Cubs won't get rid of Ramirez
It's always been my belief that the best form of censorship is self-censorship.
In other words, radios and TVs come with on-off switches for a good reason.
We're starting to settle into the Cubs' off-season now, but for a couple days, it was getting a little crazy. I was hearing:
• The Cubs need to trade Aramis Ramirez.
• They even need to trade Derrek Lee.
• They've picked up the option on pitcher Steve Trachsel's contract.
No, no, and no, and then I turned the radio off.
Let's clear up a couple things. The Cubs have no interest trading Ramirez or Lee. It's simply not going to happen.
Second, let's remember those three little words: no-trade clause.
Both Ramirez and Lee have no-trade clauses in their contracts, contracts they sign within the past year-and-a-half.
We'll let the Lee situation go, chalking it up to immediate frustration, but why on earth anybody would want to get rid of Ramirez is beyond me.
Sure, he had a bad playoffs series, but so did a lot of Cubs. But without Ramirez, especially in September, the Cubs don't get to the postseason, period.
During the season, he batted .310 with an on-base percentage of .366, a slugging percentage of .549, 26 homers and 101 RBI. His OPS (on-base plus slugging) of .915 ranked 13th in the National League.
Ramirez ranked second in the NL in fielding percentage at third base, and he'll get some Gold Glove consideration. His range is neither the best nor the worst in the league.
And that whole bit about Ramirez "not hustling" or being a "bad guy" is one of the biggest red herrings I've come across. Ramirez has played hurt much of the last couple years, and I don't recall him being photographed with any strippers.
A perfect player? No, but I'd take him. And the Cubs are going to keep him.
MLB whiffs again: The Cubs released their 2008 schedule Thursday, and as we reported last week, they'll open at home March 31 against the Brewers. Funny how a team that plays in a domed stadium opens on the road in a cold-weather city.
For a while, it looked like the Cubs might be going to Fenway Park for a historic interleague matchup with the Red Sox. But no. The Cubs will travel to Toronto and Tampa Bay and play the Orioles at Wrigley Field They'll also get the obligatory pair of three-game series against the White Sox, June 20-22 at Wrigley and June 27-29 at Comiskey.
The Cubs have not played the Red Sox in Boston. The two teams met at Wrigley Field a couple years ago. But the Cubs already have been to Toronto, back in 2003. If MLB wanted to create some buzz, it would have scheduled the Cubs for a weekend at Fenway.
This and that: Cubs pinch hitter Daryle Ward will need surgery on his injured left hand, which he injured near the thumb while sliding into a base. The procedure is expected to have a recovery time of 6-8 weeks.
Look for the Cubs to exercise the $1.2 million option on Ward's deal for next year. For years, they had been looking for a dependable bench guy, and they found that guy in Ward.
Also, look for the Cubs to decline the option on Steve Trachsel's contract for next year. They've got enough young arms, including Kevin Hart, meaning Trachsel is very expendable.