Add new comment

I don't see how that at this stage of his career there is any doubt about what kind of person he is. He's been on 7 different teams, and on only one did he live up to his abilities and not create a stir. He's run himself out of at least two cities and has had numerous huge blowups in public (and who knows how many in private) so it shouldn't be controversial to say that he is train wreck waiting to happen. Again, it is possible, if everything goes right, for him to stay on the rails but that doesn't mean he isn't a very unstable person. Jack Z's acquisition of Bradley is a testament to the faith he has in the clubhouse he has built, not an indictment of the coverage of Bradley. It's also quite likely to be a reflection of how desperate the team is for offense as well as how onerous the Silva contract was. It's not as if the lineup was deep and the M's signed him as a free agent. Once it became clear re-signing Branyan wasn't an option, Z was probably scrambling for a real hitter and being able to dump a bad contract in the process would have made anyone appealing.
What am I missing that would make me believe he isn't a stick of dynamite that could explode at any moment? Why should I believe that the image he has in baseball is the result of unfair reporting and not the result of his consistent, well documented actions (bumping umpires, throwing bottles at fans, being excommunicated from teams, etc.)? Does a single good season which is like a blip in his career balance out the rest of his track record of blowing up and alienating teammates and coaches?