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Cubs Daily Clips

Cubs Daily Clips

January 16, 2019

• Chicago Tribune, says Bryce Harper 'not happening' and that Cubs' improvements likely will come from within https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-joe-maddon-kyle-schwarber- ian-happ-20190115-story.html

• Chicago Tribune, Column: Cubs Convention panels we'd like to see: Where's Bryce? Why’d ya do that, Joe? Should Ronnie Woo retire? https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-convention-bryce-harper- panels-20190116-story.html

• Chicago Sun-Times, Bryce Harper in Cubs’ future? Joe Maddon says it’s ‘not going to happen’ https://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/manager-joe-maddon-doesnt-mind-the-quietness-of-cubs- offseason/

• Daily Herald, Bryce Harper joining Cubs 'not going to happen,' Maddon says https://www.dailyherald.com/sports/20190115/bryce-harper-joining-cubs-not-going-to-happen- maddon-says

• The Athletic, If Bryce Harper is ‘not gonna happen,’ are the Cubs doing enough to keep up in the NL Central? https://theathletic.com/769614/2019/01/16/bryce-harper-cubs-nl-central-maddon/

• NBC Sports Chicago, Joe Maddon states that Bryce Harper on Cubs "not going to happen" https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/joe-maddon-states-bryce-harper-cubs-not-going-happen

• NBC Sports Chicago, State of the Cubs: Shortstop https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/cubs/state-cubs-shortstop-javy-baez-addison-russell-bote- descalso

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Chicago Tribune Joe Maddon says Bryce Harper 'not happening' and that Cubs' improvements likely will come from within By Mark Gonzales

Cubs manager Joe Maddon reinforced his belief that team President and general manager will address a need if they sense one with the same urgency that landed the likes of , Cole Hamels and Jesse Chavez in past deadline deals.

But Maddon echoed his bosses’ offseason line that the majority of the Cubs’ upgrades for 2019 probably will come from the current roster and not from a free-agent splash such as Bryce Harper.

In fact, when asked about Harper during an appearance for the Union League Boys & Girls Club on Tuesday night, Maddon said: “Not happening.”

“We feel as though all the ingredients are in the bowl already,” Maddon said before conducting a fireside chat for the club. “It’s already there. To just go out and purchase guys because some kids had a tough year is probably not good form.

“I’m all about development, as we’ve talked about. I’m with the guys, Theo and Jed, regarding trying to extrapolate more with the group we already have because there’s a lot more left. We’ve seen it. We’ve got to get it more out there consistently.

“I know that’s where the guys are coming from in the office. And just to go out and purchase players to purchase players, you might not be getting better than you already have.”

Maddon has kept a watch on Ian Happ and , two young Cubs who have experienced their share of struggles after impressive rookie seasons.

Maddon cited “specific items” to Happ and Schwarber — both former first-round draft picks — at the end of last year.

The lines of communication have extended to shortstop , who is undergoing a rehab program as part of serving his 40-game suspension for violating ’s domestic abuse policy.

The Cubs agreed to terms Friday on a one-year, $3.4 million contract with Russell, who won’t be eligible to return until May 3 if he remains on the roster.

“He seems to be in a good place,” Maddon said. “He’s really working to get things behind him and make sure he does and says the right things moving forward. It’s a maturation process on his part. He just has to know we support him, and we do.”

Maddon said he exchanged text messages recently with Russell and spoke with him during the holidays.

“He’s very excited about the progress he’s making,” Maddon said.

Maddon acknowledged that Russell, who hasn’t spoken publicly since late September, still faces “a lot of obstacles and tough questions.”

“But it’s just a matter of being honest and transparent about it,” Maddon said. “We understand what happened. Moving it forward, he understands and he’s taking culpability, responsibility for it. So now it’s about ... having this young man realize the fullness of his potential as a human being first. And then as a shortstop second. And that’s where we’re at. He’s got my support doing that.”

Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation will conduct its annual “Thanksmas” event Thursday in Chicago. He said his foundation won’t be affected by him entering the final year of a five-year contract with the Cubs with a revamped coaching staff.

“I always felt if you worked well and did your job, all that stuff would take care of itself,” Maddon said. “For me, that hasn’t changed. I still believe in those principles. My relationship cannot be better with the group right here.”

Maddon said the only negative part of his contract status is the perception that a rift has developed between him and the front office.

“There’s never been a disconnect,” Maddon said. “And that’s the only part I’ve not liked.”

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Chicago Tribune Column: Cubs Convention panels we'd like to see: Where's Bryce? Why’d ya do that, Joe? Should Ronnie Woo retire? By Paul Sullivan

Created 33 years ago by former Cubs marketing wizard and current Blackhawks President John McDonough, the annual Cubs Convention returns Friday to the Sheraton Grand Chicago.

A three-day infomercial for a multibillion-dollar business that people pay to attend, the convention model has been replicated by almost every professional sports franchise since, making the selling of a team a year-round event.

“We wanted to market the product 12 months a year,” McDonough explained in an interview at the 1994 convention. “Beforehand, once the season ended, it got dark and you’d get ready for next year. We wanted to perpetuate everything.”

The convention sometimes turned into a celebration of a memorable season but more often provided Cubs fans with an opportunity to vent after a losing one. This year’s edition could be an anomaly — venting after a 95-win season.

Having covered dozens of Cubs Conventions for the Tribune since the second affair in 1987, when the hot topics were the possibilities of signing and adding lights at , I’ve listened to a few hundred hours of panel discussions on everything from the troughs to the farm system.

Some of the panels remain staples. A question-and-answer session with general manager , manager Gene Michael, stadium operations manager Don Grenesko and farm director Gordon Goldsberry highlighted that ’87 convention. These days baseball operations President Theo Epstein, manager Joe Maddon, business operations President Crane Kenney and vice president of scouting and player development Jason McLeod head separate panels.

The highlight Saturday figures to be a panel including owners Tom, Laura and , who could be asked to navigate a landmine-laden field of topics, including Addison Russell’s future, ticket prices, the lack of free-agent spending, the future of the Cubs network and the skinny seats. To their credit, the Ricketts siblings are willing to face the music in public at the convention, unlike former Tribune Co. executives and , the previous two owners.

While we eagerly await answers from owners, management and players at this year’s convention, here are a few panels we’d like to see:

Session: Where’s Bryce?

Panelists: Tom Ricketts, Epstein, Kenney, general manager Jed Hoyer.

Kenney once promised to dump a “wheelbarrow of money” in Epstein’s office to spend on the team. The Cubs ranked third in payroll last year, but free agent Bryce Harper reportedly desired to play with the Cubs and buddy . The only Cubs free-agent signing so far is Daniel Descalso. With added revenues from new premium clubs, how come the wheelbarrow is empty?

Session: Addison Russell — should he stay or should he go?

Panelists: Epstein, Maddon, .

Russell will make $3.4 million in 2019 while sitting out the first month because of a 40-game suspension for alleged domestic abuse. What went into the decision to keep Russell instead of non-tendering him, and do all athletes deserve a second chance?

Session: Statue time

Panelists: Billy Williams, vice president of restoration and expansion Carl Rice, Eddie Vedder.

With additional open space in the plaza called Gallagher Way, the Cubs have room for at least one more statue. But who should get the honor: Fergie Jenkins? Greg Maddux? Maddon? Pat Hughes?

Session: Yum Yum Donuts — a fond remembrance

Panelists: Cubs ushers.

For the price of a muffin at the upscale bakery in the Hotel Zachary, you could get an egg sandwich, doughnut and large coffee at the old greasy spoon located on the west side of the ballpark. You could also get indigestion and spend most of the game in the Wrigley restroom. Discuss.

Session: Aramis Ramirez — Hall of Fame bound?

Panelists: Cubs beat writers.

Only five third basemen had more career RBIs than Ramirez’s 1,417, believe it or not. One of the more underrated hitters of the 2000s, the former Cub will be eligible for the Hall of Fame on the 2021 ballot. While Sammy Sosa languishes on the ballot, Ramirez could be the next Cub headed to Cooperstown.

Session: Why’d ya do that, Joe?

Panelists: Maddon, TV/radio personality David Kaplan.

Why did Maddon remove from Game 7 of the 2016 ? Why did Maddon let closer pinch- against the Nats in September? Why did Maddon … blah, blah, blah?

Session: Should Ronnie Woo retire?

Panelists: Ronnie Wickers, Tom and Todd Ricketts.

Ubiquitous Cubs fan “Ronnie Woo,” also known as “Ronnie Woo-Woo,” has been roaming the ballpark in a Cubs uniform since the late 1960s. He has been the subject of a documentary, had a CD of classic shrieks released in 1998 and has his own “wooing” bobblehead. He once led the seventh-inning stretch

at Wrigley and was unceremoniously booted from a game a couple of years ago. Ronnie Woo’s legacy is secure. Time (woo!) for Woo-Woo (woo!) to hang (woo!) it up (woo!)?

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Chicago Sun-Times Bryce Harper in Cubs’ future? Joe Maddon says it’s ‘not going to happen’ By Madeline Kenney

Kicking off what’s supposed to be a week of feel-good activities for anxious Cubs fans, manager Joe Maddon delivered a downer Tuesday.

During a fireside chat with fans, Maddon had a quick answer for a fan inquiring whether prized free agent Bryce Harper could land with the Cubs.

“Not going to happen,” Maddon said without hesitation.

Broadcaster , who was emcee for the chat, quickly said, “Let’s move on.”

And there you have a snapshot of what has been Maddon’s quietest offseason with the Cubs.

Yes, the Cubs have added infielder Daniel Descalso, rehabbing right-hander Kendall Graveman and left- hander Kyle Ryan along with a few other players who were signed to minor-league deals. Fans have hoped they were secretly in on Harper, which was never a real possibility this winter.

Not that Maddon was complaining.

“When you go through winters like this, it normally means you like the players that you have, and we do,” he said. “So I think more than anything we feel like we have great players in place, we just have to get more out of them. We know that.”

Maddon doesn’t believe there are any big deals lying ahead.

“I’d be surprised if there was,” he said.

Answering questions during a fundraising dinner and silent auction co-hosted by his foundation, Respect 90, and the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs, Maddon reiterated that he wasn’t ashamed with how his team played last season.

“We won 95 games,” he repeatedly said while praising his team’s ability to overcome adversity, especially when key players like right-hander Yu Darvish and third baseman Kris Bryant suffered injuries.

With the slow offseason, Maddon has taken time to enjoy some light reading. He picked up a copy of “Managing Millennials for Dummies” to help him understand the Cubs’ younger players better.

Asked what he learned, Maddon said: “It’s common sense … I need to be in hypersensitive listening mode to make sure I’m not missing anything. The whole thing was to interact well with all ages.

“I don’t want to paint the picture there was tremendous disconnect [between him and the younger players]. There wasn’t … I try to understand everybody I work with and for.”

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Daily Herald Bryce Harper joining Cubs 'not going to happen,' Maddon says By Daily Herald news services

It appears the Cubs pursuit of Bryce Harper is officially dead in the water.

"Not going to happen," manager Joe Maddon said when he was asked if the Cubs would sign Bryce Harper, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

It appears the Cubs pursuit of Bryce Harper is officially dead in the water.

"Not going to happen," manager Joe Maddon said when he was asked if the Cubs would sign Bryce Harper, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.

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The Athletic If Bryce Harper is ‘not gonna happen,’ are the Cubs doing enough to keep up in the NL Central? By Patrick Mooney

“Yeah, it’s not gonna happen,” Joe Maddon said Tuesday night at the Union League Club in downtown Chicago, responding to a fan’s question about the Cubs’ chances of getting Bryce Harper.

“Let’s move along,” said Jim Deshaies, the Cubs broadcaster who emceed the charity event benefitting Maddon’s Respect 90 foundation and the Boys & Girls Clubs.

After all the hype, speculation and dot-connecting, finally, a definitive on-the-record answer about the Cubs and Harper, even captured on video for posterity. Or did Maddon mean he wasn’t going to answer the question?

Either way, the Harper-to-Wrigley idea has looked like a long shot ever since the Cubs needed the Drew Smyly salary-dump trade in early November to pick up Cole Hamels’ $20 million option and stay within the budget given to baseball operations. The Cubs hadn’t really cleared the decks for that kind of pursuit and ownership didn’t seem to have the appetite to guarantee what might become the biggest contract in baseball history. Theo Epstein’s department had committed $215 million to free-agent pitchers last offseason and still needed to acquire Hamels in a midseason trade with the Texas Rangers and then retain the 35-year-old lefty as part of the 2019 rotation. Despite last winter’s spending spree, the Cubs are still actively searching for bullpen help, hoping unsigned players get restless as February approaches.

All along, the Cubs have viewed this as a seven-year arc, minus the seven games Kris Bryant spent with Triple-A Iowa in April 2015, ensuring the game’s No. 1 prospect at the time wouldn’t become a free agent until after the 2021 season. Other players would come and go, other teams in the division would move up and down, but the Cubs expected to be consistently playing October baseball, setting the bar at multiple World Series titles from 2015 through 2021.

An All-Star lineup built around Bryant, and Javier Báez, supported by the kind of scouting and player development machine that Epstein’s group assembled for the . A pitching staff anchored by and Kyle Hendricks, an innovative game-planning system and a robust research and development department. A renovated Wrigley Field, a future TV network and a large-

market payroll that would dwarf the rest of the Central. A stable organizational structure.

That big-picture view hasn’t fundamentally changed, though there will be some awkward moments during this weekend’s Cubs Convention at the Sheraton Grand Chicago, where fans will be able to air their grievances through Q&A sessions with Epstein’s front office, Maddon’s coaching staff, the Ricketts family and president of business operations Crane Kenney.

A shoulder injury limited Bryant to 102 games last season, when the entire offense broke down in the second half, allowing the Milwaukee Brewers to force a Game 163 tiebreaker and win the division. Epstein declined to engage Maddon’s camp in extension talks this winter, turning the star manager into a lame duck in the final season of his five-year contract. Addison Russell, a one-time All-Star shortstop, is serving a 40-game suspension without pay under Major League Baseball’s joint domestic violence policy with the players’ union. Even with a franchise-record payroll that will easily eclipse $200 million, there are lingering questions about how much maneuverability has been factored into that budget for baseball operations.

But none of that changes the internal mandate or the external expectations.

“We’re the ,” Epstein said leading into the tellingly quiet last month. “We’re a big-market team and the days of being defined by losing are over. We went from the sort of assumption that we wouldn’t win to a clear, high expectation of winning and we’d want it no other way. That comes with responsibility and that comes with accountability. I get that. I cherish it, honestly.

“Our players, I think a lot of them got it already. And now the ones who didn’t really understand it – (they do now) based off the way last year went. We went from an expectation of losing to what I think a lot of people sense was an inevitability of winning: ‘Just because we’re the Cubs and we’ve won three years in a row. Of course, we’ll be in the (NLCS) because that’s where we always end up, three years straight.’ And it doesn’t work that way.

“There’s nothing inevitable about winning. There’s nothing promised. Especially in the NL Central, but anywhere in baseball, you have to go out and earn it. And things change if you don’t perform. That’s the nature of it.”

The Brewers (96 wins) and Cubs (95 wins) will each return a nucleus of key players from the teams that led the NL in wins last season. Looking at how the baseball calendar functions now, it’s too early to judge this winter. It took until Jan. 25 last year before Milwaukee finalized the Christian Yelich trade with the Miami Marlins and reached an agreement with Lorenzo Cain on a five-year, $80 million deal.

But in the middle of another glacial offseason, the Brewers have already signed All-Star catcher Yasmani Grandal to a one-year, $18.25 million contract and can hope that Jimmy Nelson – who missed the entire 2018 season while recovering from shoulder surgery – will upgrade their rotation.

After missing the playoffs three years in a row for the first time since Y2K, the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Gold Glove/Silver Slugger first baseman Paul Goldschmidt from the Arizona Diamondbacks and signed high-leverage lefty reliever Andrew Miller to a two-year, $25 million contract.

While it seems like the never fully recovered from losing to at his peak in the 2015 wild-card game, this small-market franchise hasn’t completely bottomed out, either, acquiring Chris Archer from the Tampa Bay Rays at last year’s trade deadline and pairing him with Jameson Taillon.

The might be assembling a functional pitching staff – trading for Tanner Roark and Alex Wood and reportedly exploring a three-way deal for Corey Kluber – to go with an everyday lineup that now includes Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp plus Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett and Eugenio Suárez. There will be some long nights at Great American Ball Park.

“It’s going to be a great division,” Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said. “The Cardinals obviously made a big move already with getting Goldschmidt. The Pirates made some big moves last year at the deadline and they’re not a lot of fun to (face) with their pitching staff down the stretch. The Reds are going to be aggressive, there’s no question. They’ve been building and accumulating talent for a number of years now and I think they feel like it’s sort of ‘go time.’”

In the same way that Yelich blossomed into the NL MVP and led Milwaukee’s surge into Game 7 of the NLCS, Goldschmidt could be a transformative presence for the Cardinals. He has shown up in the NL MVP voting in five of the last six seasons, making six All-Star teams and winning three Gold Gloves. During that time, Goldschmidt averaged 30 homers and 100 RBIs per season. He has a 1.011 OPS in 22 career games at Wrigley Field and a 1.170 OPS in 43 career games against the Cubs.

“I have a total appreciation for this guy’s game,” Maddon said. “(Marcell) Ozuna is another guy. (Matt) Carpenter had a great year last year. (Harrison) Bader is ascending right now also. They’re very offensive. And they’ve got young pitching now. They’ve gotten really good. (And) when (Goldschmidt) sashays into the clubhouse and everybody sees him walking in there, they all become better. That definitely makes them much more difficult to beat next year.”

No, the Cubs aren’t going to overreact to Milwaukee’s rise or make a move in response to the Cardinals or do something just to placate the Cubs Convention crowd. But all of this highlights why the Cubs are trying to create a sense of urgency for a second-place team regrouping after a one-and-done playoff appearance.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are coming off back-to-back World Series appearances for the first time since Tommy Lasorda’s first two full seasons as a big-league manager (1977 and 1978). Harper’s decision may ultimately swing the NL East, but already the , Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and are setting their sights on winning a division title this year. Outside of the Marlins, there may not be another NL team still in the flat-out tanking stage.

The Cubs experienced firsthand last year what a difference one game can make. Nothing should be taken for granted in 2019.

“I think we have the best division in baseball,” Maddon said. “Team for team, I think we’re the best because of the ascension of these other groups. Playing the Cardinals is no fun again. And the Pirates continue to get better – they made some really good deals. Milwaukee showed their mettle last year. Cincinnati – we’ve had decent success against them – (but) they’ve had a lot of good players come through the door. Our division is going to be very difficult this year … and it’s not going away.”

Meaning the obvious follow-up question will become: Are the Cubs doing enough this winter to keep up?

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NBC Sports Chicago Joe Maddon states that Bryce Harper on Cubs "not going to happen"

By Michael Walton

Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, after being asked if the Cubs would sign mega-free agent Bryce Harper, Cubs skipper Joe Maddon replied “Not going to happen”.

This retort from Maddon falls in line with the stance that ownership has reportedly taken in the Harper sweepstakes.

The Cubs could no doubt use some help to boost their up-and-down offense but it looks like it won’t come in the form of Harper. As of now, the Phillies still sit as the front-runners for the mega-free agent after reports of a 5-hour meeting between the two side arose.

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NBC Sports Chicago State of the Cubs: Shortstop By Tony Andracki

As the Cubs maneuver through a pivotal offseason, we will break down the current state of the team by sectioning it off into position groups. Here is the seventh installment on the shortstops.

This "State of the Cubs" series could be rebranded as a "How often will Javy Baez play this position" series? That was the case for the last two installments (second base, third base), but the question is even more pertinent for the most important infield position.

The first month, at least, is guaranteed: Baez will be the Cubs' shortstop every single day if he's healthy enough to play (rhyme not intended, but a welcome addition). But what will happen if Addison Russell is still on the roster when he's eligible to return from suspension on May 1?

That's the main question that will have to be answered over the next few months...

Depth chart 1. Javy Baez 2. Addison Russell* 3. David Bote 4. Daniel Descalso 5. Phillip Evans 6. Ryan Court

Filling in for Russell over the last two years, Baez has made 119 starts at shortstop and will be "The Guy" at the position for at least April. If Russell ever makes it back to the active roster, will he automatically regain the starting shortstop role and push Baez to a valuable infield utility role?

Apart from any off-field issues that will obviously dictate Russell's future, his on-field performance has not been up to standards recently. His power took a major dip in 2018 (due at least in part to a hand injury he battled all season) but his typically Gold Glove-caliber defense also took a step back, as he made a career high 17 errors while also managing a shoulder injury.

The simple fact is Russell has not been healthy enough or productive enough at the plate over the last two seasons to warrant everyday at-bats at shortstop when the Cubs have another very good option on the roster in Baez.

Some fans may not want to see Russell back in a Cubs uniform, but all signs point to that being the case on May 1. Still, it would be hard to see Joe Maddon penciling him into the starting lineup every day. Russell will be rusty after a long layoff and he'll also have to prove the team is better with him as the starter and Baez moving elsewhere. Based off what we've seen since Russell's stellar performance in the World Series, the Cubs are better off with him starting against left-handed pitchers and coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter/defensive replacement late in games.

As for Opening Day (and possibly beyond), however, there are a bunch of question marks beyond Baez on the shortstop depth chart.

Bote has shown a terrific glove in a small sample size in the big leagues, but has only played 10 innings at shortstop in his big-league career. Descalso has played all over the field throughout his career, but he did not appear at shortstop in 2018, saw just 2 innings there in 2017 and turned 32 in October.

Evans and Court are minor-league signings that represent depth around the infield. Court — an Illinois native — played 114 games for Triple-A Iowa in 2018, including 59 at shortstop.

Ben Zobrist has played there in the past, but he'll be 38 in May and has logged only 13 innings at short in a Cubs uniform.

What's next? Nothing big, but that same two-word phrase could be utilized as an answer to this question at any Cubs position the way this winter has gone.

Given Baez's hard-nosed style of play, he's more susceptible to injury (even if it's only minor aches and pains that keep him out of the lineup for just a day or two). The Cubs will want plenty of reliable shortstop depth behind him either for the first month or longer if we've already seen Russell's last game in a Cubs uniform.

For a team with championship aspirations, it'd be difficult to staff the most crucial infield position with a bunch of question marks if Baez were to miss any serious time.

Unless the Cubs acquire some more infield depth that could represent a reliable option at shortstop, all signs point to an in-house expectation that Russell will be in the mix from May 1 on. It'd be hard to see the team getting rid of Russell and then giving Baez a day off in the middle of a heated division race in September and instead inserting Bote, Descalso, Evans or Court in at shortstop.

The bottom line Even if Russell comes back into the shortstop mix, expect Baez to lead the team in starts and innings played at the position in 2019 and possibly beyond. At the moment, Baez is clearly the Cubs shortstop of the present and future.

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