The only one wanting the Cubs to divorce themselves from Sammy Sosa worse than the Cubs was Sammy Sosa himself.
Now it appears they both will have their way, bringing to a close one of the happiest, most glorious and saddest, most ignoble eras in Chicago sports history.
Sosa is expected to be traded to the Baltimore Orioles this weekend, although it cannot become official until at least Monday because it would need approval from Commissioner Bud Selig, a move made necessary because the Cubs are believed to be paying as much as half of Sosa’s $17 million salary for 2005.
The Cubs and Orioles were involved in extensive negotiations Friday that were thought to have included Sosa agent Adam Katz, who became involved because Sosa would have to waive a no-trade provision in his contract and work out a deal that somehow would pay him at least $18 million in future money from Baltimore.
Sources said the proposed deal–which still could fall apart on several fronts before reaching Selig’s desk Monday–involves Sosa for infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr., a native of Naperville, and a pair of minor-leaguers.
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry did not return phone calls seeking comment about the pending trade Friday.
Original rumors had Cubs reliever Kyle Farnsworth and Orioles closer Jorge Julio involved. But sources said Friday the Cubs had a choice of picking two minor-leaguers from a group of four. The Sporting News reported late Friday the Cubs would receive second baseman Mike Fontenot and right-handed pitcher Dave Crouthers.
If the deal is completed, the Cubs will be left without a right fielder, a position Sosa had held since his trade from the White Sox in 1992. They technically have two left fielders in Todd Hollandsworth and rookie Jason Dubois, either of whom could play right.
Hairston could play left field or platoon with Todd Walker at second base. Hairston, the son of former White Sox player Jerry Hairston, hit .303 in 86 games last season with two homers and 24 RBIs and eight stolen bases.
The Cubs had interest in former White Sox Magglio Ordonez to play right field, although it is now presumed he will wind up in Detroit with a five-year contract. Left-handed hitter Jeromy Burnitz is the only other free-agent outfielder available, and the Cubs were known to have been in contact with his agent.
One source said they were close to a deal with the left-handed hitter, who is 35 and hit .283 with 37 home runs and 110 RBIs in the light air of Colorado last season.
But none of the deals are done yet and it gets complicated because Sosa needs to give his OK and the Orioles need to satisfy Sosa’s monetary demands for the next two years.
Sosa is owed $17 million for this season. He has an option for $18 million for next season or a $4.5 million buyout. But the $18 million becomes guaranteed if he is traded, plus a $4.5 million buyout for 2007.
If a team takes Sosa, it would have to work out an extension with Sosa, presumably for two more years at his $18 million, which he would waive, technically, if traded.
Sources said Sosa is so eager to leave the Cubs, he would gladly waive his no-trade clause in exchange for an “out.” Baltimore’s Camden Yards would be a perfect landing spot for him because it is a hitter-friendly park and has an easy right field to patrol. Sosa also could be the designated hitter.
The Orioles apparently became interested in Sosa when it was clear they would not sign Ordonez, leaving them, in essence, shut out of the free-agent market.
It created a perfect situation with the Cubs, who were looking to dump Sosa, and for Baltimore, looking for something to ignite their fans after Washington moved into their neighborhood from Montreal.
All along, it seemed Mets GM Omar Minaya would grab Sosa, but he apparently was stopped by ownership.
Sosa had become a Chicago institution, dining with kings and posing with celebrities during his heart-tapping home-run heyday in the late 1990s when he and St. Louis’ Mark McGwire captivated a world-wide audience and brought baseball back to popularity from its 1994 lockdown.
But this past season, his worst in nearly a decade, the unthinkable had happened–he was booed in Wrigley Field–and then he walked out on his teammates during the final game of the season, becoming a disgraced and criticized figure. He was fined a day’s pay, $87,500.
If Sosa is gone, it ends a strange period in Chicago sports history, a superstar falling out of favor with management and fans. His fate appeared to be sealed when he left the final game of the season just moments after it started–caught on video by Cubs management who quickly shared it with media–and then blamed manager Dusty Baker for his troublesome season that included stints on the disabled list for a sore back caused by sneezing and for hip bursitis.
Sosa, who “apologized” to management and fans through agent Katz, has not talked with Baker or Hendry since the end of the season.
The Cubs made trading Sosa a priority after that, knowing it was nearly impossible for him to return after embarrassing himself in front of Baker and his teammates.
The other troubling part for the Cubs is Sosa’s decline in production. He is listed as 36 years old, although some believe he is at least two years older.
Starting with the 2001 season, his batting average has dropped from .328 to .288 to .279 to .253, his home runs from 64 to 49 to 40 to 35, his runs batted in from 160 to 108 to 103 to 80, his on-base percentage from .437 to .399 to .358 to .332, his slugging percentage from .737 to .594 to .553 to .517.
Last season, he played in his fewest games (126) since 1996, his batting average was his lowest since 1997 and his home run and RBI totals were his lowest since 1994.
The Hairston file
The Cubs likely would obtain Jerry Hairston Jr. in a deal with the Orioles. His father (Jerry), grandfather (Sam) and uncle (John) all played in the majors. His father played 13 of 14 seasons with the White Sox and was the team’s all-time leader in pinch hits. His grandfather was the first African-American to play for the White Sox (July 1951).
Positions: Second base/outfield.
College: Southern Illinois.
Bats: Right. Throws: Right. Height: 5-10. Weight: 185.
Born: May 29, 1976 in Naperville.
Facts: Married to Tanaha. . . . Graduated from Naperville North High School in 1995 . . . Attended Southern Illinois and was Missouri Valley Conference freshman of the year. . . . Made his major-league debut on Sept. 11, 1998. . . . Younger brother Scott is an Arizona Diamondbacks infielder.
Career statistics
All statistics with Baltimore
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YEAR G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB CS AVG OBA
1998 6 7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 .000 .000
1999 50 175 26 47 12 1 4 17 11 24 9 4 .269 .323
2000 49 180 27 46 5 0 5 19 21 22 8 5 .256 .353
2001 159 532 63 124 25 5 8 47 44 73 29 11 .233 .305
2002 122 426 55 114 25 3 5 32 34 55 21 6 .268 .329
2003 58 218 25 59 12 2 2 21 23 25 14 5 .271 .353
2004 86 287 43 87 19 1 2 24 29 29 13 8 .303 .378
TOT. 530 1825 241 477 98 12 26 160 162 229 94 39 .261 .334
Source: MLB.com
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