GMs Head out to Work on Offseason Trades

Boston Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein talks to reporters during Major League Baseball's 2009 General Managers Meetings, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009 in Chicago. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

(AP)

General managers grabbed their bags, caught a quick lunch and headed down the corridor a short distance to their flights Wednesday after their annual meeting ended in a hotel at O'Hare International Airport.

No trades were announced during the three-day session.

"It's the same thing every year at this time of year," White Sox general manager Ken Williams said. "There is nothing to report."

GMs met with their counterparts and also greeted agents looking to lay the groundwork for free-agent deals after those players can start negotiating money with all teams on Nov. 20. Trade talk likely will percolate heading into the winter meetings in Indianapolis from Dec. 7-10.

There was one internal deal announced Wednesday, as the Seattle Mariners agreed to a one-year contract to keep Ken Griffey Jr.

Washington, meanwhile, decided to stick with Jim Riggleman as manager.

The Nationals will drop Riggleman's interim tag and make him their manager for 2010, two people in baseball familiar with the team's plans told The Associated Press. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made. The team was planning a news conference for Thursday.

Riggleman was promoted from bench coach to interim manager in July, replacing the fired Manny Acta.

Griffey may be coming back for the 22nd season, but it sure appears Milton Bradley won't return to the Cubs, even though he has two years and $21 million left on his contract.

Cubs general manager Jim Hendry wasn't specific on whether he discussed moving the mercurial Bradley, who was suspended the final two weeks last season — shortly after he criticized the atmosphere surrounding a team that hasn't won a World Series since 1908.

But Hendry did have plenty of general conversations as he tries to get the Cubs back to the playoffs under new ownership.

"I probably talked to seven or eight clubs, just the normal things, just the way I anticipated. You feel like, hopefully, there's some business to be done in the next few weeks," Hendry said. "Hopefully, you can do something before you get to Indianapolis. ... It was really a good environment after all. A lot of people were in the same spots, and it was easy to find guys to talk to."