Mr. Sosa goes to Washington?
December 12, 2004
BY MIKE KILEY Staff Reporter
ANAHEIM, Calif. --There is no city that believes in clout more than Washington. So it should come as no surprise that the soon-to-be Washington Nationals have told the Cubs they are interested in pursuing a trade for slugger Sammy Sosa.
Nationals general manager Jim Bowden would like to make an instant splash after the Montreal Expos move to the nation's capital. What better attraction than bringing Sosa to the same town as President Bush, who likes to joke that his biggest mistake as the owner of the Texas Rangers was trading a young, unproven Sosa to the White Sox in 1989.
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry has had what he described as "two to three clubs'' approach him during the winter meetings to express an interest in acquiring Sosa. One of those teams is the Kansas City Royals. The biggest attraction for Sosa with the Royals would be former Cubs hitting coach Jeff Pentland, who has the same job in Kansas City. Sosa became a megastar under Pentland's tutelage, smacking 66 home runs in 1998 and 63 in 1999.
But it seems a no-brainer that Sosa would prefer the glamor of Washington, where the movers and shakers would welcome a talent and celebrity of his magnitude and help to establish the Nationals as a club to watch.
Sosa was an occasional visitor to Washington during former President Bill Clinton's administration. After he and former St. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire electrified the nation with their home-run exploits in 1998, Clinton invited Sosa to his State of the Union address. Sosa personally was recognized by the president in the hallowed halls of government, a heady experience for a boy raised in poverty in the Dominican Republic.
The applause was deafening then, and Sosa could be expected to get a lot more of that with his long-ball ability. With 574 major-league homers, Sosa also will garner a lot of attention as he nears 600. This is the kind of publicity that would suit a club trying to lay down roots.
If Hendry and Bowden can agree on a trade that includes Sosa, there is another important step to determine if the deal can happen. Agent Adam Katz probably will have to agree to adjust the clause in Sosa's contract that says Sosa is guaranteed $18 million for 2006 if he is traded. The Cubs are committed to Sosa for $17 million in 2005 and have a $4.5 million buyout for 2006.
"I'd say two to three clubs have talked to me that I had not spoken to about him before I got here,'' Hendry said.
In other words, the New York Mets aren't in this group. Hendry began having talks last month about Sosa with Mets general manager Omar Minaya, but sources say the Mets and Cubs haven't met about Sosa at these meetings. Minaya happened to be on an elevator Saturday with Chicago media members en route to Hendry's room for the daily briefing. Minaya jokingly was asked if he wanted to come, and he laughed.
Sosa was eager to go to New York in June 2000, when the Cubs were trying to trade him to the Yankees, but Washington fits Sosa's cultural interests every bit as much as New York. So that alone makes this seem to be a deal that makes sense for both sides.
The Cubs lost out on their pursuit of Milwaukee Brewers closer Dan Kolb, who was traded Saturday to the Atlanta Braves for top pitching prospect Jose Capellan. The deal frees John Smoltz to return to the Braves' rotation.
"I spoke to [Brewers general manager] Doug [Melvin] on a few occasions about Kolb,'' Hendry said. "We made him an offer I think he'd tell you he was pleased with. He just felt he got something [from the Braves] that he couldn't pass up.''
Hendry denied a report that he was considering making an offer to free-agent first baseman Richie Sexson and planned to return him to his old position in left field. Sexson likely is too rich for the Cubs' blood.
"We have accomplished a lot here,'' Hendry said. "We have looked at different alternatives for potential left-handed hitters in the outfield. We have looked at extra-infielder, utility-type guys. We have talked to a few clubs about their interest in our players. There is a lot of interest in the pitching depth we have, especially the younger arms. Some things might turn out to be trades down the road.''
http://www.suntimes.com/output/cubs/cst-spt-cub12.html
Boy I would love for this to happen but it ain't. The Nationals can't afford Odalis Perez' contract demands so how can they afford Sosa's 18 mil a year contract?
Interest is all this is gonna come to. Not gonna happen.
