Milton Bradley update: Bruce Levine says the Cubs are now talking to Texas. The return could be pitcher Kevin Millwood who is owed $10 million in 2010. My initial reaction to this is one of indifference, which is the closest thing to being positive. He is a decent pitcher who will benefit from a move to the NL and would fill a rotation need for us. More as it comes.

Hopefully everybody has caught their breath after the three-way deal involving Milton Bradley was said to really only involve interest by the Mets and Cubs. Bruce Levine does say there is some validity to the deal, though my guess would be that it involves the Cubs-Mets part more than the Blue Jays. I still don't like this deal, not if Milton can be moved for anything resembling a starting pitcher. The only benefit I see is that Castillo has a lower salary.

Dave van Dyke says that both sides of town have little interest in Cuban Aroldis Chapman. The Sox have a set rotation and little money while the Cubs just have little money. He does note that Chapman has a different agent than the Sox Cuban players, which is probably why they haven't been as prominent in the rumors as one might expect. I still think he ends up on the Yankees, but for some reason I get the feeling a lower market team might try and sweep in.

Kenny Williams is on the hunt for more offense according to this blurb halfway down the Fox Sports GM meetings blog. It does seem like he is hinting that prospect Jordan Danks is going to be on the big team and playing quite a bit.

Jermaine Dye and Octavio Dotel were both given "Type A" classification for free agency. On the Cubs side John Grabow and Kevin Gregg got the Type A classification while Rich Harden was a Type B. That means if the player is offered arbitration, declines, then signs with another team the original team gets draft pick compensation. Type A is first round pick plus a sandwich pick, Type B just a sandwich pick. Also the top 15 picks in the draft are protected (meaning the Cubs and Sox can't lose their pick). The complete list of Elias rankings is here. Note Type B status for Mike Cameron and Marlon Byrd two guys the Cubs might be after.

Also ranked Type A is closer Billy Wagner. Now Wagner isn't exactly the world's greatest guy, but he is a heck of a pitcher. Coming off Tommy John surgery with a Type A ranking probably limits his options to the Top-15 teams in the draft. Even then those teams would lose a second round pick, meaning that Wagner's value could hypothetically plummet to a point where the Cubs could get him really cheap. Just something to think about.

Chone Figgins is too expensive for the Sox, and they are back talking with Scott Podsednik. It does seem like Kenny Williams doesn't want to give much money for a leadoff guy who, lets be honest here, caught a lot of lightning in the bottle last season. Still I think the Sox would be smart to bring him back at the right price.

As always the rumors are going to keep coming like crazy today. Bruce Levine's noon chat will probably be full of good info, I might put up a summary of it if there is enough good stuff.

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