December 12, 2016

Cubs.com, Rizzo honored in hometown before annual 5K http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/210898464/anthony-rizzo-honored-in-hometown-before-5k/

Cubs.com, Cubs Trophy Tour makes first stop in Chicago http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/210798756/cubs-trophy-tour-begins-at-store-in-chicago/

Cubs.com, Cubs thank Fowler, receive comp pick http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/210778326/cubs-thank-fowler-after-he-signs-with-cards/

Cubs.com, Cubs-Cards rivalry more than making moves http://m.cubs.mlb.com/news/article/210788904/moves-wont-intensify-cubs-cardinals-rivalry/

CSNChicago.com, Tyson Ross Could Be One Of The Final Pieces For Cubs’ Offseason Puzzle http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/tyson-ross-could-be-one-final-pieces-cubs-offseason-puzzle

CSNChicago.com, With Dexter Fowler In St. Louis, Cubs See Kyle Schwarber As A Potential Leadoff Answer http://www.csnchicago.com/chicago-cubs/dexter-fowler-st-louis-cubs-see-kyle-schwarber-potential-leadoff-answer

Chicago Tribune, Hard to replace Dexter Fowler in clubhouse, but life goes on for Cubs http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-dexter-fowler-cubs-cardinals-sullivan-spt-1211-20161210-column.html

Chicago Tribune, Wade Davis' credentials shine as brightly as more heralded closers http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-wade-davis-cubs-spt-1211-20161210-story.html

Chicago Tribune, Dexter Fowler signs with Cardinals: 'I'll be forever grateful I was a Cub' http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-dexter-fowler-cardinals-contract-20161209-story.html

Chicago Sun-Times, Dexter Fowler signs with Cardinals, says new team can win it all http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/dexter-fowler-signs-with-cardinals-says-new-team-can-win-it-all/

Chicago Sun-Times, World Series means Cubs can do what they want, including gouge http://chicago.suntimes.com/sports/world-series-means-cubs-can-do-what-they-want-including-gouge/

-- Cubs.com Rizzo honored in hometown before annual 5K By Carrie Muskat PARKLAND, Fla. -- When Anthony Rizzo hosted his first Walk-Off for Cancer in 2012, the Cubs' first baseman was hoping to raise $30,000, and they totaled $100,000. On Sunday, the Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation held its fifth annual five-kilometer walk, and they had raised more than $500,000 before anyone took a step at Pine Trails Park.

Sunday was officially Anthony Rizzo Appreciation Day in both Parkland and in Broward County. Former Parkland mayor and current county commissioner Michael Udine declared the holiday in Broward County in honor of the World Series champ. "Anthony Rizzo is a hometown hero with a big heart," Udine said. "Through his event, he's raised more than $2.5 million for cancer research and to assist families and children battling cancer in Broward County." More than 800 people took part in the first 5K walk, led by Rizzo, a cancer survivor himself. In April 2008 when he was a Minor Leaguer in the Red Sox's organization, Rizzo was diagnosed with limited stage classical Hodgkins' lymphoma, and beat it. On Sunday, 1,600 people ignored the overcast skies and occasional drizzle to walk or run in the event. Before the walk began, Rizzo's No. 7 was retired by his high school, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. His mother, Laurie, pointed out that Rizzo had written in his high school yearbook that he wanted to win a World Series. Parkland mayor Christine Hunschofsky remembers her son, Michael, meeting Rizzo for the first time 10 years ago when her son was 8 years old. "We come to the walk every year because [the Rizzos] are such a good family and [Anthony's] achievements as a human being are just as great as what he does as a baseball player," Hunschofsky said. Besides his own battle with the disease, Rizzo lost his grandmother to cancer, and his foundation focuses on trying to ease the burden not only on the patient but also their families. Mike Fiorello spoke at Sunday's event about his son Adam, who was diagnosed in December 2013 with a rare cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma. The Rizzo Foundation paid for travel expenses when Adam needed treatment in New York and also took care of a hospital room in Miami. Adam died this past March at the age of 22. "He inspired me the entire year," Rizzo said of Adam. The group that raised the most money for Sunday's walk was "Team G 23," created by Jon Greenseid in honor of his wife, Giulie, a leukemia patient, who is two years post transplant. "I'm feeling strong enough to walk, so I'm happy about that and excited to be here," Giulie said. Because of their efforts for the foundation, the Rizzos have treated the Coral Springs, Fla., family to tickets for a Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Grace Solomon and several Parkland Little Leaguers presented Rizzo with a trophy as well. "You've given every little boy and little girl in Parkland a role model on the field and most importantly, off the field," Solomon said. -- Cubs.com Cubs Trophy Tour makes first stop in Chicago By Daniel Kramer The celebration 108 years in the making continued on Friday as the Cubs Trophy Tour embarked on its first voyage in Chicago. Here is a look at the stops the Commissioner's Trophy has made, with a look ahead to the rest of the circuit: Cubs Team Store, Dec. 9

The 24-inch, 30-pound crown made its first stop at the new official Cubs Team Store along the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Ave. Fans, public officials and many more came out for the chance to catch a glimpse of and snap photos with the 24-karat gem, which has gotten a significant makeover since the North Siders last won the World Series in 1908. Since getting a redesign from Tiffany & Co. in 2000, the trophy features 30 flags -- one for each big league team -- with latitude/longitude lines symbolizing the world and vermeil stitches akin to those on a baseball. Commissioner Rob Manfred's signature is etched on the base. Here are the tentative stops on the Cubs Trophy Tour, with more locations expected to come: • Chicago City Hall: Dec. 15, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. CT • Cubs Convention: Jan. 13-15 • Spring Training (Mesa, Ariz.) • Cubs home opener: April 10 And here is the list of additional neighboring cities outside Chicago the tour will stop: • Bloomington, Ill. • Champaign, Ill. • Elgin, Ill. • Freeport, Ill. • Naperville, Ill. • Peoria, Ill. • Quad Cities, Ill. • Rockford, Ill. • Schaumburg, Ill. • Springfield, Ill. • Ft. Wayne, Ind. • Indianapolis, Ind. • South Bend, Ind. • Cedar Rapids, Iowa • Council Bluffs, Iowa • Des Moines, Iowa • Mason City, Iowa • Quad Cities, Iowa • Sioux City, Iowa • Waterloo, Iowa Fans can follow the Cubs on Twitter and Instagram (@Cubs) for specific updates on the Cubs Trophy Tour using the #CubsTrophyTour hashtag. Other updates can be found at cubs.com/trophytour. -- Cubs.com Cubs thank Fowler, receive comp pick By Carrie Muskat Dexter Fowler won't surprise his Cubs teammates by showing up in Mesa, Ariz., this spring. Instead, the next time they see him will likely be leading off for the Cardinals Opening Day on April 2 at Busch Stadium. Fowler signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Cardinals on Friday, and he was introduced at a news conference in St. Louis. Coming off a World Series championship season with the Cubs and switching to play for their rivals will be "bittersweet," Fowler said.

"Now they're the rival," Fowler said of the Cubs. "[I've] still got some boys over there -- we'll always be boys, we won the championship together. But when we get on the field, it's go time." Fowler did leave a parting gift. Signing the outfielder will cost the Cardinals their first-round pick (19th overall) in the 2017 Draft because the Cubs made him a qualifying offer. The Cubs have the last selection in the first round as well as a compensation pick for Fowler's departure. The Cubs had made Fowler a qualifying offer after the 2015 season and he rejected it, only to shock his teammates by re-signing and arrived during a workout in Mesa in late February. "After last season, I was prepared to take it a long, long way," Fowler said about how long he'd wait to find the right deal. The Cubs signed former Cardinal Jon Jay to a one-year contract to help mentor Albert Almora Jr. in center field, and a team official made a courtesy call to Fowler before that move. The veteran helped the Cubs win their first World Series since 1908, providing the spark as the leadoff man. Manager Joe Maddon's message was, "You go, we go" before each at-bat. "I still feel like if I go, we all go," Fowler said. -- Cubs.com Cubs-Cards rivalry more than making moves By Phil Rogers CHICAGO -- Here's a word of advice to fans who follow the Cubs and the Cardinals. Come next April and May, don't start your day by checking boxscores to see what Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward did in the previous night's game. When the one on your team has a good night and the one on your rival's team has a bad night, do not smirk and rush to a message board. When the reverse happens, do not feel like you have to avoid the person in your office who is always looking to give you a bad time. While Fowler and Heyward are connected by the offseason maneuvering of the teams the past two years, the Cubs-Cardinals rivalry hasn't become a Fowler-Heyward rivalry. That's silly on its face, and doubly so, considering the long friendship between the two players and the huge respect they have for each other. Business is business in baseball. That's really about all you can learn from Fowler signing a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Cardinals on Friday after Heyward jumped to the Cubs for $184 million last December. The Fowler/Heyward transactions with the Cubs and Cardinals have been pretty straightforward. The Cubs traded Luis Valbuena to get Fowler from the Astros after 2014, and they signed Heyward as a ranked free agent in '15, costing them the 22nd pick of the '16 Draft. The Cardinals traded Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins to get Heyward from the Braves, picked up the 34th pick of the 2016 Draft for losing Heyward and signed Fowler as a ranked free agent, which will cost them a first-round pick (no lower than 17th overall). The Cubs will get a comp pick after the first round for Fowler. While the Cardinals bid high to try to keep Heyward, his statistically disappointing first season based at Wrigley Field (slash line of .230/.306/.325 with his bWAR dropping from 6.5 to 1.5) was one of the few things many St. Louis fans enjoyed last season.

Many analysts had questioned the Cubs' willingness to give him $23 million a year for eight years, and they looked smart when Joe Maddon kept him out of the starting lineup in six of the Cubs' 17 postseason games, in which Heyward was 5-for-48 at the plate. But statistics only scratch the surface in evaluating the Heyward-to-the-Cubs storyline. Giving an honest appraisal, Heyward said he was partly motivated to leave St. Louis because he was joining a young team with tremendous upside. He knew the quality of Chicago's young players would impact him greatly during his eight-year contract. Fans in St. Louis didn't like that analysis, but it proved to be spot-on, as the Cubs followed their 97-win season in 2015 with 103 regular-season wins and one of the most dramatic World Series championship runs ever. The Cubs knew the Heyward deal would look like a massive overpay if judged purely on his hitting -- he'd averaged only 13 homers and 52 RBIs in 2013-15 -- but they were investing just as much in his Gold Glove fielding and leadership, which they valued highly. The North Siders needed a lot of both from him to win the World Series for the first time since 1908. Does winning one World Series justify a $184 million contract? If there were ever a team and a time when it might, that was with the Cubs in 2016. Heyward's not going to get a pass from fans in Chicago or St. Louis if he remains a .230 hitter with the pop of a No. 7 or 8 guy in the lineup. But he earned a place in franchise lore with his one-hand-on-the-wall catch in the taut Game 5 and, even more so, the team meeting he called during the Game 7 rain delay. "Greatest rain delay ever,'' Anthony Rizzo calls it. Fowler, of course, made bigger contributions. He capped a career year with a leadoff homer and two singles in Game 7 against the Indians. He's leaving a huge void behind him as he departs the Cubs to join the Cardinals. But when the Cubs signed Heyward and Ben Zobrist last winter, they were making the only major free-agent, position-player outlays in their plans for many years. Heyward got it right when he pointed to the Cubs' youth. Albert Almora Jr., now in his fifth year working toward a long run as the center fielder, was prominent in the planning that Heyward discussed with Theo Epstein before signing on the dotted line. He was told he might be asked to play some center until Almora was ready. Well, guess what? Almora hit .303 with elite defensive skills in Triple-A last season, at age 22. He's ready. As tempting as it had to be for the Cubs to yield to popular demand and find the money to re-sign Fowler, this is Almora's time. Epstein knew there was a strong chance that Fowler would wind up in St. Louis, and when he did, he was happy for him. A good man had gotten the deserving payday that eluded him on last year's free-agent market. That's the story. Fowler and Heyward will always be connected, especially by partisan fans, and they're going to be friends who earned a World Series ring together. They may only be at the midpoint of their careers, but it's gravy the rest of the way. -- CSNChicago.com Tyson Ross Could Be One Of The Final Pieces For Cubs’ Offseason Puzzle By Patrick Mooney

Tyson Ross could be one of the final pieces of the offseason puzzle as the Cubs try to defend their World Series title while still planning for the future. The Cubs left this week’s winter meetings in Maryland still involved in the Ross talks, sources said, monitoring an intriguing pitcher they had targeted before the 2015 trade deadline. The San Diego Padres didn’t really buy or sell during that pennant race and made another curious decision last week when they didn’t offer Ross a contract for 2017. MLB Trade Rumors projected Ross would have made $9.6 million during his final year in the arbitration system. After issues involving his right shoulder wiped out almost his entire season, Ross underwent surgery in October to address thoracic outlet syndrome. Ross was San Diego’s Opening Day starter during a 15-0 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but didn’t pitch again, clouding a future that once had him looking like a trade-deadline chip and one of the best pitchers in the free-agent class after the 2017 season. That’s when Jake Arrieta will be looking for his megadeal and John Lackey might be in retirement and Jon Lester will be turning 34. That’s why the Cubs are so focused on pitching this winter and trying to balance out an organization tilted toward hitters. Kyle Hendricks proved he will be a pitcher to build around – and the Cubs believe Mike Montgomery can evolve from a swingman into a fifth starter and maybe something far more valuable – but depth is a real issue. Ross made 30-plus starts in 2014 and 2015, when he earned an All-Star selection and accounted for almost 400 innings combined. He will turn 30 in April and is seen as a positive force within the clubhouse. He has a 6-foot-6 frame, a second-round-pick pedigree and a Cal-Berkeley education. Reports have already linked the Texas Rangers and Pittsburgh Pirates to Ross and not completely ruled out a return to San Diego. During an offseason where the free-agent market is essentially devoid of reliable frontline starters, there could be sticker shock, even with a rehabbing pitcher. Trading for Wade Davis meant the Cubs were out of the bidding for Greg Holland, another All-Star closer who helped turn the Kansas City Royals into World Series champions. Holland spent this year recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but he will still be in position to capitalize after Mark Melancon, Aroldis Chapman and eventually Kenley Jansen reset the market for closers. With Ross, the Cubs will have to get a better sense of the medical picture and the price for all that upside. Beyond a winning culture, the Cubs can sell the pitching infrastructure that helped turn Arrieta into a Cy Young Award winner and transform Hendricks into an ERA leader and keep the rotation remarkably healthy. “Those really talented pitchers are going to be in demand, even those that are coming off an injury,” Cubs president Theo Epstein said this week at National Harbor. “We’ll stay engaged on some of those guys, but they’ll have to be just the right talent. “We’ll have to feel good about the medical and the return to play. And the fit on the club would have to be right, too. But the true elite guys have a real market, even if they’re coming off down seasons.” -- CSNChicago.com With Dexter Fowler In St. Louis, Cubs See Kyle Schwarber As A Potential Leadoff Answer By Patrick Mooney

Dexter Fowler buttoned up a white No. 25 Cardinals jersey and put on a red St. Louis hat, posing for the cameras during Friday morning’s press conference at Busch Stadium. Fowler stood in between Mike Matheny, the St. Louis manager who now has a new leadoff guy at the top of his lineup card, and John Mozeliak, the general manager who helped structure a five-year, $82.5 million contract that goes against The Cardinal Way. That visual might be disorienting for Cubs fans who just watched what will probably be the best two seasons of Fowler’s career. But Theo Epstein’s front office understandably wanted to get younger, upgrade defensively and preserve some financial flexibility for the future, planning to go with Albert Almora Jr. and ex-Cardinal Jon Jay in a center-field timeshare. “I’ll be forever grateful that I was a Cub,” Fowler said. “We made history, won a World Series. But I guess that door is closed, and, you know, I’m a Cardinal now. And we’re trying to make history over here as well.” Let’s not get carried away with all the talk about Fowler being such a great leader and magnetic clubhouse personality. There were enough questions about him that the draft-pick compensation dragged down his market to the point where he accepted a $13 million guarantee in spring training. But he is a switch-hitter who sees pitches and works at-bats (.366 career on-base percentage) and can ignite an offense when healthy. Cubs manager Joe Maddon might not go with a traditional leadoff hitter in 2017. But this lineup should still score 800-plus runs again, factoring in a full season of Kyle Schwarber, projected growth from MVP Kris Bryant and All Stars Anthony Rizzo and Addison Russell and an anticipated bounce-back year from Jason Heyward after the $184 million outfielder had been one of the least productive hitters in the majors. “Schwarber is not a bad name, Kyle is not a bad name at all,” Maddon said when asked about his leadoff hitter during this week’s winter meetings at National Harbor in Maryland. “(Ben) Zobrist isn’t a bad name. There are different guys to consider right there. “Actually, a couple years ago, (when) Kyle came up and Dexter was still there, I considered leading Kyle off and putting Dexter second. But I had all the dudes do all the work — all our nerds did all the work — and they really liked Fowler 1 and they liked Schwarber 2, just based on our data. “So I went with that, and it worked out really, really well. So now all of a sudden, Dexter is not there anymore. It’s not impossible to consider Kyle in that spot, Zobrist in that spot. “I don’t know if we’re going to do anything differently during the course of this offseason that might cause me to think differently, but there’s not a whole lot of other candidates.” Fowler bet on himself after the Baltimore Orioles dragged out negotiations over a reported three-year deal in the $30 million range, shocking the baseball world when he showed up in Arizona in late February. It paid off with a staggering contract that will add another level of intrigue to a rivalry that has already seen Heyward and pitcher John Lackey switch sides. Fowler will be in Cardinal red on Opening Night 2017 when the Cubs begin their World Series title defense at Busch Stadium. “It’s bittersweet,” Fowler said. “Now they’re the rival. But you still got some boys over there. We’ll always be boys. We won a championship together. But when you get on the field, it’s ‘go time.’ Now we’re playing against each other.” -- Chicago Tribune Hard to replace Dexter Fowler in clubhouse, but life goes on for Cubs By Paul Sullivan

Jason Heyward was nonchalant in April upon being booed in his return to Busch Stadium. "They don't boo too often, so it must be somebody important, or somebody doing something worth booing," Heyward said. Cardinals fans felt slighted that Heyward chose to defect to the Cubs, the team's archrival for 124 years, and felt obliged to let him hear it. Don't expect Dexter Fowler to get the same kind of treatment at Wrigley Field in his return with the Cardinals on June 2. In fact, Fowler even may become the first Cardinal to get a standing ovation from Cubs fans. After helping end the team's 107-year championship drought, Fowler is boo-proof on the North Side. It's a testament to his relationship with Cubs fans who appreciated his decision to blow off the Orioles last winter and sign an undervalued, one-year deal for a chance to win it all with his friends. Fowler was instrumental in the Cubs accomplishing that feat, so no one can begrudge him for signing a five-year, $82.5 million deal to play for — obligatory sigh — the Cardinals. It's complicated, but this is one relationship that won't be affected by the generational hatred of all things in red. When Fowler tweeted "Thank you Chicago!" after Friday's signing, one Cubs fan tweeted back: "One of my all-time favorites … that I'm now unfollowing. Thanks for everything!" So no hard feelings. Most Cubs fans want to see the personable Fowler succeed, at least without messing up their chance of a Cubs repeat. The same couldn't be said of former Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot, who annoyed fans when he said he was on "the right side of the rivalry" in St. Louis. Then he really got under their skin when he won a World Series with the Cardinals. The loss of Fowler probably will affect the Cubs much more than the departure of Aroldis Chapman, who already has been replaced with a closer, Wade Davis, who is in the same neighborhood of elite relievers. Fowler hit .382 leading off the first inning for the Cubs this year with a .479 on-base percentage and 1.185 OPS. Two first-inning at-bats in the postseason proved his value: a nine-pitch battle with the Giants' Jeff Samardzija in Game 2 of the National League Division Series that resulted in a double and led to the first Cubs run; and the leadoff home run off the Indians' Corey Kluber in Game 7 of the World Series. "It's the most underrated thing on our team," Anthony Rizzo said during the playoffs. "He gets on in the first inning and he sets the tone right away." Bobby Dernier called him the best Cubs leadoff hitter he had seen, adding: "And that includes me. Just a joy to watch." Fowler isn't irreplaceable. Albert Almora Jr. and Jon Jay are both defensively superior in center, and Almora has unlimited potential. Ben Zobrist should be a dependable leadoff hitter, assuming he gets the nod. Fowler's intangibles are what set him apart. He was a perfect fit in that clubhouse, providing a calming presence that rubbed off on some of his younger teammates such as Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Addison Russell and Javier Baez. Fowler never stressed out during a slump, never stopped smiling. Losing a key player such as Fowler from a championship team is always a blow. This loss is somewhat reminiscent of the White Sox dealing Aaron Rowand to the Phillies a month after their 2005 title. Though Jim Thome, acquired in the deal, was still a quality hitter, the gritty Rowand personified that '05 Sox team whose motto was "win or die trying." The Cubs' core remains intact, but the clubhouse will be a little less boisterous without Fowler and the retiring David Ross. That's the business of sports. But we have learned time and again from the Blackhawks, who shed

popular players after each of their Stanley Cup-winning seasons, that new stars emerge and a talented core is really what matters. Now Fowler will come back to Wrigley the next five years in a Cardinals uniform, and it's going to take some getting used to. "I look pretty good in red," Fowler tweeted Friday. Not really, but no one around here had the heart to tell him otherwise. -- Chicago Tribune Wade Davis' credentials shine as brightly as more heralded closers By Mark Gonzales Before Wade Davis settled on spending his winters in New York's Hudson Valley with his wife Katelyn, the Florida native was just as comfortable working out with Lake Wales (Fla.) High School baseball players trying to follow in his footsteps. "Wade never tried to act like he was better than anyone,'' coach Jasone Dewitt recalled. "The players looked up to Wade even though Wade never acted like an established big leaguer. He showed them the work ethic when he threw his bullpens or PFPs (pitchers' fielding practice drills). "He always showed what it took to be a good baseball player." Despite being in the shadow of a young and deep Rays starting rotation and, more recently, in the background of a cast of elite relief specialists that includes Aroldis Chapman, Kenley Jansen and Mark Melancon, Davis stands a chance to earn similar riches next winter if he can help the Cubs to a second straight World Series title. "He's as good as they come," Rays pitching coach Jim Hickey said. "You look at his numbers, and they are as good as you would want them." Davis became the first pitcher in major-league history to post consecutive seasons (2014-15) with a 1.00 ERA or lower (minimum 50 innings). Then despite coping with right forearm and flexor issues in 2016, Davis posted a 1.87 ERA in 45 appearances. In the last three seasons, he has allowed only three home runs — all in 2015 — in 1822/3 innings. "Wade has embraced the relief role," former Royals baseball operations/player development assistant Chris Getz wrote in an email. "He's a smart person who prepares well on top of being a great competitor." Getz, now the White Sox's new director of player development, has seen Davis evolve as a pitcher from the time Davis broke two bones in Getz's left wrist in a Triple-A game in 2008 to taking over as a dominant closer near the end of the 2015 season after Greg Holland tore a ligament in his right elbow. "The transition was easy," Royals bullpen coach Doug Henry recalled. "He was throwing with plenty of confidence." That wasn't the biggest switch for Davis, who seemed primed to be part of a formidable young rotation with the Rays. But the competition was thick even before Davis arrived permanently in the majors in 2010. The Rays' rotation consisted of David Price, Matt Garza, James Shields, Jeff Niemann and Davis — who took over for Scott Kazmir when the left-hander was traded to the Angels. "When Wade came up as a starter, it was an extremely competitive environment," Hickey said. "You had all these 20-something guys wanting to throw 200 innings each. Nobody wanted to be that weak link."

But two springs later, Niemann edged Davis for the fifth spot while Matt Moore and Alex Cobb (taking over for an injured Niemann) emerged as starters. Instead of wondering when he might get a chance to start, Davis applied the skills he learned as starter to his new relief role and responded with a 2.43 ERA in 54 appearances. "When we signed him to a team-friendly contract (seven years, $35 million), he turned into a monster," Hickey said. "He could have been a really good starter. "At first he really didn't embrace (relieving). (But) I don't think there was a lot of convincing that it had to be done. " Davis became a full-time reliever two seasons later after the 2013 season with the Royals in which he was 6-10 with a 5.67 ERA in 24 starts, compared with an 0.90 ERA in seven relief appearances. Royals manager Ned Yost informed Davis of their intentions for him to move to the bullpen after Luke Hochevar had season-ending elbow surgery in spring training. "Whatever I do," Davis told Yost, according to the Kansas City Star, "I just want to be good at it." Since becoming a full-time reliever in 2014, Davis has a 1.18 ERA with 47 saves while limiting opponents to a .163 batting average in 185 appearances. Davis has limited opponents to a .216 slugging percentage and a .239 on-base percentage. That success can be attributed to his polished mechanics, sharpness of four pitches he began to master as a starter and a change in his workout routine under trainer Niyan Oladipo, whom he met after his move to the Hudson Valley area, according to the Star. "He has a very simple, smooth delivery for a 6-foot-5 guy," Hickey said. "He had a leg kick and eliminated it to slow down the running game. There are not a lot of moving parts." Unlike most closers who dominate with just one or two pitches, Davis has the ability to keep hitters off-balance with his array of pitches that include a 97 mph fastball, a 93 mph cut fastball and an 85 mph curve. "When he's facing the same team, he can mix it up," said Henry, adding Davis will throw his changeup on rare occasions. "He knows how to pitch. He still can air it out. "His preparation is phenomenal. He watches what he does, watches what hitters do and gives advice, based on what he sees." Davis' transition to the Cubs should be smooth, based on his reunion with manager Joe Maddon, coach Dave Martinez and Royals 2015 World Series hero Ben Zobrist, as well as sharing a fondness for fishing with Jon Lester. Hickey has no lingering concerns about Davis' elbow, based on Maddon's familiarity with Davis. Coincidentally, Dewitt said one of the members of Davis' support staff who convinced him to sign with the Rays for a $475,000 bonus instead of sticking to a commitment to the University of Florida was his second cousin — former Cubs catcher Jody Davis. The only adjustment that could take some time is Davis' jersey number. In 2014, Davis switched his number from 22 to 17 to honor his stepbrother, Dustin Huguley, who collapsed and died of a genetic heart defect after playing in a softball game the previous year. National League MVP Kris Bryant currently wears No. 17 and his replica jersey is the second-highest seller among major-league players.

"Dustin was a sophomore and Wade's catcher during Wade's senior year," recalled Dewitt, now the coach at Sebring High School. "They were very tight. Most kids at 17 that were as good as Wade want to be the center of attention. But Wade wanted to be with Dustin and their teammates. (A decision on the jersey number) is going to be tough." -- Chicago Tribune Dexter Fowler signs with Cardinals: 'I'll be forever grateful I was a Cub' By Mark Gonzales The reality of watching Dexter Fowler in an opposing uniform will come soon enough for the Cubs. They will face Fowler on April 2 in the season-opener against the rival Cardinals at Busch Stadium. "It will be weird," Fowler said after being introduced at a news conference Friday. "But I guess they're our rivals now. They're still my boys, but we're out here to win." Fowler agreed to a five-year, $82.5 million contact that includes a no-trade clause. His new deal calls for a $10 million signing bonus, payable in $1 million installments each July 1 and Oct. 1 for the next five years, and annual salaries of $14.5 million. He gets a full no-trade provision, $50,000 bonuses for making the All-Star Game and winning a Gold Glove, a $25,000 bonus for a Silver Slugger, $100,000 for League Championship Series MVP and $150,000 for World Series MVP. He would get $250,000 for NL MVP, $150,000 for finishing second in voting and $100,000 for third through fifth. He would get $50,000 for Division Series MVP if the award is created. It was inevitable that Fowler, 30, who excelled during two seasons with the Cubs, would depart after the Cubs signed left-handed hitter Jon Jay last week to complement Albert Almora Jr. in center field. "I kind of had a sense," Fowler said. "They made a courtesy call before they signed Jay. I'll be forever grateful I was a Cub." Fowler also was appreciative of the Cardinals' interest after enduring a previous winter in which he didn't receive an offer to his liking until the Cubs came up with a one-year, $8 million contract with a $5 million buyout that enabled him to validate his value and go back on the market for a more lucrative deal. "I've been weathered to withstand anything," said Fowler, adding that he was willing to wait as long as possible for a satisfying deal. Fowler will solidify the top of the Cardinals' order, with Matt Carpenter dropping lower to more of a run-producing spot. "With the Cardinals, they're always in the hunt," Fowler said. With No. 24 retired in honor of manager Whitey Herzog, Fowler will wear jersey No. 25 in honor of Barry Bonds, who started to help mentor him during his final season with the Rockies in 2013. "The rest is history," Fowler said. "We've been working together since then, and he has taught me to be a professional hitter." Fowler and the Cardinals agreed to terms Wednesday night.

The news of his signing started breaking while Fowler was on a plane to St. Louis, and that also created some problems: namely, with his sleep. People started coming up to him while he was trying to take a nap and asking him whether the news was true. "I was like, 'Uh, you know, I don't know,'" Fowler said with a grin. "It was definitely funny." Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer expressed his appreciation for Fowler, who had a .367 on-base percentage during his two seasons with the Cubs and hit a leadoff home run in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series. "He'll have his moment in the sun, and his ring and the moment he deserves," Hoyer told WSCR-AM 670. "He's a wonderful teammate, a wonderful person. "He has done a lot of good things for a lot of people in the city." -- Chicago Sun-Times Dexter Fowler signs with Cardinals, says new team can win it all By Steve Greenberg ST. LOUIS — Many who follow the Cubs will remain fans of Dexter Fowler forever, and why not? He gave the team the best season of his career in 2016, from his red-hot April to his first All-Star Game to his leadoff homer in Game 7 of the World Series. Fowler will be missed on the North side, and the feeling will be mutual. But he has officially moved on — to the Cubs’ biggest rivals, no less. The Cardinals introduced their new center fielder and leadoff hitter Friday at Busch Stadium. “I’m a Cardinal now,” Fowler said, “and I couldn’t be happier.” One year after the Cubs lured outfielder Jason Heyward and starting pitcher John Lackey from St. Louis, the Cardinals got a measure of revenge. At least, that’s how some here are looking at it, even though the Cubs clearly had no plans to try to bring Fowler back into the fold. That was driven home with last week’s signing of former Cardinal Jon Jay, who is expected to share time in center field with Albert Almora Jr. The Cardinals gave Fowler the sort of long-term deal — a reported $82.5 million for five years — that the Cubs wouldn’t have begun to consider offering. But that’s not to suggest Fowler, who’ll wear No. 25 and turn 31 years old a week before the season starts (against the Cubs in St. Louis), doesn’t make last season’s N.L. Central runners-up significantly better. In fact, he was the very piece they needed to help them bridge the gap between them and the Cubs, who finished 17½ games in front in 2016. The insertion of Fowler — who had a career-best .393 on-base percentage last season — at the top of the order enables three-time All-Star Matt Carpenter to slide back down into a run-producing role. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny also can move Randal Grichuk from center field to left field (vacated by new Yankee Matt Holliday), where he should be a defensive standout with his speed and range. Look, it’s not like the Cardinals got Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo or one of the Cubs’ other young superstars. But they are feeling pretty good about themselves. “I feel like this team has a chance to win a World Series,” Fowler said. “That was a big part in coming here, because winning is addictive.” The Cardinals needed a leadoff hitter. They hoped to get more athletic on the field and better on the basepaths. “But Mr. Fowler is more than that,” general manager John Mozeliak said. “We also think about him as a leader. More importantly, he wants to lead. He wants to have a voice in that clubhouse.”

Fowler will miss his former clubhouse, but he’ll get over it. That’s why he’s making the bigger-than-ever bucks. “It’s bittersweet,” he said. “Now (the Cubs) are the rival, but I’ve still got some boys over there. We’ll always be boys. We won a championship together. But when you get on the field, it’s go time. Now we’re playing against each other.” Yet the memories sure are good. Fowler won’t ever forget the way Cubs teammates greeted him at 2016 spring training, after the team surprisingly brought him back on a one-year contract. He won’t forget the “you go, we go” faith Joe Maddon had in his leadoff guy. He even appreciated the respectful manner in which things ended, with Cubs president Theo Epstein giving Fowler a heads-up before the team’s announcement that it had signed Jay. “I’ll be forever grateful that I was a Cub,” Fowler said. “We made history. We won a World Series. But that door is closed. I’m a Cardinal now, and we’re trying to make history over here as well.” -- Chicago Sun-Times World Series means Cubs can do what they want, including gouge By Rick Morrissey Why are the Cubs raising ticket prices so dramatically? Because they can. The public rationale they used to explain their big, fat price increase was a bunch of nonsense. They said they needed to continue to invest in the product, to continue to provide “tremendous access’’ to season-ticket holders and blah, blah, blah. No, they’re raising ticket prices by an average of 19.5 percent for next season because they can. They won a World Series, and now it’s time for everyone to pay up. Because you will. If you were under the impression that the Cubs, led by Tom Ricketts’ down-homey smile, were some sort of quaint farm operation, complete with a quilt on the barn, well, now you know. They want your money, as much of it as they can get, just like every other sports franchise does. That’s the No. 1 goal of every team in sports. You don’t see major-league owners doing whatever it takes to build a winner, their finances be damned, do you? You don’t hear of many baseball teams overspending on players at the risk of going bankrupt, do you? Winning is simply permission to get more of your money, and, boy, are the Cubs winning at that game. The cost of infield club box seats is going up 31 percent next season. Besides building a great team, the Cubs under Ricketts family ownership have added on to what was already a great culture. The team is fun, Wrigley Field is fun and, by association, you’re fun too. But it wasn’t so fun sitting through those miserable rebuilding seasons, and fans deserve better than the hit to the checkbook the Cubs are giving them now. A more incremental price increase would have been a classy “thank you’ to the paying customers who had put up with all that wretchedness. As a reminder, the losing seasons under the Rickettses, starting in 2010: 75-87, 71-91, 61-101, 66-96 and 73-89. What did the Cubs do after they finally broke through with 97 victories in 2015? They raised ticket prices by 10 percent, giving them the third-highest prices in the majors, behind the Red Sox and the Yankees, respectively. The near-20 percent increase for next season could very well make Cubs’ tickets the most expensive in baseball.

There won’t be a fan revolt against it. In case you haven’t heard, the Cubs won a World Series for the first time in 108 years. That trumps everything. You say parking prices are horrendous near Wrigley Field? The Cubs won the World Series. You say you contracted bubonic plague at a Wrigley construction site? The Cubs won the World Series. Couldn’t get into the college you wanted? You’re being audited? She didn’t show up at the altar? The Cubs won the World Series. The franchise knows that if disgruntled season-ticket holders decide not to re-up for next year, a long line of people is ready to take their place. If it thought it could get away with doubling ticket prices without a public-relations mushroom cloud, it would have. And enough of you would have bought the tickets anyway. If there’s anything more empowering than a trophy, I don’t know what it is. Welcome to the big leagues, where might makes right. I think most fans, at least on some level, felt a little dirty after news of the price increase hit. It didn’t sit right. It looked opportunistic, and that’s a nice way of putting it. But for the most part, there was a shrug, not of indifference but of surrender. That shrug said, “What are you going to do?’’ The answer, of course, is nothing. You’re going to take it and swallow it and keep cheering for the champion Cubs. But the increase surely will mean more families being priced out of taking in a game at Wrigley. We’re easily talking a total of $400 or $500 for good seats, food, drink and parking for a family of four. Pull up a chair, junior. You’re watching the game from home. Again, it can’t be stressed enough: The Cubs finally won a World Series. There were few things fans wouldn’t have agreed to in order to make that happen – including giving a warm welcome to a hard-throwing, girlfriend-abusing closer. So it follows that there are few things that are going to get in the way of their buzz over a long overdue championship. But never forget the team’s six-year business plan: We’re going to rebuild this franchise, sell you on hope and promise during reconstruction, and, when the whole thing finally comes to fruition, make you pay through the nose for it. The Cubs sure have a funny way of showing gratitude. --