Cubs' Coghlan has reached out to La Stella

CHICAGO -- Outfielder Chris Coghlan is one of several Cubs players who have reached out to Tommy La Stella, who opted not to report to Triple-A Iowa when he was optioned on July 29. La Stella was batting .295 when he was sent to the Minors to make room for Coghlan.
"I texted him and we've talked," Coghlan said Thursday. "I hate that the media makes it me or him, because it has nothing to do with that. Anyone who has been a part of baseball knows that. There's a lot of things that happen from the quote-unquote political side."
La Stella went home to work out and was placed on the Minor League's temporarily inactive list. He is getting paid, but not earning service time.
Coghlan can understand La Stella's frustration. In February, he was dealt to the Athletics to make room on the Cubs' roster for Dexter Fowler.
"Just like anything in life, some things aren't fair and some things are," Coghlan said. "He's performed and he's chosen to take his route, however he chooses, and that's his decision for his personal career. I can't fault him for whatever decision he makes.
"I understood [the trade in February]," Coghlan said. "I didn't like it because I wanted to be here. You don't get to chose that. I'm the employee. I don't have a choice. I have to go be a professional."
Coghlan said he's never seen a player refuse to report as La Stella has.
"At the end of the day, it's his decision and he's a grown man," Coghlan said. "At the end of the day, we can all speculate, ridicule, encourage, we can choose whatever side of the argument, but it's his personal career and he can choose what decision he wants to make."
• The wind was blowing out at Wrigley Field on Thursday for the 13th time this season. It's favored the pitchers and blown in for 36 home games.
"From a manager's perspective, it's easier to manage in a pitcher's ballpark than a hitter's ballpark," Cubs manager Joe Maddon said before the series opener against the Cardinals. "When you get up there and the wind is in your face all the time, it definitely sends a different thought into a hitter's head. Preference-wise, I'd rather manage in a big ballpark. I'd rather manage a team playing in a big ballpark with pitching and defense."
Of course, if his team hits a lot of home runs into the wind, then Maddon is OK with that, too.