These things are flying fast and loose.
Last night, per Bruce Levine, Cubs officials met with the Kansas City
Royals about a potential Milton Bradley/Gil Meche swap. You’ll recall:
(1) the Royals had expressed interest in signing Bradley some moons
ago, and (2) the exact same sentence, but swap “Cubs” for “Royals,”
and “Meche” for “Bradley.”
Meche, like Bradley, is signed through 2011, and is set to make $12
million in 2010 and again in 2011. This is the first rumored deal
where an even swap would leave the Cubs holding the short end of the
money stick. Meche has a limited no trade clause in 2010 (no way he’d
nix a trade to the Cubs), but doesn’t have that protection in 2011. So
even if the Cubs didn’t need a starting pitcher – and they probably do
– they could spin him off if necessary.
Meche just turned 31 and had a pretty crummy 2009 after two straight
good seasons in Kansas City. A healthy Meche would be an above-average
pitcher, particularly in the NL Central.