Cubs rumors fly as Sammy Sosa returns to Chicago for the first time in 17 years

Sammy Sosa is back in the Windy City for the first time since 2007 as he takes part in the Chicago Sports Spectacular in Rosemont and, naturally, as soon as he hit the ground, the questions about a potential reunion with the Chicago Cubs - and PEDs - started flying.

For Sosa's part, he continued his longstanding optimism about him and the organization finally burying the hatchet and returning to Wrigley Field, where he roamed the outfield as the face of the franchise from 1992 to 2004.

"Like I said, I’m a mature man," Sosa told FOX 32's Lou Canellis. "And I think it’s a possibility that we can do that. I’m open. I don’t have a problem with that. I’ve had a lot of misunderstandings in the past. But now I’m a real man. I feel great. I recognize my mistake. So, hey, why not?"

Immediately upon hearing Sosa say he recognized his mistake, Canellis hit him with the proverbial sledgehammer, directly asking him if he's admitted he did, indeed, use steroids during his playing career - something that's been widely accepted in the game for nearly 20 years at this point, despite Sosa's repeated denials. Here's what he had to say when asked, "Are you telling me that you recognize the fact that maybe you did do steroids?"

"Uhm (laughs). This is, uhm, like I say, uhm … This is not a question I expected from you. This is not an interview that I’m really going to sit down with you, you know, for you to come out, you know, with that piece right now. But like I said, I’m a mature man. I feel great. And let’s see what happens."

Cubs continue to hold the line on a potential Sammy Sosa reunion

It seems like Sosa may be moving closer to admitting his past errors, but who knows? It's hard to allow myself to get optimistic about a reunion because Ricketts has drawn that line in the sand, essentially mandating a public apology from Sosa if he ever wants to be welcomed back into the organization in any way, shape or form. To this point, the team's all-time home run leader has refused to do so - and the standoff continues.

Sosa and Ricketts have not spoken about the matter and, when asked for comment, Cubs spokesman Julian Green simply said, "Nothing new to report." So while it's definitely exciting to see him back in the city, regardless of the reason, there are still several steps that would need to be taken if we're ever going to see Sosa back at the Friendly Confines.