The fickle relationship between Sammy Sosa and the Chicago Cubs may have hit another bump in the road.

	Sammy Sosa Right Field Chicago Cubs Profile
	2000 SEASON STATISTICS HR RBI R AVG OBP SLG 50 138 106 .320 .406 .634

"I want to go to a place where somebody loves me," Sosa told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday. "I've always said I love Chicago, but I'm not going to miss an opportunity. You look at everything I have done for Chicago, and all I want is fair value from them.

"If they don't want to give me that, I will have to go to another place. It's not that I want to, but they aren't giving me a choice. I just can't accept what they are offering. It's not fair. They aren't even talking to us now, and I can't understand that."

According to the Sun-Times, Sosa decided to speak out when Cubs president/general manager Andy MacPhail focused his attention on pursuing free-agent pitcher Mike Hampton.

Sosa can become a free agent after the 2001 season. He's seeking to renegotiate and reportedly wants a six-year deal starting at $17 million per year.

Sosa told the newspaper he is baffled by MacPhail's indifference toward his contributions to the Cubs and by MacPhail's decision to halt contract discussions until January.

"A hometown discount is one thing," said Adam Katz, Sosa's agent. "But for Andy to be 40 percent away from what it should be, that's another thing. We haven't just stepped toward Andy, we have leaped toward him."

Katz said Sosa is open to a trade from the Cubs.

"Sometimes the notion of another team is appealing to him," Katz said. "But this isn't about Sammy stamping his feet and demanding a trade."

MacPhail has said he's not shopping Sosa despite recent inquiries from the Colorado Rockies and Texas Rangers.