Is Milton Bradley the Missing Piece for the Chicago Cubs?

The Cubs got in the free agent game by signing Milton Bradley. They hope he is the missing piece but the enigmatic Bradley is most definitely a risk. Certainly any player who has called six different teams home during the past eight years has to raise a red flag. When that player has a history of disrupting clubhouses and getting to know the team trainer on a personal level, at least some Cubs fans have to be scratching their heads.

Milton Bradley’s reputation precedes him so the Cubs must no doubt realize whom they are hitching their wagon to. One cannot deny Bradley’s talent; he’s shown flashes of greatness throughout his career. The problem with Bradley is that flashes are usually all you get. Just once in his career has the mercurial outfielder managed 500 AB’s.  Personally, I have a hard time understanding why you would commit $10 million a year to such a risk. When you plan to start a guy like Bradley, it’s apparent you need a pretty good insurance plan. Is Joey Gathright really a viable Plan B? In some ways, it makes the trading super utility man Mark DeRosa even more curious.

The addition Bradley does make sense on some levels though.  He provides the North Siders with a left-handed bat (Bradley is a switch hitter) they clearly needed and becomes the likely replacement for grizzled veteran Jim Edmonds. Furthermore, Bradley may be just the spark this team needs. The Cubs have been criticized at times for a lackadaisical attitude, and Bradley is certain to shake things up in the locker room. Bradley is 31 now and Cubs management hope he has learned from the errors of his youth. Bradley’s time at his most recent stop in Texas passed virtually issue-free so the signs are encouraging.

As a White Sox fan, his play on the field is only of marginal interest. As a baseball fan, I look forward to seeing Bradley’s interaction with the local media. All I know of Bradley to date is from public opinion and quotes I have read in national media outlets. He’s the type to make headlines and we could be in for a treat.

I don’t see Cubs fans as an excessively critical bunch, but heightened expectations will make even the most relaxed fan more vocal. Here’s a marked difference when you lose as the perceived favorite versus doing so under the “lovable loser” tag. If things go sour, I don’t think the leash will be as long.

Will this signing get the Cubs to the Promised Land or are they in for another Milton meltdown? My guess is neither, but it's going to be interesting no doubt.