As the world turns, waiting to see if Albert Pujols would ever give any actual thought to coming to Chicago -- and whether Theo Epstein and Co. would ever give any actual thought at inking the slugger to a nine-year megadeal -- the Cubs could still face some bad blood in the NL Central.
Reports have come out that the Brewers and Aramis Ramirez are entertaining interest in each other.
FoxSports' Ken Rosenthal tweeted Thursday:
embedly_twitter_1492938background:url(http:a2.twimg.comprofile_background_images54604124Foxsports_background.png) C0DEED; padding:20px; embedly_twitter_1492938 pbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 0px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_1492938 .embedly_tweet_contentbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_1492938 p span.metadatadisplay:block;width:100;clear:both;margin-top:0px;height:40px; padding-bottom: 12px; embedly_twitter_1492938 p span.metadata span.authorline-height:15px;color:999;font-size:14px embedly_twitter_1492938 p span.metadata span.author aline-height:15px;font-size:20px;vertical-align:middle embedly_twitter_1492938 p span.metadata span.author imgfloat:left;margin:0 10px 0 0px;width:48px;height:48px embedly_twitter_1492938 p a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_1492938 p a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_1492938 .embedly_timestampfont-size:13px;display:inline-block;margin-top: 5px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .components-above span.embedly_timestampfont-size:10px;margin-top: 1px;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_1492938 a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_1492938 a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-screen-name font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-full-name padding-left: 4px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-actionsmargin-left: 10px;font-size:13px;display:inline-block;width:250px embedly_twitter_1492938 .components-above span.tweet-actionsfont-size:10px embedly_twitter_1492938 .controlsline-height:12px!important embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-actions a margin-left:5px embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-actions a bfont-weight:normal embedly_twitter_1492938 .components-above span.tweet-actions a bvertical-align:baseline;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_1492938 .components-above .tweet-textfont-size:13px;vertical-align:baseline embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-image float: left; width: 40px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-user-block-image float: left; width: 48px; height: 48px embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-row margin-left: 40px; margin-top: 3px;line-height: 17px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-user-block margin-left: -40px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .stream-item padding-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 12px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .simple-tweet-image img margin-top: 4px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .simple-tweet-content margin: 0 0 13px 0px; font-size: 14px; min-height:48px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .in-reply-to-border border-color: EBEBEB; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0 0; embedly_twitter_1492938 .in-reply-to-text margin-left: 4px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 10px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-actions i background: transparent url(http:a2.twimg.coma1306889658phoeniximgsprite-icons.png) no-repeat;width:15px;height:15px;margin:0 4px -3px 3px;outline: none; text-indent:-99999px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;position:relative; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-actions a.retweet-action i background-position:-192px 0; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-actions a.reply-action i background-position:0 0; embedly_twitter_1492938 .tweet-actions a.favorite-action i background-position:-32px 0; @Ken_Rosenthal
Ken RosenthalSources tell me and @jonmorosi: A. Ramirez visited Angels, offer likely coming. Brewers have also inquired. MLB
Dec 02 via Twitter for MacFavoriteRetweetReply
And now Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel is getting in on the act:
embedly_twitter_70002473background:url(http:a0.twimg.comimagesthemestheme1bg.png) C0DEED; padding:20px; embedly_twitter_70002473 pbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 0px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_70002473 .embedly_tweet_contentbackground:fff;padding:10px 12px 10px 12px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:000;font-size:18px !important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px embedly_twitter_70002473 p span.metadatadisplay:block;width:100;clear:both;margin-top:0px;height:40px; padding-bottom: 12px; embedly_twitter_70002473 p span.metadata span.authorline-height:15px;color:999;font-size:14px embedly_twitter_70002473 p span.metadata span.author aline-height:15px;font-size:20px;vertical-align:middle embedly_twitter_70002473 p span.metadata span.author imgfloat:left;margin:0 10px 0 0px;width:48px;height:48px embedly_twitter_70002473 p a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_70002473 p a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_70002473 .embedly_timestampfont-size:13px;display:inline-block;margin-top: 5px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .components-above span.embedly_timestampfont-size:10px;margin-top: 1px;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_70002473 a color: 0084B4; text-decoration:none; embedly_twitter_70002473 a:hovertext-decoration:underline embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-screen-name font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-full-name padding-left: 4px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-actionsmargin-left: 10px;font-size:13px;display:inline-block;width:250px embedly_twitter_70002473 .components-above span.tweet-actionsfont-size:10px embedly_twitter_70002473 .controlsline-height:12px!important embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-actions a margin-left:5px embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-actions a bfont-weight:normal embedly_twitter_70002473 .components-above span.tweet-actions a bvertical-align:baseline;line-height:12px embedly_twitter_70002473 .components-above .tweet-textfont-size:13px;vertical-align:baseline embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-image float: left; width: 40px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-user-block-image float: left; width: 48px; height: 48px embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-row margin-left: 40px; margin-top: 3px;line-height: 17px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-user-block margin-left: -40px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .stream-item padding-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 12px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .simple-tweet-image img margin-top: 4px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .simple-tweet-content margin: 0 0 13px 0px; font-size: 14px; min-height:48px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .in-reply-to-border border-color: EBEBEB; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 0 0; embedly_twitter_70002473 .in-reply-to-text margin-left: 4px; padding-left: 8px; padding-right: 10px; color: 999; font-size: 12px; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-actions i background: transparent url(http:a2.twimg.coma1306889658phoeniximgsprite-icons.png) no-repeat;width:15px;height:15px;margin:0 4px -3px 3px;outline: none; text-indent:-99999px;vertical-align:baseline;display:inline-block;position:relative; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-actions a.retweet-action i background-position:-192px 0; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-actions a.reply-action i background-position:0 0; embedly_twitter_70002473 .tweet-actions a.favorite-action i background-position:-32px 0; @Haudricourt
TomBrewers Doug Melvin on his interest in Aramis Ramirez: "He has expressed interest in us, too. Thats something I always like to hear."
Dec 02 via webFavoriteRetweetReply
The apparent talk is of having Ramirez play third in Milwaukee with former Cub prospect Casey McGehee splitting time with Mat Gamel at first base in place of Prince Fielder.
MLB
Ramirez would fill some of the hole left in the offense by Fielder's departure and provide "protection" (you know that, always-popular term that sabermetricians generally hate) in the lineup for NL MVP Ryan Braun.
If this really happens, should the Cubs respond by signing Fielder?