The Cubs, closing in on their No. 1 offensive target, have reached an agreement in principle with free agent Milton Bradley, according to major-league sources.
The three-year, $30 million deal will be finalized after the two sides work through language issues and Bradley passes a physical, sources said.
Bradley, a switch-hitter, will fill the Cubs' need for a left-handed bat in the middle of their order. He spent last season with the Rangers, posting the highest on-base/slugging percentage in the American League.
The Cubs, who plan to use Bradley in right field, are mindful of his injury history. They plan to occasionally spell him with Kosuke Fukudome, and Fukudome also will alternate with Reed Johnson in center field.
Bradley, 30, has played more than 100 games in the field only once in his career, in 2004 with the Dodgers. He spent most of last season as a designated hitter.
His upside, however, is significant.
A fierce competitor, Bradley will welcome the challenge of helping the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908. He also should prove a strong complement to the Cubs' big right-handed hitters — Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee.
The Cubs led the National League in runs last season before losing to the Dodgers in the first round of the playoffs. They recently traded Mark DeRosa, another right-handed hitter, to the Indians, helping ensure that their 2009 lineup will be more balanced.
In addition to Bradley, the team likely will use a combination of Mike Fontenot, a left-handed hitter, and Aaron Miles, a switch-hitter, at second base. Fukudome also is a left-handed hitter.
The Cubs will be Bradley's seventh club and fifth in five seasons. He is a .280 lifetime hitter with a .370 career on-base percentage and .457 slugging percentage.
