Whereas I thought he kept signing 1 year contracts because he was only a free agent once before this, and that was following a season ended by a knee injury. You're correct (poor memory/research on my part), although I think my point remains unchanged. In recent years, MB has managed to have a pretty short shelf life with teams, whether due to injury, personality, or both. Whether the Cubs chose to suspend him or not seems of little importance at this point. MB's comments indicate that he hates playing in Chicago and is unhappy with the clubhouse/fans/coaching staff/management. The situation has become untenable and the Cubs aren't going to get much in trade.