Time to add fuel to the baseball's Hot Stove League

It would make a grand story for the Rays to return from the baseball winter meetings next week with a retooled bullpen and without Pat Burrell, but neither one is likely to happen.

No big free-agent signings, no blockbuster trades. More than likely there will just be a lot of conversation, planting seeds and exploration - barring unforeseen late developments, of course. That won't stop rumors from flying and we'll devour them all because it's so much fun.

"The media hype surrounding the winter meetings is good for the industry, but often it's just that," Rays executive vice president Andrew Friedman said. "We've found that it frequently lacks substance.

"That said, any time you get 30 teams together under one roof, anything can happen."

So off the Rays' brain trust goes to Indianapolis, where the meetings open Sunday. Everyone knows they have to address a bullpen that blew more than one-third of its save chances - 22 cough-ups in 63 opportunities.

J.P. Howell labored heroically there last year until his left arm measured out 12 inches longer than his right from overuse and the Rays had to shut him down. With any luck, he'll be back in his seventh- or eighth-inning setup role and the Rays will find someone to slam the door in the ninth.

The rumor that won't die is the Pat Burrell-for-Milton Bradley deal (or no deal). Reduced to its essence, it has the Rays swapping their expensive disappointment for the Chicago Cubs' expensive disappointment. It's the ol' "change of scenery" gambit - and I suppose it could happen, but I don't expect it will.

The Rays want the Cubs not only to pick up Burrell's $9 million for next season, but also to pay a large chunk of the $21 million Bradley could be due for the two years remaining on his contract. Our lads do like to count their pennies.

It should tell us a lot that the Rays would even consider acquiring a powder keg like Bradley. I'll always believe a big reason for the Rays' slide last year was the change in attitude inside the clubhouse and a lot of that is on Burrell.

The Rays of 2008 had strong personalities like Cliff Floyd, Eric Hinske and Jonny Gomes, and they kept things lively. They were all gone last summer, though, and in their place was a dour drone named Burrell. It says all you need to know that Carl Crawford got into a throw down with Burrell near the end of the season.

Having said that, Burrell is in the last year of his contract and his history in that situation is interesting. In 2002, he hit .282 with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs for the Phillies and was rewarded with a six-year, $50 million contract. He promptly fell to .209, 21 homers and 64 RBIs.

Then in 2008, the last year of his Philly contract, he had 33 homers, 86 RBIs and hit .250. The Rays coughed up $16 million over two years and he fell off the end of the earth - .221, 14 homers, 64 RBIs. At least we can figure he'll be motivated this season, wherever he plays.

We've gotten used to the idea the Rays have strict payroll limitations; they can't just bury mistakes. The Yankees just put a bullet in them. The Rays have to keep writing them into the lineup. That's one way to stumble from 97 wins and a championship in 2008 to 84 wins last season and it doesn't get fixed overnight.

It probably won't get fixed next week, either.

We can dream, though, can't we? Or at least enjoy sifting through the rumors.