La Stella actually told ESPN Chicago that he thought about retiring this past offseason, and it sounds like it’s still a possibility. He’s not in Des Moines either.
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The Chicago Cubs organization seems to be fully supporting La Stella as he contemplates the future of his baseball career from his home in New Jersey.
“He’s not angry. He’s not upset”, Maddon said. “He’s just at that point now where he doesn’t know exactly what he wants to do”.
The Cubs sent La Stella down to the minor leagues when they activated Chris Coghlan from the disabled list on July 29.
So what’s he been doing the past 11 days? “I told them I know you have a business decision to make”.
“I personally just asked him, ‘Are you content and happy with the move you’re going to make, ‘ and he said, ‘Yeah.’ He has thought about it, and that’s it”.
John Lackey’s dominant pitching performance and the return of power to Willson Contreras and Kris Bryant fuelled more talk Tuesday night of post-season plans for the Chicago Cubs. The reason for the demotion wasn’t because of La Stella’s play specifically, but rather because he had options left and didn’t have to clear waivers, while Coghlan and Matt Szczur both would’ve been exposed to another team claiming them had the Cubs opted to try sending them to the minor leagues. This is where I want to be …
La Stella did not take the news well and the Cubs granted him extra time to report on Iowa.
“I’m not going to go play for someone else”. “I’ve texted and talked to him, and we’ve had other folks talk to him also”.
Nevertheless, manager Joe Maddon said that La Stella, who is batting.295 in 105 at-bats, will need to regain his stroke in the minors before returning. We’re trying to give him the time to do that.
“You hate to see it happen, it’s kind of sad, but that’s the way the game goes”, Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward said before Tuesday’s game. La Stella returned this season because he loves playing the game of baseball with the Chicago Cubs. “I got off the phone feeling really good about it”. “I’m just waiting to hear back from the team and keeping up with all the workouts and training and hitting”. It was just where I was in my life and my career. It’s an accumulation of things.
“I think we have to think through things from an organization standpoint”, Hoyer said. “It’s a bunch of stuff that’s personal to me”.
Maddon said that he and the front office have been in contact with La Stella, as have some teammates and team psychologist Ken Ravizza, who Maddon said spoke to La Stella often while the team was in Oakland this past weekend.
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La Stella’s assertion that he doesn’t want to play for any team but the Cubs is at the heart of this.
