Spring Training may have started yesterday for the Chicago Cubs', but there is one ex-Cubs slugger who is not quite sure where he will be spending his spring in ‘06, let alone his summer. Sammy Sosa rejected the Washington Nationals non–guaranteed contract offer to play for them for one season at $500,000. To say that Sosa's future in the Major Leagues is in doubt is a major understatement, at the very least.

After hitting .221 last season with just 14 HRs and seeing his body type shift from pit bull to toy poodle, retirement is an option that Sosa and his agent are seriously considering. No one wants Sammy to be the man anymore, and Sammy doesn't know how to be anything else. At this point in time, Sosa is about as popular on a baseball diamond as Dick Cheney is on a hunting trip.

Sammy's last chance to showcase his skills and audition for a Major League job opportunity appears to be the World Baseball Classic. Head coach Manny Acta of the Dominican Republic has said that he will keep a spot open on his 30 man roster for Sosa, but Sosa's interest to play in the event has been lukewarm, at best. Sosa has not committed to Acta, and remains a question mark for the Dominican squad. The question is, will Sosa swallow his pride (at 38 yrs old) and scrap for at bats on a stacked Dominican roster (a squad that includes Vlad Guerrero, Manny Ramirez, and Willy Tavares in the outfield and David Ortiz at DH) to prove his worth; or will the man who spiked up like a shot to 5th on the all time home run list just walk away from the game with whatever is left of his unique reputation?

The fall from grace can happen in the blink of an eye in baseball, and the falls seem to be swifter and more severe in today's game than ever before. As of today, the juicy trio of Sammy Sosa, Juan Gonzalez, and Raphael Palmeiro have hit a combined 1,591 career home runs and have zero job offers for the 2006 season.

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Spring Training Note -- Pitchers and Catchers officially reported to spring training yesterday (Wed. Feb. 15th). The Cubs' first full squad work out is scheduled for February 21.