Cubs have had enough, Montero released

Catcher Miguel Montero says the Chicago Cubs are letting him go, one day after he blamed pitcher Jake Arrieta for allowing seven stolen bases ina game.

Montero posted a series of tweets saying goodbye to fans and the city of Chicago and said on WMVP-AM radio that the Cubs had called to tell him. The team had not announced any moves by early afternoon.

“When the team is not playing well, it’s got to go somewhere and I hope I can be the blame and I hope the team will take off from now and I can be a blame for that,” Montero said.

Montero said he called Arrieta to apologize and that the right-hander was “totally cool” about the situation, understanding that the comments were made in the heat of the moment after the Cubs’ 6-1 loss to the Washington Nationals on Tuesday night.

Montero will be remembered for a huge hit late in Game 7 of the World Series that ended the Cubs’ famous championship drought last fall. But tensions had been simmering since spring training over his role, and he has thrown out just one of 31 potential base stealers this season, hitting .286 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 44 games.

Still, the meltdown Tuesday night was unusually strong: Montero unloaded on Arrieta, saying the Nationals were running all over the right-handed ace who’s struggled of late because they knew he was slow to the plate with his delivery.

“It really sucked because the stolen bases go to me, and when you really look at it, the pitcher doesn’t give me any time,” Montero said. “So it’s just like, ‘Yeah, OK, Miggy can’t throw nobody out,’ but my pitcher doesn’t hold anybody on.”

Anthony Rizzo said that Montero’s comments were unprofessional and not acceptable. “We win as a team, we lose as a team,” Rizzo said. “If you start pointing fingers, I think that just labels you as a selfish player.”