Cubs' Maddon fine with Castro trade remarks

MILWAUKEE - Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn't necessarily feel a need to clarify his remarks of this week that shortstop Starlin Castro wasn't going to be traded.

Maddon took Castro out of Tuesday night's game against the Colorado Rockies as part of a double switch, setting of speculation that the beleaguered player was about to be traded. Castro also was not in Wednesday's lineup.

During a meeting after Tuesday's game Maddon told Castro: "Listen, you're not going to be traded. Just relax and play. Don't worry about this stuff."

Maddon was told Thursday that his remarks were interpreted several different ways by different people.

"There are so many different ways to look at that," he said. "Regardless of how people want to interpret things, that's their right to do it that way. This game is so fluid on a daily basis. What I said the other day I meant it - he was not going to be traded.

"I have no idea if that's going to happen. You don't know. If somebody blows away (team president Theo Epstein), obviously you've got to do something like that. But as of that particular moment, every piece of information I had received, he's not being traded."

The trading deadline is Friday at 3 p.m.

"I'll be riding my bike in Milwaukee the last couple of hours (before the deadline)," Maddon said. "I'd like to get out by about noon or 12:30."

Maddon also was asked if he thought the Cubs would make a deal.

"It's possible," he said. "There's a definite possibility of it. Do I think it's going to happen? I've been asked that question almost every year at trade deadlines. Almost every time I've been right by saying probably not, that nothing will happen."

Montero itching to go:

Catcher Miguel Montero has been back with the team for a couple of days. He has been on the disabled list since July 12 with a sprained left thumb. He seemed ready to get going again Thursday.

"The doctor said it was a lot better," he said. "They did all the tests. It was like, "Whoa, it looks pretty good.' So I went and took another MRI to see how much it's healing. I'm pretty sure it's going to be big progress.

"I've been out there playing catch with the pitchers. Pretty much wait to see what's going to happen next. I think I'm ready. I'm going to go out and play catch with the pitchers off flat ground, see how it feels and go from there."

Joe Maddon said Montero probably would need a rehab assignment even though he knows the player doesn't want one.

"I don't even think I'll need a rehab assignment, to be honest, because how many games have I missed, 10 games?" Montero said. "I've been hitting in batting practice about a week. I really don't think about needing a rehab assignment, to be honest. It's not my decision. It's up to them. We'll see what they say."