Are Ramirez’s days as Cub done?
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez left Tuesday night’s 5-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers with a mild right quadriceps strain.
He’s listed as day to day, but the days could be dwindling for Ramirez in a Cubs uniform. They close out their home season Wednesday, and Ramirez was asked if he’s played his last game at Wrigley as a Cub.
“Probably,” he said. “There’s a good chance. I’m a free agent. Right now, I don’t know what’s going to happen. But it looks like I’m going to hit the market.”
Ramirez, the most productive hitter on the Cubs for most of the past decade, has a line of .306/.360/.506 with 25 homers and 92 RBI.
The Cubs and Ramirez have a mutual option for $16 million for next season, but Ramirez figures to be in a good spot because of a lack of quality third basemen on the market.
Although he said he prefers to stay with the Cubs, he did not sound optimistic. He and his agent, Paul Kinzer, enjoyed a good relationship with former general manager Jim Hendry, who was fired last month.
“I’ve been saying that all along; that’s no secret to anybody,” Ramirez said of staying. “I haven’t heard anything from the front office. I don’t know what they want to do. We don’t have a GM. So I don’t know who to talk to.
“It’s going to be different because it’s going to be the first year or the first time that I don’t know if I’m coming back. The other times, I knew I had my place here. Next year, don’t know. My agent’s in town right now, but we haven’t heard from anybody … You’re right about my relationship with Jim, but he’s not here anymore so there’s no one we can talk to … We’re ready to move on.”
All’s not Wells:Pitcher Randy Wells (7-5) had his five-game winning streak snapped as he gave up 6 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings. Wells spent the first two months of the season dealing with a strained right forearm. After a slow comeback, he found a groove. At this point, he figures into the Cubs#146; rotation plans for next year. #147;It#146;s absolutely important, it sure is,#148; said manager Mike Quade. #147;It#146;s funny. When he came back and had a couple of rough outings, we talked a little bit about the nature of him needing to get this thing together, and he pitched a great game. After the game, he talked to me and said, #145;You need to put that on me all day long.#146; To me, it#146;s on all of us all day long.#148;Hendry#146;s guru leaving: Gary Hughes, special assistant to former general manager Jim Hendry, has said he will not be back next year. Hughes will work through October. Baseball America named Hughes one of the top 10 scouts of the 20th Century. Hughes was a longtime confidant of Hendry. Speaking of Hendry, he was a pregame visitor to Wrigley Field, saying hello to members of the Cubs family and the media. Castro keeps it up:Shortstop Starlin Castro hit his 10th homer of the year leading off the sixth. Castro has reached base in 33 straight games. He is the second Cubs shortstop to reach in at least that many games, joining Woody English, who did so in 34 straight in 1929. Minor matters: Bryan LaHair, who started in right field, was named the Cubs#146; minor-league player of the year. LaHair led the minor leagues with 38 home runs and was the Pacific Coast League#146;s MVP. Left-handed reliever Jeff Beliveau was named minor-league pitcher of the year. Beliveau, 24, combined to go 6-2 with 5 saves and a 1.57 ERA in 53 relief appearances between Class A Daytona and Class AA Tennessee. Beliveau was at Wrigley Field Tuesday as were minor-league community service winners: pitcher Jay Jackson, infielder Nate Samson, infielder Justin Bour and lefty Austin Kirk.