Cubs Are Making a Big Mistake

SI.com's Jon Heyman speculates that with their recent trades of Jason Marquis and Mark DeRosa the Chicago Cubs now will turn their attention to bringing in a right fielder. Heyman says that the Cubs are going to focus their attention to bringing in the switch hitting, ever volatile, oft injured, Milton Bradley. Bradley would fit in very well in the Cubbies line up and would be counted on to provide the pop from the left side of the plate that they had counted on getting when they signed Kosuke Fukudome last off season.

Bradley, when healthy is a five tool player and an OPS machine. However, he is only fully healthy for about 2-3 weeks out of a regular fantasy season. He had a very good season last year with Texas and still only managed to play in 120 games. Of those 100 came as a DH while the other 20 were in the outfield. Last I checked the the N.L. does not feature a DH position, meaning that Bradley would have to play right field everyday in order to be in the line up. Again, last I checked Bradley can't stay healthy and in the line up enough as an everyday outfielder. The Cubs would be making a big mistake by bringing him on and expecting him to play in 120-140 games as an everyday outfielder. He couldn't play in 120 games last season when he was DHing most of the time, how is he supposed to stay on the field if he has to play the outfield too?

If the Cubs were smart they would let Bradley go somewhere else, (for his own good it should be an A.L. team) and focus their efforts on bringing in Adam Dunn. Dunn has thrived hitting in Wrigley Field as an opposing player over the years and would provide a lefty presence in the line up that the Cubs are looking for. Think of how dangerous a 3-4-5 of Derrek Lee, Adam Dunn and Aramis Ramirez would be.

In 60 games played at Wrigley over the course of his career Adam has amassed 217AB, 23HR, 44RBI, a .286BA, a .419OBP, and a ridiculous .664SLG. There is really no other away ballpark Adam played at that is even comparable to the numbers he put up at Wrigley Field.

Adam also provides something Bradley can't. A healthy, consistent bat that can play everyday. Over the last 5 seasons consider the following. Since the 2004 season Adam has played in 152 or more games every year. He also holds the distinction of hitting 40 or more homeruns in each of those years. Finally, he has averaged 100RBI a season in that time, as well as close to 100R scored. This is not a small sample size or a one season thing, like we saw from Bradley last year. This is a guy who has been one of the most consistent power and RBI bats in all of baseball for the better part of a half of a decade.

If the Cubs do wind up deciding to go in this direction they better move fast because they aren't the only ones vying for Adam's services.