Does the free-agent signing of 20-year old outfielder Jorge Soler buttress the view that the Cubs franchise is heading in the right direction? Bleacher Report’s Darrell Horwitz has details.

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Chris Jaffe of the Hardball Times offers his take on Chicago sportswriter Rick Morissey’s Ozzie’s School of Management: Lessons from the Dugout, the Clubhouse, and the Doghouse.

First let’s begin by describing what the book is and isn’t. This is a book written by a local sportswriter about a subject he has quite a bit of access to, the volatile former White Sox (and current Marlins) manager. Aside from covering Chicago sports for a long time, Morrissey spent a ton of time with Guillen in 2011, asking questions, and getting Guillen’s candid thoughts. From there, Morrissey tried to understand and explain what makes Guillen tick.
Which is to say, if you’re expected a work of statistical analysis, my, oh my, are you checking the wrong book. It isn’t that. Nor isn’t it any kind of dry academic work on Guillen’s psyche. In fact, it isn’t even a history of Guillen’s time in Chicago.
It’s what you’d expect a sportswriter to write. For better and for worse, it reads like a sports column that goes on for over 250 pages.

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Congrats to Andre Ethier on his new contract: five years and $85 million with a sixth-year vesting option worth another $15 million. Kevin Kaduk of Big League Stew asks if the Dodgers right fielder is worth the price.

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From Noah Glyn’s post below we learn that the supposedly adorable Philadelphia Phanatic is being sued for tossing a wedding guest into a hotel pool in 2010. It is unknown if the Phanatic attended the reception dressed in gameday garb or was even on the guest list.

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Jon Rauch has received more than his fair share of hate Tweets from psychotics posing as Mets fans, according to the Wall Street Journal’s Brian Costa.