Earlier this summer, Chicago Sun-Times' writer Gordon Wittenmyer quoted Chicago Cubs' third baseman Aramis Ramirez in an article entitled, "Zambrano still the man in the middle", saying that he would, obviously, welcome the soon-to-be free agent slugger Adam Dunn to the Cubs if he decided to sign in Chicago this winter. "'Adam Dunn would fit anybody's lineup,'" Ramirez said, "'But they're going to have to spend a lot of money to get Adam Dunn.'" Dunn himself had said earlier in an other article by Mr. Wittenmyer entitled, "Adam Dunn's a Wrigley fan", that, "'[Wrigley Field's] obviously one of my favorite parks to hit in...I've always really enjoyed playing there,'" prompting speculation that's persisted through the end of the 2010 regular season.
Two weeks later ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine quoted Cubs' pitcher Ryan Dempster, Ramirez once again and even Alfonso Soriano discussing the possibililty of Adam Dunn hitting HR's in Wrigley in an article entitled, "A Dunn deal could be what the Cubs need", with Dempster saying he knows, "[Dunn] wants to go somewhere that wants to win. So I guess we’ll see what happens. But it’s nice to know people want to come here and play here," while Ramirez expressed awe at Dunn's power and Soriano, the former National-for-a-year who left D.C. after the '06 season to sign an 8-year/$136 million dollar deal in Chicago, said, "'We don’t have a first baseman right now...Adam Dunn is a great home run hitter. He’d be a great guy to have on the team.'"
Around the same time Mr. Levine's article came out, the Sun Times' Mr. Wittenmyer, in an article entitled, "Cubs sweep up against Cardinals", speculated that the payroll-cutting Cubs probably couldn't afford to sign Dunn since the sort of deal he wants would "leave [Cubs' GM Jim] Hendry without enough room to address more than one area with a significant free agent," but as the season ended this weekend the Cubs' Carlos Zambrano echoed his teammates' previous comments in an article by Chicago Tribune writer Paul Sullivan entitled, "Big Z calls for Cubs to sign Nats slugger Dunn", in which he subtly pointed out where the Cubs should turn for offensive help in the following exchange with reporters:
"If I want to do something with this team, I think we need another good hitter to protect (Aramis Ramirez) and Marlon (Byrd). You know which one I'm talking about.'
"'Adam Dunn?'
"'Yeah, I want that guy,' he said. 'He wants to play for us, not only this year, but two years ago he told me he wants to play at Wrigley Field badly, after he was traded to Arizona from Cincinnati...'"
After the Cubs' starter's comments, the Chicago Tribune's Mr. Sullivan checked in with Aramis Ramirez again, and quoted the Cubs' slugger in an article entitled, "No disrespect: Cubs' Ramirez likes slugger Dunn" reiterating his stance, "'I've said it before, when you add a guy like that, who hits 40 homers every year, it wouldn't hurt,'" and though he doesn't want to insult Xavier Nady, who ended the year at first in Chicago, but is a free agent himself, Ramirez says, "'Zambrano is totally correct. Having a guy like (Dunn) in your lineup is going to help.'"
Adam Dunn told MLB.com's Bill Ladson earlier this week in an article entitled, "Dunn wants chance to play in postseason", that he wants to play once the regular season ends for a change after missing out during his two seasons in D.C. and the previous eight in Cincinnati (as well as two months in Arizona, where he missed out on perhaps his best opportunity when the D-Backs faded from the race in '08 after acquiring the slugger in a late-season deal). In Dunn's own words, as quoted by Mr. Ladson:
"'There are a lot of good players that have never been in the postseason before," Dunn said. 'I don't want to be one of those guys that will look back and be put in that category.'"
Who's closer to a post season appearance right now? The Nats or the Cubs? How about potential contention by the end of a three-year deal, Adam?