Over the weekend, Chicago Sun-Times' writer Gordon Wittenmyer wrote in an article on the Cubs' offseason needs entitled, "Hendry insists finding right players more important than making splash", that while Chicago has to replace the first baseman and big middle-of-the-order bat they lost when they dealt Derrek Lee to Atlanta, in spite of the rumors of interest in the papers since August, "[Adam] Dunn's questionable fielding and a sure-to-be-hefty price tag all but rule him out," as an option for the Cubbies.
So it's not too surprising, considering that the Cubs have been the only NL team (other than the Nats) to openly express interest in the 31-year-old free agent first baseman this winter, that reports Monday have Dunn now considering a move to the American League in spite of a long history of quotes from the slugger saying he'd prefer to continue playing the field rather than become a DH. FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal wrote this morning in an article entitled, "Boras overrating Beltre and Crawford?", that Dunn's defense is definitely a concern for the Cubs who already have an infield full of below-average defenders. Are Dunn and his agent just saying they'll consider a move to the American League to maintain some sort of leverage in negotiations with the Nats? (Or any other NL team that might take a chance on the free agent?)
CBSSports.com's Danny Knobler wrote last week that he had spoken to an anonymous AL executive a few months back who said just that, telling Mr. Knobler, "...his guess was that Dunn will consider AL teams at least long enough to try to use them as leverage, but that he would eventually stick in the more comfortable (and DH-less) National League."
According to FOXSports.com's Mr. Rosenthal, though, "Dunn's made clear his distaste for a designated hitter's role,":
"...he isn't about to rule out AL clubs, who comprise nearly one-half of his market. He could seek a longer term in exchange for accepting full-time DH duty."
The A's, Yankees and White Sox have all been mentioned as teams with interest in the free agent bopper. Will a fourth year, which the Nationals are apparently unwilling to give Adam Dunn, be enough to convince him to put the glove away?