Levine: Samardzija Will Consider Cubs, White Sox Equally
By Bruce Levine-
(CBS) -- In town for a series against the White Sox with his Oakland Athletics, the always straightforward Jeff Samardzija sat down with an old friend to discuss his baseball career past, present and future .
Levine: So I want you to fast forward to November of 2015. You are a free agent and the Chicago Cubs and White Sox both have six-year, $130-million contracts on the table. Where do you go and why?
Samardzija: That is a really great question. I think when it comes to situations like that, I hope to be in a position to look at each organization, not just that year but where they are going and what they are looking to accomplish in the long term. Being a starting pitcher, you impact 32 or 33 games that you pitch in. From my perspective, you have to look at the depth of the organization before you decide. I hope teams like the hometown clubs want me. Chicago as a whole has a big enough pull for me. So I have another year of hard work ahead of me to get to that point. I am an Oakland A, and I must keep my eye on the prize while being a good teammate here. I need to get my job done here.
Levine: A story came out that said you had turned down $85 million from the Cubs before you were traded. You didn't respond to the story and just kind of wore it. How did you deal with the idea that people felt you were greedy?
Samardzija: For me at that point, it was about minimizing distractions. I kept my concentration on my job on the field and being a good teammate. I learned from past players to concentrate what you can control. I honestly thought the timing of it ($85 million being leaked) was off. I don't think it was necessary. I did not feel talks had to be happening at the time. So from that perspective, I let other people (my agent) handle it. The offseason is the only time I get involved in that stuff. My job is to concentrate on baseball during the season. A lot of what was out there was speculation and rumors.
Levine: When did you know you were going to be dealt?
Samardzija: From the beginning of the season we knew I was going to be traded. That made all the ancillary stuff easier to ignore and work through. When it goes over a year of contract talks, you know the writing is on the wall. I chose to look at it from a professional point of view. The Cubs had their viewpoint, and we had ours. Everyone respected the others situation.
Levine: You were a Cub for eight years. At what juncture after the trade did the reality kick in that you were no longer with the team that basically you picked out to play for?
Samardzija: It really took some time for me. I kept saying 'we' in referring to the Cubs for a while. You are a creature of habit, and you get caught up with the 25 men you play with. There was a period of time where I had to take a deep breath and step back and re-examine the situation and put my priorities back in line. Since that quick conversion, I have been able to put my heart and soul into this team. They put out a lot of talent to trade for me, and I take that very seriously as a player and person.
Levine: What has life after the Cubs been like for you in Oakland ? How has it been playing meaningful baseball again?
Samardzija: I knew what kind of baseball I liked to play and the game that they play here is all about winning and team play. That is what you want -- no matter if a guy is injured or in a bad mental state, they come out at 7 p.m. and play the game to win.
Levine: What have you learned about your game and the responsibility of playing for a club that expects to you to help them get better and over the hump?
Samardzija: You as a starting pitcher know you must do your job that day to keep the team where it is at. I had to concentrate on not changing too much. I needed to be an addition to the team instead of a side show or thinking about my individual needs. You really get to find out what you are about in big games as a starter. If you are having the same problems with the new team that you did with your previous club, then most likely it is your problem.
Levine: Where do you think the Cubs are at as an organization?
Samardzija: What they are trying to do takes time. With the Cubs' young guys, there will always be a lot of publicity. The same thing happened when I first came up. Did I deserve it at the time? No, I didn't. The Cub fans have that passion for their team, and they know what is going on. You just need a sliding scale with how you rate guys on the field. As a player you look and see, do they hit the fastball? Do they walk? Do they hit in clutch situations late in the game? All those things take time. They have a lot of talent coming up. Like any organization you want to see that transition into the big leagues.
Levine: And your thought on Theo Epstein?
Samardzija: He is really a competitor! He is very resolute as to what he wants to do with his game plan. You appreciate that in a guy that can be influenced by all the people around you. He makes strong decisions, and I know he wants to win. I think sometimes that gets lost in the whole process of rebuilding. When you talk to him one on one, you know his whole thing is winning. We were in just a weird spot with where I was in service time and where I was going to be as a free agent. I feel I have a great relationship with him and the other people there. The positive thing is the relationship remains strong. I am a fan of watching them, as I assume they are still a fan of watching me.
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
