Chad Bradford Aquired from Orioles!

by Japhei on Aug 7, 2008 2:34 PM EDT Comment 29 comments

From MLBTraderumors.com

Rays won a waiver claim on reliever Chad Bradford. They'll send a player to be named later to the Orioles for him. The Rays strengthened an already excellent bullpen.

Bradford, 34 next month, has a 2.45 ERA in 40.1 innings this year. His strikeout rate is dangerously low, but he's not walking anyone or allowing home runs. He also has a very strong groundball rate.

Bradford has $1.05MM left on his contract this year plus $3.5MM in '09. Aside from the Angels, all the other American League teams passed on the chance to claim Bradford.

I literally hit the ceiling when reading this. Another shutdown arm in the bullpen this year and one hell of a submarine pitcher. One of the hardest to pick up pitchers in the league since Eckersley.

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Have a nice life Mr. Reyes!

by ClemsonRay on Aug 7, 2008 2:37 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I like him as a counterweight to Balfour

Noi all we need to do is call up you know who and we are set. Think of the possibilities.

Kaz starts and throws 90-94
Bradford relives him and then soft tosses
Balfour relieves him and cranks it back up
Howell relieves him and batters heads explode
Price finishes them off

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 2:38 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

And with our infield

I expect to see Bradford become Mr. Double Play

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 2:40 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

They could DL Percival Or Reyes for any number of reasons and keep everyone.

They have been doing it all year why stop now?

Devil Rays World Series 2009

by Japhei on Aug 7, 2008 2:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

FUCK YES!

Great aquisition.

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Aug 7, 2008 2:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

This has to be the aquisition we needed to shore up the pen for sure

Now if only we could promote Rocco now or claim someone like Andruw Jones. I know that sounds nuts but he needs a change of scenery and has excellent numbers in DOME play this year. .856 Ops this year playing in the dome .389 OBP. I am wondering what his career numbers are here at the Trop.

Devil Rays World Series 2009

by Japhei on Aug 7, 2008 2:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Andruw Jones is not worthy of our time.

by R.J. Anderson on Aug 7, 2008 2:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He can be good

He is one of the premier players in the league. If he was having a season like he was in 2005 I bet you would not be saying that. He needs to lose some weight , close his stance, get his range back and enjoy playing the game again. Scott Boras ruined it by making it all about the money. Andruw is wasting away and will be out the league Mondesi unless something changes and soon.

Devil Rays World Series 2009

by Japhei on Aug 7, 2008 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If he was having a season like he was in 2005 I bet you would not be saying that

No shit.

by R.J. Anderson on Aug 7, 2008 2:53 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He is only 31

I could see him rebounding. Though I wouldn’t put $ on it.

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's a $23,666,666.66 gamble

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on Aug 7, 2008 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Only for one more year

A lot of money, but money that goes off the books before resigning our current core becomes an issue.

And I’m sure either LA would pick up some of it, or take very little in the way of prospects to relieve themselves of it.

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

IIRC

You can’t make trades that involve more than $1M in cash after the trade deadline. I might be wrong on that though.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Aug 7, 2008 3:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think you're right

In which case they’d probably take a bucket of balls in exchange. I’d be fine with that, so long as they were practice balls.

by GomesSweetGomes on Aug 7, 2008 3:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Chad Bradford of Moneyball fame huh?

Decent move, but he really is just a righty specialist. The only problem is Joe doesn’t seem to use pitchers in situational roles(see Trever Miller) too often. I would have liked to see some of the young guys (Salas, Thayer, Talbot) get more of a shot. But overall I can’t complain

by Sveet on Aug 7, 2008 2:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Salas isn't that young

And should absolutely be on this team.

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on Aug 7, 2008 3:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He will be...in September and would have made the opening day roster if he didn't have problems with his visa

by Rays Rule on Aug 7, 2008 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

He needs to be up before to September to be on the playoff roster

And he should be.

Tools Whore

Sign Bonds!

by Tyler on Aug 8, 2008 5:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I thought that too

But someone pulled up a stat that Miller is actually used as a situational lefty more than most loogies in the league, which means that Maddon is doing something right.

Vogt early, Vogt often.

by Brickhaus on Aug 7, 2008 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hope we make the Playoffs FUN FACT

Ths is a tasty fact

Bradford has a 0.00 ERA in 17 playoff games spanning 15 1/3 innings—no active reliever has pitched more innings in the postseason without giving up a run.

Devil Rays World Series 2009

by Japhei on Aug 7, 2008 2:48 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs