December 15, 2011

Sun-Times Cubs’ owners buy McDonald’s property across from Wrigley Field By: FRAN SPIELMAN

The owners of the Cubs have spent $20 million to buy a parcel of land across from Wrigley Field to develop a “mixed use entertainment” project.

Cubs spokesman Julian Green said the land at 3620 N. Clark — acquired by North Clark, a company owned by the Ricketts family — is now occupied by a McDonald’s, which would remain open for the foreseeable future.

Green wouldn’t discuss specific plans for the one-acre property.

He said properties around Wrigley “don’t come up for sale that often” and that the Ricketts family jumped at the opportunity to acquire it for future development.

The land is across the street from a triangle-shaped parcel of land next to the stadium and won’t affect that long-stalled development, he said.

“There are no concrete plans, but it could be mixed-use entertainment,” Green said. “The long-term plan is to create this major destination for our fans — something that draws folks to the ballpark year-round. I don’t believe residential will be part of it.”

Ald. Tom Tunney (44th), whose ward includes Wrigley Field, called the land deal long overdue.

“I’ve always felt the Cubs should be more aggressive in owning property around the ballpark. If they would have done this 20 years ago, they would have paid a quarter of the price,” Tunney said.

As for what type of development he’d like to see on the parcel, Tunney said it’ll be up to Wrigleyville residents.

“They have not presented any plans to my office or the community. Their interest was to control it and do some small retail tent on part of the lot in the interim,” he said of the Cubs.

“It’s up to the community to figure out how we redevelop it. The triangle project was approved and never built, so I don’t want to get ahead of myself.”

Past owners of the Cubs have been second-guessed for failing to purchase the rooftops across the street from Wrigley and cash in on their bird’s-eye view of the landmark stadium.

That oversight set the stage for a bitter battle that saw the team put up windscreens to obscure rooftop views and file a copyright-infringement lawsuit designed to put the private clubs out of business. Rooftop owners ultimately agreed to pay the Cubs 17 percent of their gross revenues for the next 20 years. In exchange, the Cubs agreed to market the rooftops and adjust the compensation downward if a 2006 bleacher expansion hurt their views, which it did not.

To avoid repeating past ownership’s mistakes, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts bought a piece of a building with an empty rooftop across the street from Wrigley. And now he’s bought the McDonald’s parcel as well.

The land deal comes as Ricketts is trying to revive his stalled plan to use 35 years’ worth of city amusement-tax growth to finance a $210 million Wrigley renovation.

A taxpayer-subsidized stadium renovation plan would keep the Cubs at Wrigley for at least 35 years and pave the way for the Ricketts family to invest $200 million of their own money in the triangle building, the Cubs have said.

But Mayor Rahm Emanuel has called the plan a “non-starter” and sent the Cubs back to the drawing board in search of financing alternatives.

Earlier this year, the Cubs asked architects to redesign the triangle building promised in exchange for a 1,791-seat expansion of the Wrigley Field bleachers, armed with a survey that shows neighborhood residents want less parking and more open space.

The original plan called for a seven-story building dominated by a parking garage. The design also included an upscale restaurant, retail stores specializing in Cubs merchandise, team offices, below-ground batting cages and a rooftop garden.

Sources said the redesign might include a shorter structure built around an open square filled by an ice rink in the winter and a farmer’s market and outdoor concerts in the summer. Lost retail and parking revenues could be recouped by selling corporate naming rights to the plaza, concert stage or ice rink, the sources said.

Plans for a bustling pedestrian walkway in between the building and the ballpark patterned after Yawkey Way at ’s famed are expected to remain unchanged. Sports marketing expert Marc Ganis said the Ricketts family was “very smart” to buy the McDonald’s property.

“It’s something the prior owners should have considered doing,” said Ganis, who advised the Tribune Co., the Cubs’ previous owner, on stadium financing in the past. “The Tribune Co. had the opportunity to buy lots of property around Wrigley years ago and did not do so, and the team has been trying to play catch- up ever since.

“There are many parties making a lot of money around Wrigley Field who have no investment in the product on the field that draws the people. The Cubs should get control of as much of that adjacent property as they reasonably can.”

Asked what the Cubs should do with the McDonald’s parcel, Ganis said, “The most important thing they can do is generate revenue streams they could put back onto the field.”

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Daily Herald How will the Cubs survive without Ramirez? By: Barry Rozner

The Cubs probably shouldn't play the 2012 season.

No, seriously.

Based on the reaction of some Cubs followers, they probably ought to fold the franchise after the loss of future Hall of Famer Aramis Ramirez.

Yes, they are going to miss him that much — if you believe the response.

Next thing you know we'll hear they can't live without Reed Johnson and Koyie Hill.

If the Cubs had a chance to win the next season, perhaps you could make a case for keeping Ramirez on a one-year deal.

But he wasn't going to take that and — by the way — the Cubs aren't going to win the World Series next year.

So what exactly did the Cubs accomplish with Ramirez the last two seasons that makes him so irreplaceable? And spare me the “lousy team” argument. You're fighting your own case because that's the whole point.

The Cubs are so far away that they don't need to waste any more money on a dog like Ramirez. If Ramirez stayed and played up to his typical performance, it wouldn't put them any closer to the World Series.

So they'll miss Ramirez?

With him they finished 32 games under .500 the last two years and 41 games out of first, and if they spent $36 million for three years on Ramirez as the Brewers just did, what could they hope for next season?

Consider how Ramirez performed the last two seasons, when he averaged 136 games with a .277 average, 26 homers, 88 RBI and an .814 OPS, numbers good enough to fool most MLB execs.

But anyone who actually watches the games — as most Cubs fans do — knows that in 2010, Ramirez through the first three months hit .178 with 6 homers, 23 RBI and a .538 OPS. By then the Cubs were 11 under and 11½ out.

The final three months with the Cubs firmly out of it, Ramirez caught fire, hitting .294 with 19 homers, 60 RBI and a .922 OPS.

And most Cubs fans know that in 2011, Ramirez through the first half hit .291 with 9 homers, 38 RBI and a .790 OPS. By then, the Cubs were 16 under and 12 out.

In the second half, with the Cubs firmly out of it, Ramirez tore up the league, hitting .322 with 17 homers, 55 RBI and a .954 OPS.

Few can forget the 2007-08 playoff seasons, when he went 2-for-23 (.086) with zero homers and zero RBI against Arizona and Los Angeles. He did, however, score 1 run while the Cubs were getting swept in both series, so that's a positive.

Maybe you'll miss his defense, where he has the range of Ron Cey at third base. No, not bad Ron Cey circa 1984. We're talking Ron Cey today at age 63.

By just about any measure, Ramirez is among the worst fielding third basemen in the game.

Let's see, there's also the part about him being selfish at the plate and in the clubhouse, a bad example for the youngsters, and he rarely — if ever — hustles on the bases, while taking time off whenever he feels like it. His late scratches were the stuff of legend.

Yes, this is a player who should be truly missed on the North Side of Chicago.

It's so disheartening with Aramis Ramirez gone, Tom Ricketts ought to consider petitioning for a canceled season.

Or, throw a party.

Maiden break Horse racing fans are going to enjoy HBO's “Luck,” which ran a special premiere Sunday night and returns Jan. 29 for its first full season.

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Nick Nolte and Dennis Farina, to name just a few, and written by thoroughbred owner David Milch, it has a chance to be very good.

It also gives us a chance to wonder again when Milch is going to write that long promised conclusion to “Deadwood.”

Backup QB Besides explaining to the team website that there wasn't a single decent backup QB anywhere on the planet the last three years, GM Jerry Angelo said that for next year, “We'll address that.”

Of Caleb Hanie, Angelo said, “We've lost three games with Caleb as our quarterback, and I've said from the onset a big part of judging a quarterback is based on winning … For me to say anything other than he needs to improve would be wrong. He's got to do a better job, make more plays and help us win a game.”

Tebow fatigue Barrington emailer Steve Hilmer: “Can we move on, please? The Tim Tebow story is now officially as annoying as the Kardashians.”

Just wondering The Marlins signed Aaron Rowand. Can Pablo Ozuna be far behind?

Just thinking The U.S. politely asked Iran to return the drone. If this works, the Cubs should politely ask to return his salary.

And finally … Omaha World Herald's Brad Dickson: “Brett Favre said he has ‘no plans to play organized football.' So apparently he's going to the Indianapolis Colts.”

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Cubs.com Ramirez makes it official with Cubs' rivals By: Carrie Muskat

MILWAUKEE -- There was a reason Aramis Ramirez went to the Cubs Convention last January. He wanted to say goodbye.

On Wednesday, Ramirez slipped on a No. 16 Brewers jersey, officially joining the Cubs' National League Central rivals. He chose not to exercise his option for 2012 with the Cubs and instead became a free agent, eventually signing a three-year, $36 million contract.

"I never went to the [Cubs] convention in eight years, but that's why I did it," Ramirez said on Wednesday at Miller Park. "I knew there would be a good chance I wouldn't come back.

"Once I hit free agency, it's an open market," he said. "I just wanted to go to a good situation. I think the Brewers do have a good situation to win. They did it last year, winning 96 games. They pretty much have the whole team back besides [Prince] Fielder. I think it's a good situation here."

It'll be tough for the Brewers to repeat without Fielder, who is a free agent, and possibly without NL MVP Ryan Braun, who is appealing a 50-game suspension for a positive drug test.

"It's a 25-man roster and you can't replace Prince Fielder," Ramirez said. "He's one of the best hitters in the game. I'm going to do my best and I'll do what I'm capable of. I won't do what I can't, I'll do what I've done my whole career and that's drive in runs and try to play good third base."

That's what Brewers general Doug Melvin is looking for.

"When we played them, he was the one guy I feared when he came up with men on base," Melvin said. Former Cubs GM Jim Hendry called Melvin prior to Wednesday's news conference to endorse the Brewers' choice.

"We're getting one of the top 25 active sluggers in the game today," Melvin said. "He's not going to hit 50, 55 home runs. He's a good pure hitter. I think our ballpark is suited for his swing. It is a big relief to know we have someone hitting behind Ryan, because I think that's very important."

Best of all, the Brewers' home field is indoors.

"I just don't like the cold weather," said Ramirez, who has been a slow starter, and last year hit two home runs in the first two months. "I'm from the Dominican, I'm from an island and it was always tough early in the season playing in Chicago. Here at Miller Park, I won't have to deal with it."

Besides staying in the NL Central, what sold Ramirez on the Brewers was a chance to chat with manager Ron Roenicke in Los Angeles. Ramirez went to the West Coast to meet with the Angels, one of three teams pursuing him, and took time to talk to Roenicke and Brewers owner Mark Attanasio at the Brentwood Country Club. Roenicke was impressed with how much Ramirez knew about the Brewers' roster.

"We talked about everything," Ramirez said. "We talked for an hour and a half. I had a good meeting out there. [Roenicke] looked like a great baseball guy and that's what it came down to. I sense they want to win. They're going to do everything they can to win now, and that's what I'm looking for."

The Brewers' discussions with Ramirez's agent Paul Kinzer began at the General Manager Meetings in Milwaukee in November, and continued at the Winter Meetings in Dallas.

Ramirez's deal was worth $36 million, and he will be paid $6 million in 2012; $10 million in 2013; and $16 million in 2014. There is a $4 million buyout on a mutual option for 2015. The Brewers deferred $6 million to the third year of the deal.

Last year, Milwaukee's third basemen ranked last in the National League in batting average, combining to hit .215 with 11 homers, 30 doubles and drive in 67 runs. The team added Jerry Hairston Jr., who started at third in the postseason for the Brewers.

With the Cubs retooling with the new front office and manager , Ramirez, 33, felt it was time to move on.

"I'm at the point where I can't wait, I can't be in a rebuilding process," Ramirez said. "I think the Brewers are built to win now."

Ramirez is hoping he's playing in October. He won his first Silver Slugger award this year after hitting .306 with 26 homers and 93 RBIs in 149 games in 2011. It was his sixth season with at least 30 doubles and 25 homers.

The Cubs exercised their side of the $16 million option on Ramirez's contract, but the declined to pick up his side. By doing so, the Cubs do not have to pay Ramirez the $2 million buyout. However, because Ramirez was a Type B free agent, the Cubs will receive a Draft pick in the supplemental round as compensation.

Ramirez has a lifetime .270 average and .503 slugging percentage at Miller Park, hitting 15 homers and 25 doubles there. Last season, he was 8-for-37 (.216) with one homer and six RBIs.

"From a personal standpoint, I've done everything from the All-Star Game to [winning a] Silver Slugger," Ramirez said. "I've done it all basically, but the one thing I'm missing is that ring, and that's what I'm looking for."

The Cubs acquired Ian Stewart from the Rockies in exchange for Tyler Colvin and DJ LeMahieu as their next third baseman. It'll be a different look after seeing Ramirez there for more than eight seasons. Did he have a message for Cubs fans?

"I appreciate everything they did for me there," Ramirez said. "They're great, but it just didn't work out for me to stay there. They're in a different situation, I think they're going in a different direction now, they're going in a rebuilding process. I can't be part of that right now. I'm at the point where I have to win now -- at least try, compete. I know it's hard to win, but the Brewers have a good chance."

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Cubs.com Big Z strong in winter league game By: Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Carlos Zambrano, making his first start since taking a line drive off his face, did not give up a hit over four shutout innings on Wednesday night for Caribes de Anzoategui.

Zambrano, who was injured Nov. 18 and needed 16 stitches, walked one and struck out one in a Venezuelan Winter League game against Tigres de Aragua. He faced 13 batters and got eight groundouts.

The right-hander also tuned up for next season by taking part in a derby on Monday in Caracas. He connected on the first pitch he saw, but did not advance to the second round of the event.

Zambrano is under contract for next year, but Cubs president of baseball operations has told the right-hander he has to "earn his way back" after an early exit from a game in August against the Braves. In that game, Atlanta hit five homers off Zambrano, who was ejected after throwing inside to Chipper Jones. The left Turner Field, telling teammates he was retiring.

At the home run derby, Zambrano told a Venezuelan reporter that he was preparing for next season as he did his rookie year by "climbing mountains, running on the beach and exercising hard so that I can arrive at in optimal shape."

Tribune Cubs bid for Darvish Club also interested in free agents Varitek and Wakefield By: Phil Rogers

Daisuke Matsuzaka hasn't fulfilled the expectations that came with a $103 million commitment. But he helped Theo Epstein win a World Series ring in 2007, and he hasn't scared the Cubs' new president away from the high price of elite international talent.

The Cubs placed a qualifying bid for the rights to 25-year-old Japanese right-hander before the Thursday afternoon deadline ending his posting period, according to major league sources. They are believed to be one of three to 10 teams that submitted bids, and along with everyone else will learn by Tuesday if theirs was the highest bid as well as if the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters have accepted it.

The team bidding highest then would be given a chance to sign Darvish, who is not a free agent. It would not have to pay for the right to talk to Darvish if it doesn't sign him.

Epstein knows the byzantine process well, having navigated it when the Red Sox acquired the rights to Matsuzaka after the 2006 season.

An attempt to sign a Japanese ace in his prime may be only one of the ways that Epstein returns to his past this offseason. According to sources, the Cubs have a preliminary interest in free agents and , who combined to spend 32 seasons with the Red Sox.

Both could fill holes and play significant roles in 2012. But Darvish is someone who would make a statement for the aggressiveness of Epstein and Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts.

It's unclear, however, how serious the Cubs are about Darvish. Epstein has kept his position to himself, and declined comment Thursday.

Darvish, who is 6-foot-5 and has a high-90s fastball, is one year younger than Matsuzaka was when he joined the Red Sox. He could be more expensive to sign than Matsuzaka (six years, $52 million) but it's possible he won't require as high of a posting fee as the $51 million that went from the Red Sox to the Seibu Lions for his rights because few Japanese players have lived up to their billing in recent years.

Darvish is viewed as a legitimate ace, however. He was a double-figure winner as a 20-year-old and had his best season in 2011, going 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA for the Fighters. It marked the fifth year in a row he had an ERA below 2.00.

Varitek, 39, and the 45-year-old Wakefield were heart-and-soul guys for the Red Sox during the nine years Epstein headed their baseball operations.

With Koyie Hill non-tendered Monday, Varitek has joined a short list of veterans being considered for the backup 's job behind . Varitek's switch-hitting skills could give him an edge over other free agents like Eli Whiteside, Ivan Rodriguez and Ronny Paulino, although ideally the Cubs would go with a younger player. and , both of whom got to the big leagues last year, are internal options to replace Hill.

Varitek backed up Jarrod Saltalamacchia with the Red Sox last season and new GM Ben Cherington has signed former Ray and Indian Kelly Shoppach for that role in 2012.

But Varitek had a .723 OPS in 222 at-bats last season, reaching double figures in home runs for the ninth time in 10 years. While he is easy to run on (opponents were 75-for-85 on stolen-base attempts), he had a ERA of 3.57, which is why some Red Sox preferred working with him over Saltalamacchia (4.62).

Knuckleballer Wakefield was 7-8 with a 5.12 ERA last season, working 1542/3 innings in 23 starts and 10 relief appearances.

Varitek's presence could make it easier to trade Soto at midseason if Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer determine they rather would give Castillo a chance to be the long-term regular.

As a four-plus arbitration eligible, Soto (.712 OPS in 2011 and .702 OPS in 2009) is going to have to raise his game significantly to justify a Yadier Molina/Brian McCann-style contract extension. Miguel Montero's next contract with the Diamondbacks will set that market, and at this point Soto is no Montero.

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Tribune Ricketts family buys McDonald's land across from Wrigley Field By: Ameet Sachdev

The owners of the bought property across the street from Wrigley Field from McDonald's Corp. for $20 million, expanding their opportunities to redevelop areas around the stadium.

The parcel is on the northwest corner of Clark and Addison streets that is home to a McDonald's restaurant and a large parking lot. Cook County property records show that the sale, first reported by Crain's, closed on Nov. 18.

A spokesman for Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts said he and his family have not developed plans for the property yet. The Ricketts family bought the Chicago Cubs, Wrigley Field and related assets from Tribune Co., parent of the Chicago Tribune, in 2009.

"It's not often that a parcel becomes available in Wrigleyville, and they wanted to take advantage of this opportunity," said spokesman Dennis Culloton.

The McDonald's property is on a valuable corner that fits nicely into the family's big plans to own more of the entertainment dollars that baseball fans spend on game days. The area around Wrigley Field has become a lucrative entertainment district with bars, restaurants and rooftops catering to fans. But nearly all of the properties are owned by other landlords.

The Ricketts family owns a triangle parcel next to Wrigley Field that it wants to develop. But those plans are tied into a larger proposal to renovate Wrigley Field. The family has been seeking state and local taxpayer incentives to help finance more than $200 million in renovations to Wrigley Field, which will be 100 years old in 2014.

Their original plan, which included the use of amusement taxes paid on Cubs tickets, received little political support. But the family continues to have conversations about public financing with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and members of the General Assembly.

With the McDonald's property, the family can expand the scale of its development plans to generate more jobs and property taxes, which could attract more political support for public financing of stadium improvements.

In the meantime, McDonald's will continue to own and operate the restaurant on the property. Next baseball season, the Cubs owners plan to erect a merchandise tent in the parking lot. The agreement with the Ricketts family calls for a McDonald's restaurant to be included in any future redevelopment of the property.

McDonald's officials could not be immediately reached for comment.

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CSNChicago.com Cubs make bid and wonder: Who is Yu Darvish? By: Patrick Mooney

This is the question that no one in the baseball world really knows the answer to: Who is Yu Darvish?

Bobby Scales described Darvish as freakishly athletic, almost like Carlos Zambrano. The Japanese superstar liked to mess around with switch-hitting, and had an extra glove because he can also throw left-handed.

Scales didn’t really know if this was a joke, because it came through an interpreter, but the 6-foot-5-inch pitcher said his favorite sport used to be ice hockey, until he outgrew playing goalie.

Micah Hoffpauir called Darvish “a good dude.” Darvish didn’t speak much English, but understood the language, and could keep up with Hoffpauir’s slow Texas drawl. The two played practical jokes by putting pine tar inside each other’s shoes.

These two ex-Cubs went overseas to play for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters last season and got to see what the hype is all about. At the age of 25, Darvish is already rich and famous, but the next great challenge is in the United States.

A major-league official confirmed that the Cubs submitted a bid before Wednesday’s deadline, though the amount and their true interest level was unclear. Another industry source with ties to said that the and were among the most visible teams scouting Darvish last season.

Theo Epstein has promised that the Cubs will be aggressive in the international marketplace. But the president of baseball operations went through this process before with the . Between the posting fee and free-agent contract, it cost more than $100 million to import Daisuke Matsuzaka.

Darvish helped his country win the 2009 , and has dominated Japan’s for years, going 18-6 with a 1.44 ERA and 276 last season.

“I have no idea if his talents will translate at the major-league level,” said new Red Sox manager , who became a popular figure in Japan while leading the Chiba Lotte Marines. “But he’s a quality pitcher. He has size. He (has) velocity, breaking balls, very good hands. He makes the ball do a lot of crazy things on its way to the plate.

“(He’s a) great competitor. If those things translate into another uniform…who knows?”

Matsuzaka helped the Red Sox win the during his first year in Boston, and went 18-3 with a 2.90 ERA the following season. But across the next three years, he barely reached 250 innings combined before being shut down for Tommy John surgery.

The made a $46 million investment in and have watched him appear in 16 major-league games. He has spent most of the past five seasons in the shadows, pitching at Double- and Triple-A affiliates.

By association, there will be skepticism about Darvish. He has an Iranian father and a Japanese mother and must already know something about bridging cultures.

Hoffpauir – who played parts of three seasons on the North Side and will return to Japan next year – believes in Darvish.

“Being around him and watching him go about his business,” Hoffpauir said, “I don’t see any reason why the guy doesn’t succeed in the States. You put him on a team like the Yankees, he’s going to be a No. 2 or No. 3 guy.

“You put him on a team like the Rangers, he’s their No. 1 guy immediately. He’s got great stuff. He’s got a phenomenal work ethic.”

Scales – who’s unsigned for next season and focused on getting another job with a major-league organization – said the two games “could not be more different, (even) down to the way they do laundry” in the clubhouse.

That’s where all the projections can get hazy. Scales called Darvish’s fastball “arrow straight,” but overall liked his velocity, athleticism and repertoire, the ability to keep hitters off-balance with sliders and forkballs.

Hoffpauir said Darvish’s stuff is so good that he really only had to worry about the hitters batting third through sixth – no one else in the lineup would be expected to do damage and hit for power.

“Once he gets to the States, I think he will become a better pitcher,” Hoffpauir said, “because he will lock in for nine batters, as opposed to locking in for four, maybe five (against) a lineup in Japan.”

Hoffpauir respected how Darvish seemed to have his own code, almost never leaving before the other . Japanese pitchers typically work on six days’ rest, but Hoffpauir said Darvish wouldn’t wait that long between starts when the team needed it down the stretch last season.

The blind bidding is over for the right to negotiate with baseball’s international man of mystery. If the highest bid is accepted, the winner would then get a 30-day exclusive window to agree on a contract. It will take years to figure out if Darvish is worth the money.

“He’s going to have some growing pains,” Hoffpauir said. “He’s going to have some bumps and bruises when it comes to making adjustments. (But) he’s smart enough and I think he’ll work hard enough that he’ll get that done.”

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CSNChicago.com If Prince is smart, a deal with the Cubs is a no-brainer By: David Kaplan

With Albert Pujols off the free agent market, the top name left on the board is Prince Fielder, who at the age of 27, is entering what should be the prime of his career. Fielder is looking for an 8-10 year deal at roughly $25 million per season, which if he gets it puts his contract in Pujols territory.

However, while the Cubs have interest in Fielder, they are not prepared to go into 8-10 year territory when they do not believe that they are close to winning and need to put their resources into upgrading their defense and pitching staff. Fielder has interest in the Cubs but is also being courted by the , Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers, and possibly the .

What the Cubs offer and the others don’t is the chance to be in a major market that would afford him the chance to make huge money in endorsements and raise his profile to a much larger level than it was during his time with the .

Imagine Fielder in a Cubs uniform playing all out and developing a love affair with the Wrigley Field faithful. His name would become a part of the total overhaul of the Cubs culture and being that he is only 27, he would be a big part of the Cubs success that Theo Epstein and Co. envision just a few years down the road.

Fielder’s agent, is known for driving up the price and the length of the contract no matter if the fit is a good one or not for his client. Yes, Alex Rodriguez signed a $252 million deal with the Rangers that was negotiated by Boras, but not too far removed from that signing, Rodriguez was on the move to the Yankees which was a much better fit for him as he was surrounded by other star players.

Fielder needs to take charge of his negotiations and while he has one of the shrewdest minds in baseball doing his bidding, he has to make sure that where he ends up is the best fit for him both in the short and long term. The best fit is on the North Side of Chicago, but unless he backs off of his demand for a ridiculously long deal it will probably never happen.

Epstein and GM Jed Hoyer have been far too quiet so far in their attempts to retool the roster and that silence has me convinced that they are waiting to see what the market for Prince Fielder becomes after the Pujols signing.

Fielder’s camp seems content to let the market play out. The same goes for the Cubs and their new management team. Someone needs to get the two sides into a room and convince both that the marriage is the best thing for both parties.

The Cubs needs a power bat and a guy who plays the game the right way. Fielder needs a big stage with which to explode as he enters the prime of his career. Somebody needs to make a move.

I say five years at $25 million per with a sixth year option should get it done. Cubs Nation is waiting.