Written by Jesse Rogers at ESPN.com
The Chicago Cubs have designated catcher Miguel Monterofor assignment, one day after he publicly called out starter Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases by the Washington Nationals in a 6-1 loss Tuesday night.
On Tuesday, the catcher criticized Arrieta and the Chicago pitching staff for the Nationals’ baserunning success, saying: “That’s the reason they were running left and right today, because they were slow to the plate. Simple as that. It’s a shame it’s my fault because I didn’t throw anyone out.”
Speaking Wednesday, Montero said he apologized to Arrieta, and the right-hander told reporters that the two were on good terms.
But Cubs president Theo Epstein and manager Joe Maddon both said Montero’s comments necessitated a roster change.
“When something goes wrong on the field we expect our players to take the blame, step up and proactively assume the blame for it, even if it’s not their fault,” Epstein said. “That’s the way to be a good teammate. He completely agreed when it was pointed out to him and he apologized.
“After thinking about it some more, I just came to the conclusion that now more than ever we need to be a team. This was an example of being a bad teammate publicly and that we’d be better off moving on and not standing for it.”
Added Maddon: “Regardless of Jake saying it would not have impacted the clubhouse, I think it would have. There are too many young guys in there that are impressionable. You don’t want to foster, nurture or condone that kind of message.”
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