Dodgers win Bradley sweepstakes

By Jim Callis
April 4, 2004

It took the Indians three days to find a new home for Milton Bradley, but they accomplished their goal on the eve of Opening Day. On Sunday, Cleveland sent Bradley to Los Angeles for minor league outfielder Franklin Gutierrez and a player to be named later.

On Wednesday, Indians manager Eric Wedge pulled Bradley from an exhibition game against the Astros because he didn't run out a pop-up. It was the latest in a series on on-field and off-field run-ins for Bradley, and it also was the final straw. Cleveland barred him from its training camp the next day and vowed to trade him. Though Bradley has a questionable and volatile makeup, at the same time his talent is indisputable. So too is the weakness of a Dodgers offense that finished last in the majors in scoring (3.54 runs per game) last year. That made him a worthwhile gamble for a club that must produce more at the plate if it's to contend in the National League West this season.

Bradley, 25, had a breakthrough season in 2003, though he was limited to 101 games by a strained right hamstring and a bone bruise in his lower back. He hit .321/.421/.501 with 10 homers, 56 RBIs and 17 steals. He's a line-drive hitter with gap power and promise of more to come, and he has a knack for working walks. He has above-average speed, which makes him an asset on the bases and in center field, and he also has a strong arm. Bradley was the premier offensive talent on the Indians, but they decided he had to go even if it meant replacing him with Coco Crisp or Alex Escobar. To make room for the Long Beach native in their lineup, the Dodgers will move Dave Roberts from center to left field and Shawn Green from left to first base. Bradley has a $1.73 million salary for 2004 and will be arbitration-eligible after the season.

Gutierrez, 21, had a breakthrough of his own last year. Signed out of Venezuela in 2000, he homered six times in six games to open 2003 at high Class A Vero Beach. He hit .287/.350/.524 with 24 homers, 80 RBIs and 20 steals in 128 games between Vero Beach and Double-A Jacksonville. Ranked 31st on Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects list, Gutierrez is a legitimate five-tool outfielder. His power is his most obvious skill, but he also can hit for average, steal bases, cover enough ground to play center field and throw well enough to play right. With Grady Sizemore also on hand in the Cleveland system, Gutierrez projects as the club's right fielder of the future. He's still working on hitting breaking pitches, using the whole field and showing more patience at the plate. He'll start 2004 at Double-A Akron.

May 19 update: The Indians received another quality prospect, righthander Andrew Brown, to complete the deal. Brown, a 1999 sixth-round pick out of a Jacksonville high school by the Braves, went to the Dodgers in the January 2002 Gary Sheffield trade. An throw-in at the time, Brown had a breakout 2002 season and established himself as a legitimate prospect. He took a huge step back last year, however, pitching just one inning before having season-ending surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. Brown's stuff has returned in 2004, as he's again throwing 93-96 mph fastballs and backing them up with a mix of solid breaking balls and changeups. He was 1-3, 4.02 in eight starts at Double-A Jacksonville, leading the Southern League with 58 strikeouts in 40 innings. His control was better than ever (14 walks), and opponents hit .235 with five homers against him.