deal. Perhaps 2 years / $22.5 million. Additionally, there would be the added benefit of stealing him from San Diego :).

162- Speaking pragmatically, for a sports team (and their fans) I think you can get away with practically anything as long as you perform superbly on the field. Sad, but true. If you're helping your team win (and win championships) fans will put up with almost anything.

Bradley's major problem is that his on-field performance isn't nearly where it needs to be in order to overcome these off-field issues. Ray Lewis gave Baltimore a Super Bowl; he wasn't merely a contributor, he was the single factor -- the driving force, the face of the team. If Bradley was playing like Derrick Lee and the Dodgers were in first, it wouldn't be an issue -- for many fans, anyway.

Part of my support of Bradley came from his sincere efforts to change... and until a couple of weeks ago, it really looked like he had turned the corner. But a team is supposed to represent a community, and despite Bradley's work promoting inner city baseball and various charities (all of which he should be commended for), at this point he is a significant negative to the Dodgers in every respect.

Look at Damon's numbers during his one season in Oakland.

.256/.324/.363=.687 OPS

His best season ever was last year in Boston.

.304/.380/.477=.857 OPS

With park effects and age taken into account (I believe Dodger Stadium plays a lot closer to Oakland than to Fenway), you're looking at a guy who will probably OPS in the mid-to-high .700s as a Dodger. Why would you give J.D. Drew money to a guy who will never put up Drew's numbers?

I also think Damon may command an even higher salary because he is worshipped in Boston and they can outspend anyone (except NY).

167 I would be very surprised if an outfielder of Giles' stature settles for 2 years. Some team will give him 4, then Plaschke et al will rip DePo (IF he's still the Dodger GM) for not matching a contract that could well end up being a loser.

Call it the Beltre syndrome.

A case for Damon ...

I think considering his "character!", his marketability & celebrity-ness in a town of celebrities, and the Red Sox worship factor (McCourt's other favorite team?), Damon seems a better Dodgers signing for reasons outside the lines. That Beane/DePo gave him up before seems a moot point -- money was a factor then and, of course, now DePo says money is not a factor.

Agree that someone (Baltimore?) will overpay greatly for Giles. Giles doesn't really help market a team. Damon brings something more to the fan base, I think. That's my greater point, really.

What does Damon bring? Long Hair? Poor acting skills?

I don't see the argument, sounds too similar to the reasons for keeping Alex Cora over Jeff Kent.

Damon (.786 career OPS) will be marginally better than Jayson Werth (.769 career OPS) and make over ten times the money.

Could be spent better elsewhere, IMO.

Anyone wish to experience the Curse of Jason Ellison in person?

I have come into three extra seats for the Saturday afternoon 9/10 game between the Padres and Dodgers.

Field Level, Section 42, Row D.

Bring sunscreen. Industrial strength.

5-0 Cubs are falling apart. Steve Lyons has said some pretty dumb things so far this inning. No way Nomar could've cut off that ball hit up the middle. Holy cow, Nomar throws the ball into right field. APerez can't be any worse than Nomar at 3b. vr, Xei

172. Local LA sports radio host said Damon is the most valuable player in baseball before the season began. haha! vr, Xei

175

Ooh, one of those Xeifrank has fallen through one of those Star Trek like time wormholes.

176 A mix of vicodin and FSW game replay will do that everytime ;)

Ok, DJ has his 6 run cushion, he just needs to throw strikes from hear on out.

176. Star Trek? Sorry, I'm more of a 3rd Rock person, but let's not turn this into a TV/movie thread. :)
vr, Xei

Xeifrank, drink two beers with that stuff and you'll return to the womb.

I predict that Jeromy Burnitz hits one really far this ining.

Room is spinning... It's deja vu all over again. :) Replay games while doped up on pain pills is a bad mix. I will go take a nap now.................vr, Xei

Room is spinning... It's deja vu all over again. :) Replay games while doped up on pain pills is a bad mix. I will go take a nap now.................vr, Xei

i promise not to triple post. Ciao! vr, Xei

Johnny Damon left his wife for a gold-digging bimbo and wrote about it in his book. He will never pass the Plaschke Character Test.

Did he really call her a "gold-digging bimbo"?

If so, bonus points for honesty.

No, those are my words. But I'll have to see how he describes her in the book (I haven't read it). It was a big deal on Boston talk radio when it came out, though. Not unlike the Lowe thing.

I believe Damon's wife and Schilling's wife don't like each other. Something about not wearing a particular scarf during the playoffs. It was a big thing in Boston.

I wonder if any of the spouses of the Dodgers hang out together. Or did they all hire private detectives to follow around the other women who report for FSN?

That's my understanding as well. Supposedly Schilling's wife came up with some sort of rally scarf during the ALCS to support the team, and Damon's wife didn't want to participate, and words were exchanged, and I think they had to be separated (The Globe won't let me search their archives). The speculation is that this incident also prompted Johnny Damon to pop off in the media when Schilling was made the closer.

I'd rather just see the wives duke it out.

Boston has supposedly made Damon their #1 priority this offseason.

I'd be willing to bet he ends up back in Boston next year.

He will absolutely end up back in Boston, unless some team like the Yankees makes some terribly ridiculous offer. He's a cult figure in Boston, but anywhere else he'd probably be just a guy. He'll get a contract similar to Varitek's, so he'll be vastly overpaid, but it's not like the Red Sox can't afford it, and he's arguably the most popular athlete in Boston, after Tom Brady.

Of course, after observing how Boston fans and the Red Sox operate, he'll get a big contract, get hurt, get booed by the fans, say something to the media, and then get run out of town on a rail.

The last time I went on a vacation out of Internet range, J.D. Drew got injured and the season was destroyed.

This time, the Dodgers go on a three-game win streak, Weaver beats Clemens, and Bradley is learned to be a possible spouse batterer. Never a dull moment.

Here's what I would do if I was DePodesta and didn't have a PR agency counseling me at $600/hour. I would offer Bradley arbitration this year, and cut his salary 20 percent. I'd tell him, we're putting you on the 60-day DL, during which time you will receive a thorough psychiatric evaluation and recommendations for treatment. This would go far beyond 'anger management counseling,' which seems kind of like a workers comp scam anyway, and go deeply into the roots of his overall behavior and tendency toward conflict. If the evaluation says Bradley needs to take anti-anxiety or anti-depressent meds, he will be responsible for doing so. Leave him on the DL until the Dodgers are convinced that his treatment will allow him to function in the high-stress environment of a major league baseball clubhouse.

If this treatment starts now, before Bradley's knee surgery, and is woven into the physical recuperation, he could emerge as a sensational player, one whom I would rather see in a Dodger uniform than a Padre uniform. If the treatment fails and he remains a (alleged) wife-beating malcontent, then we've only lost $2 million, which the Dodgers can afford to risk.

The Dodgers owe Milton Bradley nothing. But I think this compassionate approach could also wind up as beneficial to the team's goals, so why not consider it?

(Because if you pay a PR agency $600/hr. to regurgitate the conventional wisdom, it's hard to tell them 'thank you, here's your check, but you're wrong,' that's why.)

Things are looking very bad in New Orleans. Have a thought for the people stuck there.

192 - Definitely. I have been, all day.

Giles, Damon? What makes some of you think the Dodgers will spring for any marquee players?

191 I just think that with him on the roster, you end up not looking for alternatives. Then, if (when?) he blows up again during the season, or if we find out MORE bad news about his personal life, it's too late to address the issue through free agency. If we think we have a chance to win next year, then let's put a team on the field that gives us a reasonable chance. Between MB's personal issues and his growing record of health problems, I'm not sure he's the guy we need.

Plus, maybe he's a wifebeater, in which case I don't ever want to find myself tempted to applaud him for ANYTHING.

My parents honeymooned in New Orleans and Biloxi back in 1956. I should look through their memorabilia to see where they stayed.

It's a part of the country I've never been to, but I've always wanted to see. It's very sobering to watch it on TV.

What makes you think the Dodgers will be gunshy?

194 Because they spent a boatload on Drew, Kent, Lowe, and Perez last season.

Are you really stuck on the "McCourt is Cheap" rail?

I think "gunshy" needs a hyphen or a space.

I pronounced it as all one word.

But checking the dictionary it doesn't. It's just me.

I've been to New Orleans three times. I love that city.

199 - That's what I meant - gunshy as in "gunshee". :-)

DePo likes young players with a big upside, baseball-diamonds in the rough, so to speak. I look for him to try to prove how shrewd he is by finding less obvious choices (as he did in signing Valentin over Randa).

Things I learnt on Dodger Thoughts, today.

1. Vicodin, beer, and the Dodger re-play makes for a fun afternoon.
2. Fortnight=4.5 minutes.
3. There's more to Ron Coomer than his waistline.

Or signing Valentin over Beltre

A lot of Bradley's value is tied up in his ability to play a good CF. With his knee problem, that ability is likely to decline, if not disappear completely. I'm not convinced he's got the bat to provide much value at a corner OF position, plus b/t the injuries and the off-field crap I think he's a poor bet to give you anywhere near the 140-150 games you want out of a starter. Add in J.D. Drew's injury history (and I say that even though I'm in the "broken wrist was a fluke" crowd) and I just can't see the case for bringing Milton back and paying him 3-4 million.

I'd like to see us move Drew to CF (makes him even more valuable and he's good in CF). I'd also like to see us trade some of our young pitching (personally, I'd be open to dealing anyone but Billingsley for the right return) for an impact corner OF bat. In a perfect world, we'd get Adam Dunn, who is a perfect fit for Dodgers Stadium - value tied up in walks and HRs, not 2Bs and 3Bs. I guess I'd be content to pick up Willy Mo Pena or Austin Kearns instead, if the Reds are more inclined to deal one of them. But the Dodgers really need a big bat in one of the corner OF positiions.

young players with a big upside

You say that and then use Valentin as an example?

198- I didn't say he was cheap, but remember that all the players you mention are still under contract, why do you assume he'll go for more big $ guys on top of those?

On Sunday morning, Fox News ran a crawl graphic that said:

100,000 Lack the Means to Leave New Orleans

I thought it was tasteless. My wife didn't connect it to the famous song, so she didn't have the same reaction. But I thought it was bad.

Next earthquake, they'll say, "100,000 Take Heart but Leave Life Savings in San Francisco"

How many men who beat their wives do it while sober?

I've never been to the South other than Dallas and I don't think that really counts. New Orleans was always one of the places I wanted to get to. I think I'll wait awhile longer. A friend of mine is supposed to go there for a vacation in two weeks. I think he's changing plans. He showed me a picture of his hotel with no windows in it.

203-lol.

Who doesn't like young players with big upside? Other than Dusty Baker.

207 Because with Shawn Green, Darren Dreifort, and Jose Valentin coming off the books they'll have about $18-25 million to spend.

212 - Brian Sabean.

209 very interesting question. I imagine some people don't need to be drunk to be violent, but a lot do.

212- Steinbrenner

212 Bowden

212 Piniella

And every one of those people mentioned has killed a puppy in the last 24 hours.

213- does that include weaver? raises to current players like sanchez or werth?

212 - Those listed only try to distance themselves from young upsides.

But only Baker actively tries to ruin their careers. You have to admire that kind of dedication.

Ninety-two percent of the domestic abuse assailants reported use of alcohol or other drugs on the day of the assault, according to a recent JAMA report.

http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/abuse/a/aa990331.htm

220-Why would werth get a raise? I think we should sign weaver and jettison Old peanut.

220 If Weaver isn't resigned, that's another $8 million to spend.

Sanchez and Werth will get raises, but they're making the league minimum right now and will probably both be under a million each for the season.

223 - So 3 yrs./$30M for Weaver. And pay someone $10M to take the next 2 years of Odalis (er...Peanut) of our hands. And find another starter.

That's about $20M for next year alone for Weaver and another league average starter.

I've been away, so forgive, but has it been determined that Sanchez can only pitch in save situations yet?

222 Pretty sobering statistic

223- OP has two yrs left on his back-loaded contract at 10 mil per. Given his proclivity for the DL, how do you unload that?

I was really hoping we were going to deal Odalis at the trade deadline this year to some pitching-desperate team.

Odalis Perez's contract takes a jump from $3 million this year to about $10 million next year, I believe.

226 I think that is correct, only "save" situations. Now we get to see Brazoban for multiple innings, so it may be a good thing if he works out his problems.

223 Remember your promise on the peanut nickname. :)

226 - What a depressing thought. Yet you're right - it's exactly the preposterous line of thought that Brazoban was rammed into.

If $100 million is McCourt's absolute ceiling, and they're about $10 million below that right now, combined with roughly $20-25 million coming off the books with Green, Dreifort, Valentin, and Weaver (and taking into account Perez's salary hike), there's going to be a lot of money for free agents or trades for higher-priced players.

This doesn't mean they should blow all of that cash just to blow it, though (unless they find some really good blow).

Trade Pearez to the Angels for jared Weaver.

233 -- Don't forget the likelihood that Milton Bradley will have to take his board games somewhere else.

If we had both Weavers, we could rename them Cheech and Chong.

Trade Pearez to the Angels for jared Weaver.

Yak, that's a much better nickname, he's kinda shaped like a pear.

233-What better thing to do when your depressed than to splurge? Frankie is gonna be sad, PDP is gonna be skating on thin ice and Tracy has shown that he wont play any play PDP type players unless hell is freezing over, so hey why not spend mad amounts of cash on tried and true superstars the likes of Burnett and Matsui.

235 I'm so bummed about Milton. It was always a secret fantasy of mine to one day see Bradley in center with super-slugging identical twins John and Joseph Parker in left and right.

234- Better still, trade Perez to San Diego for Jake Peavy, because that's just about as likely.

238 Good players for sure, but I'd stop short of labeling Matsui and especially Burnett as "tried and true superstars."

Tracy has shown that he wont play any play PDP type players unless hell is freezing over

If this is really the case, then how stupid is it to keep both of them in the same organization?