Dale Sveum Speaks About Prince Fielder and Everyone Jumps and Other Bullets

I caught ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ the other night, and it’s only in my adult years that I realize: Pig-Pen, as a character, is really insensitive. A dirty kid that no one wants to get close to?* Come on, Mr. Schultz.

  • Chicago Cubs manager Dale Sveum was asked about the big rumor in the Cubs world, the pursuit of free agent first baseman Prince Fielder, and his response got everyone up in a tizzy. “At this point, I think it’s a lot of media talking more than us doing anything,” Sveum said about reports linking the Cubs to Fielder. “We haven’t had any talks with Prince, and I haven’t had any conversations with him. It’s more the media and other people bringing this to the table than what we’re doing. We haven’t initiated any kind of contact at all. That’s the media bringing it out right now.” OHMYGOD THE CUBS AREN’T INTERESTED IN FIELDER AT ALL!!!!11!!!1!!!! FIRE THEO AND JED!!!1!!!1!!!!! ROAR!!!!1!!!!lol!!!!!!!
  • Consider me un-tizzied. I just can’t put that much stock into Sveum’s comments – which echo what he already said a week and a half ago at the Winter Meetings. Is it possible that this is the big break in the Fielder rumor sweepstakes, and Sveum is publicly confirming for everyone that the Cubs do not have interest? I suppose it’s possible. But, come on. Is it likely? This is a guy who coached Fielder last year, and who has repeatedly said that Fielder is one of his favorite players, one whom he’d love to have on the Cubs next year. Don’t you think it’s a little more likely that he was told to play it a little more close to the vest the next time someone asks about Fielder? His bosses, after all, have a policy of not discussing player acquisitions, and I doubt Sveum is unaware of that policy. And, finally, what did Sveum say, really? That he hasn’t spoken to Prince? That the Cubs haven’t reached out to Fielder? That could be true, even as the two sides negotiate a contract. That’s kind of why players have agents. Speaking to/reaching out to Fielder, himself, wouldn’t occur until the very end of the process. And maybe the Cubs didn’t reach out, but that doesn’t mean Scott Boras didn’t reach out to them. I’m not trying to be blindly hopeful here – if there was a clear denial of interest by the Cubs, I’d accept that. But this isn’t that.
  • The Cubs finalized their coaching staff yesterday, with the announcement that Dave McKay – and not Craig Counsell – will take the last spot, and will coach first base. As previously announced, Rudy Jaramillo will return as hitting coach, Pat Listach will shift over to coach third base, Jamie Quirk will be the bench coach, Chris Bosio will be the pitching coach, and Lester Strode will return as the bullpen coach. Mike Borzello and Franklin Font also will serve as Major League staff assistants. Borzello, a long-time coach who spent his last four years as the Dodgers’ bullpen catcher, will work with the catchers and be involved in advance scouting. Font, who was the Cubs’ minor league infield coordinator and has been with the organization for 17 years, will assist Jaramillo.
  • Red Sox GM Ben Cherington offered another non-update on the ongoing Theo Epstein compensation talks. “I think sometime in the next 15-20 years we should have a resolution,” Cherington joked. “I think at some point this offseason we will put that to bed .… We have a basic understanding of about what the level of compensation should be. We differ by degree. At some point that will be resolved. It’s not really holding up anything else.” As I always say: the longer it drags on, the better for the Cubs, as the pressure to get something of obvious value for the Red Sox continues to be reduced. Still no word on the Jed Hoyer/Jason McLeod/Padres compensation issue, which should also be resolved soon.
  • A long read on Ryne Sandberg as minor league manager and continued Major League hopeful.
  • Long-time minor league catcher in the Cubs’ system Chris Robinson has moved on to the Texas Rangers’ farm system.
  • More thoughts on the MLB/MLBPA International Talent Committee, and what it means for an international draft.
  • *(And don’t tell me about how Pig-Pen is all proud of his filth. He’s a kid. He doesn’t know any better.)

    written by

    Brett Taylor is the Lead Cubs Writer at Bleacher Nation, and you can find him on Twitter at @BleacherNation and on LinkedIn here. Brett is also the founder of Bleacher Nation, which opened up shop in 2008 as an independent blog about the Chicago Cubs. Later growing to incorporate coverage of other Chicago sports, Bleacher Nation is now one of the largest regional sports blogs on the web.

    more cubs news

    MLBits: Shōta and ReyLo Duel, New MLB Pipeline Top 100, Investigating the New Statcast Swing Metrics, More

    Baseball's top two pitchers in the ERA department squared off last night and did not disappoint—that and more in today's MLB Notes. Shōta Imanaga Was Awesome (Again), But So Was Reynaldo Lopez I've watched a lot of Reynaldo López, given...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 14, 2024: Top 25 Prospect Stock Report

    The Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates were off on Monday, so it's time to take stock of some recent hot (and not-so-hot) performers inside the Cubs Top 25 prospects down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm...

    Did You Ever Wonder What Happened to Frank Schwindel?

    I've gotten back into baseball cards, which, among other things, sends me down a lot of Memory Lanes. You pull a particular card, you think about that player, and you have various memories. It's part of the fun. The other...

    Shotamania, Counsell Boot, Rotation, Wesneski, Happ, and Other Cubs Bullets

    I hope your Tuesday is treating you well. So far so good on my end ... Shota Imanaga dealt with more traffic last night than he has thus far in his debut MLB season, but hey, that's a ridiculous Braves...

    Cubs Roster Moves: Lovelady DFA’d, Miller Acquired, Slaughter Sent Out

    The Tyson Miller trade is now official, with the Chicago Cubs sending minor league utility man Jake Slaughter to the Seattle Mariners for Miller, who figures to be mostly a match-up righty/middle reliever in the bullpen. More on the trade...

    The Luckiest Dude at the Ballpark

    I have been to more Cubs and MLB games than I could realistically remember. And not ONCE — not even once — have I caught a ball. No homers, no foul balls, no outfielders chucking it to me. Nothing. And...

    Cubs Injury Notes: Morel, Almonte, Alzolay, Smyly, Wicks

    We don't yet know if there's an "injury" here, but it's a pretty scary possibility, so I'm leading with it. If you didn't catch the moment in last night's game, Christopher Morel fouled a ball off his toe in the...

    A Reliever Trade! Chicago Cubs Acquiring Tyson Miller from the Mariners

    The Chicago Cubs are acquiring righty reliever Tyson Miller from the Seattle Mariners for minor league utility man Jake Slaughter, per Jeff Passan. The Cubs did it! An early-May bullpen trade! It can be done! ... ok, there are some...

    Enhanced Box Score: Braves 2, Cubs 0 – May 13, 2024

    Well that ninth inning rally started off great, with Cody Bellinger and Christopher Morel reaching, the latter on 12-pitch walk (the longest PA of his career). And then POOF. In just two pitches, the Cubs made three outs and the...

    Craig Counsell Was Just Thrown Out from the Dugout … by the First Base Umpire

    Well you don't see that very often. Craig Counsell was just thrown out of the game from inside the Cubs dugout *by the FIRST BASE umpire* after a check-swing appeal. Here's what happened. In the bottom of the fourth inning,...

    Latest News

    Strike Two! Rudy Gobert Fined Again For Flashing Money Sign

    For the second time this season, Rudy Gobert has been handed down a hefty fine by the NBA. During the T'Wolves' Game 4 loss at home to the Nuggets, Gobert flashed the money sign with his hands directed at officials....

    Around the NFL: Schedule Release Teasers, Amazon’s Upcoming NFL Documentaries, More

    The NFL's schedule release is just over 24 hours away, but we're already getting some juicy teasers this week. Here's a roundup and some upcoming NFL-related productions coming to Amazon in today's NFL Notes. Chiefs Will Host the Ravens in...

    Did You Ever Wonder What Happened to Frank Schwindel?

    I've gotten back into baseball cards, which, among other things, sends me down a lot of Memory Lanes. You pull a particular card, you think about that player, and you have various memories. It's part of the fun. The other...

    MLBits: Shōta and ReyLo Duel, New MLB Pipeline Top 100, Investigating the New Statcast Swing Metrics, More

    Baseball's top two pitchers in the ERA department squared off last night and did not disappoint—that and more in today's MLB Notes. Shōta Imanaga Was Awesome (Again), But So Was Reynaldo Lopez I've watched a lot of Reynaldo López, given...

    The Hype is Real: Mystics Move June Matchup with Sky to Bigger Arena

    You're gonna need a bigger arena ... The Chicago Sky will be quite the draw for WNBA fans across the country. But don't just take my word for it. The Washington Mystics confirmed the excitement on Tuesday, announcing that the...

    Bruins Get Bad Brad Marchand Update Ahead Of Game 5

    Bad news for the Boston Bruins this morning. Trailing 3-1 in their second-round series with the Florida Panthers, it was revealed that captain Brad Marchand will again not be available for tonight's win-or-go-home matchup in South Florida. https://twitter.com/FlutoShinzawa/status/1790401949998706932 Brad Marchand...

    Cubs Roster Moves: Lovelady DFA’d, Miller Acquired, Slaughter Sent Out

    The Tyson Miller trade is now official, with the Chicago Cubs sending minor league utility man Jake Slaughter to the Seattle Mariners for Miller, who figures to be mostly a match-up righty/middle reliever in the bullpen. More on the trade...

    Cubs Farm Report | May 14, 2024: Top 25 Prospect Stock Report

    The Chicago Cubs minor league affiliates were off on Monday, so it's time to take stock of some recent hot (and not-so-hot) performers inside the Cubs Top 25 prospects down on the farm in today's Cubs Farm Report. Cubs Farm...

    Oilers Reportedly Making A Big Change Prior To Game 4

    Heading into the Oilers and Canucks second-round series, Vancouver was thought to be the team with the bigger concern in between the pipes. Vezina Trophy finalist Thatcher Demko was ruled out for at least the first four games of the...

    Playing Rookies More, 2025 Draft Pick Concerns, Lonzo’s New Podcast, and Other Bulls Bullets

    With the 2024 NBA Draft Combine off to a hot start in their own backyard, I hope the Chicago Bulls have learned from their many past mistakes. More on the importance of these next few days ... https://www.bleachernation.com/bulls/2024/05/14/draft-combine-bulls-work-5/ For a...

    more cubs news