Bradley is finally starting to look like the player that we saw last year as spring training is winding down. Bradley has been in the major leagues since 2000 and has compiled a career .280 batting average while driving in nearly 400 runs. The Cubs will be the seventh team that Bradley has spent time on in the majors. He has also played for the Expos, Indians, Dodgers, Athletics, Padres, and Rangers. Although his numbers don’t look all that impressive for a guy who has been in the league for nearly ten years, you have to look at what he has done recently to see what kind of player we really have. Injuries have greatly cut into Bradley’s playing time in the past. He has only played over 100 games in a season three times in his career.
The market for Bradley this off season was much smaller than expected for a guy of his talent level. Many believe that Bradley is a locker room poison, and that he can tear a clubhouse apart. In 2007, while playing for the San Diego Padres, Bradley suffered a torn ACL during an altercation with first base umpire Mike Winters. Winters had alleged that Bradley had thrown his bat at another player earlier in the game and Bradley questioned him about it after reaching first base in his next at bat. Winters used profanity towards Bradley, who then had to be restrained by his first base coach from going after Winters. While being restrained Bradley fell, tearing his ACL and ending his season. The Cubs front office looked into these issues seriously, and questioned many former teammates who all said that Bradley was a great teammate.
Bradley is coming off the best season of his career, in which he hit .321 in 115 games and drove in 75 runs. Currently Bradley is on a 10 game hitting streak after going 4 for 4 at the plate on Monday.