July 4, 2017

 Chicago Tribune, reminisces on tenure in Tampa ahead of Cubs-Rays series http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-rays-joe-maddon-spt-0704-20170703- story.html#nt=oft03a-1la1

 Chicago Tribune, Chicago baseball gets what it deserves for All-Star Game http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-cubs-white-sox-all-star-game-haugh-spt-0704- 20170703-column.html

 Chicago Tribune, How ex-Cubs prospects are faring elsewhere: Jeferson Mejia, Dan Vogelbach, more http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-minor-league-report-spt-0704-20170703- story.html

 Chicago Tribune, Cubs trade to Blue Jays http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-miguel-montero-cubs-blue-jays-trade-20170703- story.html#nt=simple-embed

 Chicago Tribune, Rest serves as consolation prize for snubbed All-Star hopefuls http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-cubs-joe-maddon-rest-20170703- story.html#nt=oft13a-6gp1

 Chicago Sun-Times, Cubs ship Miguel Montero out of league, country in trade to Blue Jays http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/blue-jays-acquire-miguel-montero-from-the-cubs/

 Daily Herald, Cubs trade Montero to Toronto http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20170703/cubs-trade-montero-to-toronto

 Cubs.com, Sources: Cubs interested in Verlander, Avila http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/240351564/cubs-reportedly-interested-in-justin-verlander/

 Cubs.com, Contreras comfortable with Cubs' catching reins http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/240237624/willson-contreras-talks-being-cubs-/

 Cubs.com, Cubs trade catcher Montero to Blue Jays http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/240224190/cubs-trade-miguel-montero-to-blue-jays/

 CSNChicago.com, More Than Chris Archer, Mike Montgomery Shows Where Cubs Might Go At Trade Deadline http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/more-chris-archer-mike-montgomery-shows-where-cubs-might-go- trade-deadline

 CSNChicago.com, Cubs Ship Disgruntled Catcher Miguel Montero To Toronto http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/cubs-ship-disgruntled-catcher-miguel-montero-toronto

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Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon reminisces on tenure in Tampa ahead of Cubs-Rays series By Mark Gonzales

Cubs manager Joe Maddon was disappointed to learn that many of his former Rays coaches and staffers planned to pass up a dinner invitation to spend Monday's off day with local relatives.

Nevertheless, Maddon will do plenty of reminiscing this week, when the Cubs host Maddon's former team for a two-game series. The Rays will host the Cubs for two games in September.

Maddon reiterated Sunday he had no intention of leaving the Rays until Andrew Friedman, the executive vice president of baseball operations, departed for the Dodgers shortly after the 2014 season. After Maddon and the Rays failed to reach an agreement on an extension, Maddon exercised an opt-out clause that triggered if Friedman departed.

Nevertheless, Maddon's roots with the Rays, whom he managed for nine years, remain deep.

"I was Evan Longoria's first manager," Maddon said of the Rays' star third baseman who was the American League Rookie of the Year in 2008 — when the Rays reached the in Maddon's third season. "Among the players that I've managed, he probably had the most significant impact on my career."

Maddon went on to compare Longoria to the Cubs' , who also blossomed as a third baseman after a brief stint in the minors and gave Maddon a lot of flexibility.

Maddon's thread to the Rays runs through coaches Jim Hickey and Tom Foley to pitchers Chris Archer and Brad Boxberger (whose father, Rod, pitched to Maddon with the Boulder Collegians amateur summer team). It also includes manager Kevin Cash, whose Rays have a better record (43-41) than Maddon's Cubs (41-41).

"I'm happy for Cash," Maddon said. "He played for me. And I'm happy for his success."

The hiring of Cash, 39, who spent three seasons as a scout and major-league coach after his playing career ended, was seen a major change in direction for the Rays. Maddon had worked 14 seasons in the minors and 12 more on the Angels' staff before the Rays hired him.

But bench coach , who accompanied Maddon to the Cubs, said the analytical and cultural changes implemented by Friedman and Maddon remain strong with the Rays.

"I look back and even where they're at today, it's still a good organization," said Martinez, who, like Maddon, still resides in the Tampa area in the offseason.

"They still got Hickey and Foley. They know what we did to be successful, and I still see glimpses when I watch TV. I keep in touch with the coaches, but my heart is here."

Jumping from the small-market Rays to the Cubs created greater expectations for Maddon, but his style hasn't changed, according to Cubs left-hander Mike Montgomery, who spent time with Maddon in spring training with the Rays in 2014.

"I was only in big-league camp, but his presence made everything seem lighthearted in a lot of ways but make people work hard," Montgomery said. "It was a loose environment from where I came from in Kansas City.

"It was good for me; I thrived more in that environment."

Maddon's parting was abrupt but timely, considering he directed the Cubs to the championship while the Rays have survived without stars players such as David Price, , James Shields and Matt Moore.

"I know Joe, and we both have heartfelt feelings for being there so long and doing the things we did," Martinez said. "But this is our home, and we don't look back. We look forward."

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Chicago Tribune Chicago baseball gets what it deserves for All-Star Game By David Haugh

Leave it to the All-Star Game, a popularity contest usually worth a snicker every summer, to reinforce an everyday principle every Chicago sports fan can accept.

Sometimes people truly get what they deserve.

And so it is that White Sox outfielder Avi Garcia and Cubs closer Wade Davis were the only two local players selected Sunday for the Midsummer Classic on July 11 in Miami and nobody in town dared to complain — especially on the North Side.

Garcia, hitting .318 with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs, belongs in any showcase of baseball's best players in the first half of the 2017 season. Cubs position players do not. It seems as simple as it is extraordinary.

"When I saw the names, I had no arguments," said Joe Maddon, who will manage the NL team.

Any argument would have been as weak as the Cubs' hitting with runners in scoring position. Only Davis earned a nod among Cubs, who traded for the elite reliever in the team's smartest offseason deal by a front office that neglected the rotation and leadoff position.

With a shortage of snubs, just one local debate remains in a fun week of baseball conjecture: Which was more stunning, the inclusion of Garcia, a career underachiever until now, or the omission of any of the highly marketable members of the defending World Series champion?

Garcia entered the season clinging to hope after a disappointing career found him batting seventh in the Venezuelan Winter League, while the Cubs, who had seven All-Stars a year ago, arrived at spring training considered the class of the .

So as unexpected as Garcia's rise is after years of inconsistency, the Cubs' fall into the mosh pit of mediocrity qualifies as a bigger surprise.

At least when the Sox traded for Garcia in 2013, expectations included All-Star Game appearances, and comparisons likened him to Tigers star , who incidentally wasn't picked for the first time since 2009. At some point in Garcia's development, a scout or executive or manager projected this.

Meanwhile, nobody predicted the Cubs entering their final homestand before the All-Star break with a .500 record and no position players deemed good enough to represent the National League. Nobody thought the Cubs would rely on Ian Happ more by the Fourth of July than .

The emergence of Happ for the Cubs — and Garcia for the Sox, for that matter — offers the latest reminder to maintain an open mind when labeling prospects. Happ progressed sooner than expected, as opposed to later for Garcia, but both have changed the ways they were viewed at the beginning of this season.

Happ, starting at four different positions, impressed Maddon with his defense and delivered enough pop offensively — 12 home runs and 27 RBIs in 45 games — to make him difficult to part with in any trade if the Cubs are serious about repeating. Garcia, signed in January to a prove-it, one-year, $3 million contract, reduced his weight by changing his diet and responded to the challenge well enough for the Sox to make the 26-year-old part of their rebuilding effort.

General manager Rick Hahn might be tempted to trade Garcia before the July 31 deadline, but he has made a strong case to stay on the South Side for what comes next. But, for now, Garcia will focus on getting healthy and going to Miami next week as the Sox's sole representative. Try telling Garcia that, this year, the All-Star Game no longer matters.

"I feel really, really proud," Garcia said. "All (my) hard work is coming together."

The Cubs dutifully began an online campaign to vote in Kris Bryant among five candidates as the 34th member of the NL team. Gracious as ever, Bryant welcomed the support as much as he would the opportunity to participate in his third straight All-Star Game.

"It would be nice to go as many times as you have a chance to go," Bryant told reporters. "It's tough to do."

If Cubs fans really want to help, they will cast as many ballots as their computer allows for Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon so Bryant can relax at home for a few days. Let Rendon go and maybe he will wear himself out for Cubs pitchers by their likely National League Division Series matchup in October.

As for Bryant, a guy who has won league MVP honors and the rookie of the year award in back-to-back seasons hardly would miss making the All-Star Game. Remember, Bryant complained about feeling run down even before he sprained his ankle stepping on third base in a scary scene in Washington. Nobody on the Cubs looks like he would benefit from some down time more than Bryant.

He and his Cubs teammates need the rest getting passed over will allow.

Garcia needs the exposure an All-Star berth affords him.

Everybody got what they deserved.

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Chicago Tribune How ex-Cubs prospects are faring elsewhere: Jeferson Mejia, Dan Vogelbach, more By Mark Gonzales

Facing Scott Feldman and Chris Archer during a four-game span resurrects memories for the Cubs, who likely will need to trade upper-echelon prospects for pitching help to bolster their playoff chances.

That became a somewhat painful but necessary policy last July, when infielder Gleyber Torres became the centerpiece of a five-player trade that landed closer from the Yankees.

Here's a look at how some former Cubs prospects have fared since being dealt:

Zack Godley, RHP, Diamondbacks

Acquired as part of the Miguel Montero deal in December 2014, Godley is 3-2 with a 2.67 ERA in 10 starts after a brief stint at Triple-A Reno. Godley, 27, was a 10th-round pick in 2013.

Jeferson Mejia, RHP, Class-A Kane County

Also part of the deal that brought Montero to Chicago, the 6-foot-7 Mejia, 22, has struck out 20 but walked 17 in 20 innings. Mejia signed an $850,000 bonus out of the Dominican Republic in 2013.

Billy McKinney, OF, Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre

A part of the Chapman trade, McKinney recently was promoted from Double-A Trenton, where he batted .250 in 69 games. McKinney joined the Cubs in the Jeff Samardzija trade with the A's in 2014.

Rashad Crawford, OF, Double-A Trenton

Playing above Class-A for the first time in six seasons, Crawford, 23, is batting .232 with 25 RBIs and eight steals in 59 games. Crawford, 23, was an 11th-round pick in 2012 and sent to the Yankees in the Chapman trade.

Dan Vogelbach, 1B, Triple-A Tacoma

Vogelbach is 1 for his last 12 but is batting .285 with nine homers and 44 RBIs with a .385 on-base percentage in 68 games with Tacoma after a 3-for-17 stint with the Mariners. Vogelbach, a second-round pick in 2011, was dealt to the Mariners in last July's trade for Mike Montgomery.

Paul Blackburn, RHP, A's

Also part of the Montgomery deal, Blackburn, 23, pitched six innings of three-hit ball Saturday against the Braves in his major-league debut. Blackburn, a compensation pick after the first round of the 2012 draft, was dealt by the Mariners to the A's last November.

Donnie Dewees, OF, Double-A Northwest Arkansas

Dewees, 23, has driven in 38 runs and stolen 14 bases in 75 games after being dealt to the Royals organization for pitcher Alec Mills, who has been limited to three starts at Triple-A Iowa due to injuries. Dewees was a second- round pick in 2015.

James Farris, RHP, Triple-A Albuquerque

Farris, 25, a ninth-round pick in 2014, has a 5.27 ERA in 11 appearances after starting the season at Double-A Hartford. Farris was dealt to the Rockies for pitcher Eddie Butler in February.

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Chicago Tribune Cubs trade Miguel Montero to Blue Jays By Mark Gonzales

The Cubs officially cut ties with catcher Miguel Montero on Monday by trading him to the Blue Jays.

The Cubs will receive either a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Montero, 33, was designated for assignment Wednesday after making critical comments about teammate after the Nationals stole seven bases against the Cubs in a game last week.

"(There are) too many young guys in (the clubhouse) who are impressionable," manager Joe Maddon said last week. "It's not like a group of veterans who can separate and dissect it properly (so) they can walk with what's necessary and drop off what's not.

"With this young impressionable group, to me, and a really good group that's going to be together for a long time, you don't want to foster, nurture, condone (Montero's) kind of message."

Montero was batting .286 with four home runs and eight RBIs but had seen his playing time diminish gradually over the last 21/2 seasons.

Via Twitter, Montero said he was "Super proud about being a new member of the " and thanked the Blue Jays for "this huge opportunity."

The Cubs will pay the Blue Jays all but $515,039 of the $6.96 million Montero is owed on his $14 million salary. He is eligible for free agency after the season.

Montero is scheduled to make his return to Wrigley Field on Aug. 18-20.

Big things ahead? Rays star pitcher Chris Archer, 28, a former Cubs minor-leaguer, is perceived as an ideal trade target for the Cubs because of his age, talent and the fact he's under contract control through at least 2019.

Maddon, who managed Archer from 2012-14 in Tampa Bay, marveled over his former pitcher's passion for baseball and the community and believes he might have a future in another area.

"I honestly believe when his playing days are over, you're going to see him make significant social contributions," Maddon said. "I think he'll become a politician or something along those lines, not for his own gratification. He's involved mentally in that process."

Archer will face the Cubs on Tuesday in the first of a two-game series.

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Chicago Tribune Rest serves as consolation prize for snubbed All-Star hopefuls By Mark Gonzales

There’s a four-letter word that manager Joe Maddon doesn’t mind hearing in response to those upset that only one player — closer Wade Davis — is assured of going to the All-Star Game July 11 at Miami.

Rest.

After completing a 20-game jaunt that saw the Cubs all but three games away from Wrigley and only one day off, the players could spend as many as 11 nights at home before their next trip.

"As a player, you want to go (to the All-Star Game),” Maddon said Sunday after the Cubs completed their odyssey with a 6-2 win at Cincinnati. “That part, I respect 1,000 percent. However, our guys can use a couple days off to get off their feet.

“Maybe this year is actually a good thing, and we can go next year. Right now, rest is not a bad word.”

It also would be a good time for players such as shortstop to maintain the strength in his right throwing shoulder. After missing three consecutive games because of discomfort, Russell has played the last four games without any signs of fatigue.

Russell made a strong throw from deep in the hole to retire Eugenio Suarez to end the seventh inning.

“The arm feels good,” Russell said. “We’ve been doing maintenance work. Staying on the field is the key, and we’re on our way to staying on the field every day.”

The long, accurate throw reinforced the benefits of maintenance work.

“Whenever you have confidence like that, in the back of your mind, it makes the game go a lot smoother," Russell said.

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Chicago Sun-Times Cubs ship Miguel Montero out of league, country in trade to Blue Jays By Gordon Wittenmyer

Catcher Miguel Montero went from the first Cubs championship in 108 years to last place in the American League East when he was traded Monday to the Toronto Blue Jays with cash for a player to be named or cash considerations.

The Cubs designated Montero for assignment Wednesday after he made comments to the media critical of teammate Jake Arrieta. The trade assured he wouldn’t land with a rival and saved the Cubs a small fraction of the $7 million left on his contract. Had the Cubs allowed him to clear waivers, he would have been free to sign with any team.

The Blue Jays are picking up just ‘‘a bit more’’ than the required prorated major-league minimum salary, major- league sources said.

Montero, whose contract runs through this season, blamed Arrieta’s slow delivery to the plate last Tuesday for the seven bases the stole in the first four innings of the Cubs’ 6-1 loss.

‘‘It really sucked because the stolen bases go to me, and when you really look at it, the pitcher doesn’t give me any time,’’ Montero said after the game. ‘‘Simple as that.’’

It was the second time in less than eight months that team officials were chapped at public comments made by Montero. On the day of the Cubs’ parade to celebrate their historic World Series championship, Montero criticized manager Joe Maddon for lack of communication and playing time during a radio interview.

Montero’s timing in the latest case might have been just as poor. Even after Montero apologized to Arrieta and Arrieta said Montero’s comments weren’t wrong — ‘‘I didn’t do him any favors,’’ he said — Cubs president Theo Epstein quickly decided to cut ties with Montero.

Epstein, who called it ‘‘an example of somebody being a bad teammate publicly,’’ acknowledged he might not have taken such swift, severe action if the Cubs were not underachieving this season or if Montero wasn’t a backup.

Montero was a mentor to several young players and wasn’t afraid to say something if he sensed bad habits or the wrong tone being set in the clubhouse. As much as anything, he has tended to be candid, if not blunt, when asked his opinion.

‘‘Miggy wears his heart on his sleeve, and that’s one of the main reasons we all liked him,’’ Arrieta said.

Case in point: Montero didn’t hide from his comments, even after being designated for assignment.

‘‘Sometimes people can’t handle the truth,’’ he told the Sun-Times, taking responsibility for what he said. ‘‘I was being honest, and they know I’m right. I didn’t mean to throw anybody under the bus, which I wasn’t doing. I didn’t want it to be seen that way. It’s just that it was frustrating for me, too.’’

After the trade Montero sent out a series of three tweets, in which he said he’s ‘‘super proud’’ to be a part of the Blue Jays’ organization.

Montero and the Jays visit Wrigley Field on Aug. 18-20.

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Daily Herald Cubs trade Montero to Toronto By Bruce Miles

The Chicago Cubs were able to move disgruntled catcher Miguel Montero.

After designating Montero for assignment last week after he made critical comments about Cubs pitchers, the team on Monday traded him and cash considerations to the Toronto Blue Jays for a player to be named later or cash considerations. It's believed the Cubs are picking up the bulk of what's left on Montero's contract, which runs through the end of this season.

The Cubs cut ties with Montero last Wednesday, following the previous night's game, in which the Washington Nationals went 7-for-7 in stolen-base attempts during a 6-1 victory over the Cubs.

After the game, Montero was critical of starting pitcher Jake Arrieta.

"It really (stinks) because the stolen bases go with me," he said. "When you really look at it, the pitcher doesn't give me any time. So it's like, 'Yeah, Miggy can't throw nobody out, but my pitchers don't hold anybody on … If I don't get a chance to throw, that's the reason they were running left and right today because they know he (Arrieta) was slow to the plate. Simple as that.

"It's a shame that it's my fault because I didn't throw anybody out."

When asked whether he had talked to Arrieta about the problem, Montero said: "We talk every year in spring training, but it's frustrating because it seems like nobody really cares about it, like, 'OK, I got to pitch, and if they run, they run. I don't care.'"

The Cubs cited team chemistry issues and the possible bad influence on younger players Montero's comments might have in deciding to cut him. Montero was 0-for-31 in throwing out baserunners for the Cubs this season. At the plate, he had a line of .286/.366/.439 with 4 homers and 8 RBI.

Last year, he hit .216 with 8 homers and 33 RBI. He had an RBI single in the 10th inning to drive in an insurance run in Game 7 of the World Series at Cleveland. He also hit a two-out, pinch-hit in the eighth inning of Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers, helping the Cubs to an 8-4 victory.

Montero last fall was critical of manager Joe Maddon's usage of him in the postseason. The two men ironed out their differences over dinner in Arizona in the early days of spring training.

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Cubs.com Sources: Cubs interested in Verlander, Avila By Jon Paul Morosi

The Cubs have inquired to the Tigers about the availability of Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander and catcher Alex Avila, sources told MLB.com Monday.

The Tigers are willing to engage in trade discussions involving Verlander and Avila, according to sources with knowledge of the team's thinking, but the Tigers and Cubs have yet to begin formal negotiations.

The Cubs had a scout in attendance Sunday at Comerica Park, when Verlander started for Detroit with Avila behind the plate. Verlander struggled, allowing seven earned runs over 3 1/3 innings, his second-shortest outing of the season. It also was his first start without a strikeout in more than 10 years.

Still, it's easy to see why Verlander holds appeal for the Cubs: He finished second in last year's American League Cy Young Award balloting, and he has a strong postseason track record: 7-5 with a 3.39 ERA in 16 starts. The Cubs are seeking greater reliability in their rotation, with and Brett Anderson on the disabled list and veteran struggling lately.

Lackey and Jake Arrieta have contracts that expire after this season, amplifying the Cubs' need to trade for starters who will be with the club beyond 2017. Verlander is under contract for 2018 and 2019, on a $28 million base salary each year.

With Verlander's ERA at 4.96, the Tigers likely would need to include cash in order to facilitate a trade with the Cubs.

Avila has been described by Tigers manager Brad Ausmus as the team's most consistent hitter in 2017, after signing a one-year, $2 million contract last winter. He has flourished in a platoon role, posting a 1.003 OPS while making 35 starts behind the plate and nine more at first base.

The Cubs have been pleased with as their No. 1 catcher, but Avila is a respected handler of pitchers who could fill the backup role vacated by Miguel Montero when the team designated his contract for assignment.

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Cubs.com Contreras comfortable with Cubs' catching reins By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- Willson Contreras went from the Cubs' student catcher last June to becoming the full-time starter and man behind the plate for the World Series. With the recent departure of Miguel Montero and the addition of rookie Victor Caratini, Contreras also is a mentor and doing what he can to help others.

"I feel comfortable in my position, and now that I'm going to be the starting catcher, it feels great," Contreras said. "I have no pressure, nothing to complain about. I have to keep doing what I've been doing since last year, keep learning my pitchers, make them comfortable with me, and keep battling this season."

How far has Contreras come? On Sunday, he posted a congratulatory tweet to teammate Wade Davis for making the All-Star Game.

Said Contreras on Twitter: "I want to congrats my brotha Wade Davis on making the ALL STAR GAME. Well deserved. Really happy for this guy"

He's also helping Special Olympics Illinois with the Windy City Rubber Ducky Derby, in which spectators watch more than 50,000 yellow rubber ducks splash in the Chicago River. The event on Aug. 3 will benefit more than 22,000 Special Olympic athletes and more than 20,000 Young Athletes across Illinois.

The effort is personal for Contreras, who has a 9-year-old cousin, Frandayan, who has Down syndrome.

"They appreciate life, they don't complain, and sometimes people who have normal lives complain too much about everything," Contreras said. "That's one thing I think about, and I have no doubt to support them and I'll be there for them."

Right now, he's thinking about his added responsibilities. Montero was designated for assignment last week and traded Monday to the Blue Jays, and the Cubs are relying on Contreras, 25, and Caratini, 23.

"Since Spring Training, he's been helping me a lot," Caratini said of Contreras. "I'm going to keep listening and learning."

"He's going to be good," Montero said of Caratini, with whom he worked in Spring Training. "He's a good addition for the team. He's a good player, good kid. I'm happy for him to get the shot, the opportunity."

Cubs coach helps the with the scouting reports. He's got two very eager students.

"I will take care of Victor," Contreras said. "I'm super happy he's here, because he deserves it. We're going to do well. We have a lot to learn together and we're going to share ideas. He's a good guy, he likes to listen."

The biggest assignment for Contreras this year has been replacing veteran as 's personal catcher. Lester has repeatedly said he has no problems with the young catcher.

"If he says that, that makes me feel proud of myself," Contreras said when told Lester is comfortable with him. "That was something that was in my mind with Lester, and every pitcher, and that is to make them comfortable and make them be the best and make the team be the best. I'm going to play with all my energy, and I just want them to get comfortable with my energy."

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Cubs.com Cubs trade catcher Montero to Blue Jays By Carrie Muskat

CHICAGO -- The Cubs dealt veteran catcher Miguel Montero to the Blue Jays on Monday in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Montero, who was designated for assignment after making critical comments toward pitcher Jake Arrieta, batted .286 in 44 games with the Cubs in his role as backup catcher.

According to reports, the Cubs will pick up the majority of Montero's $7 million remaining salary.

Montero expressed his gratitude to the Blue Jays in a tweet, writing, "I want to thank the Blue Jays organization and Ross Atkins the General Manager for this huge opportunity."

Last Tuesday, the Nationals stole seven bases against Arrieta and Montero in a 6-1 win over the Cubs. Montero, 33, was 1-for-32 throwing out basestealers this season.

"It really sucked because the goes on me," Montero said after the game. "When you really look at it, the pitcher doesn't give me any time. It's like, 'Oh, yeah, Miggy can't throw anybody out.' Yeah, but my pitchers don't hold anybody on."

Montero and Arrieta did talk later, and the pitcher said he understood.

"I love Miggy," Arrieta said. "As you guys know, he'll say some things from the heart and he's open and honest. That's the way Miggy is. I think he regretted what he said, he felt bad about it. I told him I'm not upset or mad at him."

The Cubs promoted catcher Willson Contreras last June from Triple-A Iowa and Montero became the backup. This season, Contreras, 25, is batting .254 with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs. He's thrown out 18 of 53 basestealers (34 percent).

In 2 1/2 seasons with the Cubs, Montero batted .242, and even pitched in a game in 2016 and this year.

"I've heard some good things about him," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "He can swing the bat. We'll see. He's a good veteran. Left-handed bat ... Maybe he'll generate some offense, we're hoping."

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CSNChicago.com More Than Chris Archer, Mike Montgomery Shows Where Cubs Might Go At Trade Deadline By Patrick Mooney

Trading for Chris Archer sounds like a great idea in theory. It will be an obvious storyline when the ex-Cubs prospect matches up against Jon Lester on the Fourth of July at Wrigley Field.

Except the Tampa Bay Rays (43-41) have a slightly better record than the Cubs (41-41). There was enough bad blood after manager Joe Maddon used the escape clause in his contract that it complicated any hopes of the Cubs acquiring Ben Zobrist before the 2015 season. Tampa Bay’s asking price last summer for Matt Moore – a less- accomplished pitcher under club control through 2019 instead of 2021 – started at Kyle Schwarber plus.

The Cubs aren’t planning to promote Schwarber to face Archer on Tuesday, allowing him to continue working on his swing and his confidence at Triple-A Iowa. The Cubs have to factor in their inconsistent play and a somewhat dulled sense of urgency after winning the franchise’s first World Series title in 108 years. Paying top dollar – and beating a team like the Houston Astros or in the bidding war for a frontline starter – doesn’t seem realistic.

The Cubs aren’t performing at a level where team president Theo Epstein can ask the same Aroldis Chapman question: “If not now, when?” Instead of buying the brand name, the template for fixing the rotation might be the other lefty the Cubs acquired last July – Mike Montgomery – the guy who actually got the last out in the World Series.

“Obviously, I don’t think this is how we planned it,” Montgomery said recently on a Cubs Talk podcast. “But that’s the beauty of baseball. It’s never how it seems. Every season is really different.

“I just think it’s going to make us stronger later in the year. After winning the World Series, people say hangover, but I look at it more (as) we just have to get back to the little things that it takes to win games.

“We got a lot of young talent on this team, so sometimes you’re going to have stretches where you struggle, myself as well. It’s just about: How do you every day continue to find something that is either going to keep you where you need to be or get you back to where you need to be?

“We’ve still got our best baseball to play, that’s for sure.”

That optimal level might not come until 2018 or 2019 or 2020, assuming these young hitters mature and Epstein’s front office identifies and develops a next wave of pitching. Preparing for a future without Jake Arrieta and John Lackey, the Cubs projected Montgomery’s size, first-round pedigree, groundball rate and pitch mix, envisioning a core starter when they made that trade with the Seattle Mariners.

The Cubs saw a swingman the guys who run the day-to-day pitching infrastructure – , Mike Borzello and – could coach up. That’s why the Cubs won’t necessarily be locked into a finished product like Archer at the July 31 deadline.

“Obviously, you got to have the talent to begin with,” Montgomery said. “But I think it’s just a philosophy that pitching’s always going to be first and foremost. The hitting, I think, is a bonus if we can get it. But we don’t feel like we need to rely on it to win, because we know after last year that pitching is what wins you World Series.

“It starts with that. But at this level, it’s the ability to take everybody’s strengths and use them in accordance to whatever game, whatever hitter we’re facing. And (with) guys like Boz and Lester Strode, it’s the ability if you’re off – because you’re not going to be there the whole year – (to) get in there and say one thing to you that you didn’t even really see. Those kind of things add up.”

After being such a valuable part of the bullpen at the beginning of the season (2.21 ERA in 36-plus innings), Montgomery now has a 3.58 ERA through five starts. Montgomery is beginning to show what the hoped for when they drafted him 36th overall in 2008, realizing the potential the Rays once acquired in the Wil Myers/Jake Odorizzi/Wade Davis/James Shields blockbuster deal.

After finalizing the buy-low trade with Seattle, Epstein thought Montgomery could be “the next Andrew Miller.” Maddon has talked up Montgomery as someone who could consistently win between 10 and 15 games a year.

“I just want to help the team win,” Montgomery said. “I like starting. I like that responsibility: Hey, today’s your day and you can pretty much win or lose a game for the team.

“That’s what I want, because I’m confident in what I can do. I don’t know what that’s going to mean, but I think that’s one of the things I’ve learned from these guys here more than anywhere I’ve been: (You can have) almost 200 wins, 2,000-plus strikeouts. You get to the point where it’s like all the accolades don’t really matter.

“The reason they got those is because no matter what they were doing, they were consistent in getting ready to go out for the next start. And that’s what I’ve taken the most out of here. If you have a good game, a bad game, it’s just such a small blip on the radar for them.

“One game, it doesn’t really matter. I got to keep that up for a long period of time, an entire season, for multiple seasons, so that’s kind of the focus. It’s just a mindset change.”

The bigger-is-better mindset may never change in a trade-deadline environment that gets broken down into buyers vs. sellers and winners and losers. But the defending champs don’t have to go after a big fish like Archer.

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CSNChicago.com Cubs Ship Disgruntled Catcher Miguel Montero To Toronto By Patrick Mooney

Less than a week after his instant-classic rant, the Cubs shipped disgruntled catcher Miguel Montero to the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Cubs finalized the trade on Monday, including cash to offset the roughly $7 million remaining on the last year of Montero's contract. The Cubs will get a player to be named later or a cash consideration, hoping this is an addition-by-subtraction deal that shakes up a .500 clubhouse and not an overreaction that leaves them short- handed and inexperienced behind the plate.

Montero's issues with controlling the running game go beyond his heat-of-the-moment criticisms of Jake Arrieta, but he can be a useful American League player (and an entertaining presence for the Toronto media).

A two-time All-Star with a left-handed swing and more than 8,600 innings of experience behind the plate, Montero was hitting .286 with an .805 OPS in 44 games with the Cubs this year.

In what should be a must-listen media session and crowd reaction to a key contributor to the 2016 World Series team, the Blue Jays will make a rare visit to Wrigley Field next month.

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