MILWAUKEE (AP) -Kansas City’s deal to acquire volatile outfielder Milton Bradley from Oakland fell through because the Royals were concerned about Bradley’s health.
The Royals had agreed to send minor league pitcher Leo Nunez to Oakland for Bradley, who was designated for assignment on Thursday. Dean Taylor, Kansas City’s assistant general manager, said the deal was scuttled because Bradley hurt his oblique during his last game with the Athletics.
“There was a health concern on our part concerning Milton, and at this point the trade is dead,” Taylor said before Kansas City’s game against Milwaukee on Saturday night.
The Royals said Bradley informed them of the injury.
The A’s have eight days left to trade or release Bradley. Because he has more than three years of major league service time, Bradley can refuse an assignment to the minor leagues.
Bradley, who agreed to a one-year, $4 million deal with Oakland in the offseason, first was shelved from April 23 to May 10 with a strained left hamstring. He went on the DL a second time May 15-29 when the hamstring flared up again, before being sidelined a third time June 3 with a calf injury.
He was hitting .292 with two homers and seven RBIs in 65 at-bats this season.
Bradley has always been known as much for his volatile behavior as his baseball skills. In 2005, he accused Dodgers teammate Jeff Kent of a lack of leadership and an inability to deal with black players.
Bradley was also suspended for the final five games of the 2004 season when he slammed a plastic bottle at the feet of a fan in the box seats in the right field corner at Dodger Stadium after someone threw it on the field. Nobody was injured.
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