http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/10475170Looper interested in pitching for Cubs
Free agent starter Braden Looper, who lives in the Chicago area during the offseason, said during a Monday telephone interview that he'd be interested in pitching for the Cubs in 2010.
"That would be appealing," he said. "You've got to see what your options are. I don't know if they're looking for a starting pitcher, since they have a new owner. But I'm living in Chicago, and I've got three kids in school here, so that would be nice.
"I'm going to look around and see what my options are."
The Brewers declined their $6.5 million mutual option on Looper last month. He received a $1 million buyout and became a free agent, after going 14-7 with a 5.22 ERA in 34 starts this year. After spending most of his career in the bullpen, he has started for the past three seasons.
Looper, 35, said there's "not a lot going on right now" as far as his discussions with clubs. Looper has spent his entire big-league career in the National League and acknowledged that the NL is a "comfort zone" for him.
"I'm pretty open to anything," Looper said. "Even when the Brewers declined my option, they said they were interested in bringing me back. So, I'm sitting back and seeing what happens."
The right-hander's uncle, Benny Looper, is a high-ranking executive with the Phillies. They are one of the many teams that could add a starting pitcher this offseason.
"You never know," Looper said, when asked about the possibility of pitching for his uncle's team. "He's such a character guy that he would let somebody else make that sort of decision. He wouldn't let his heart get in the way of his head." -- Jon Paul Morosi