A Toronto newspaper is reporting a possible swap between the Blue Jays and Cubs in which Milton Bradley goes north and Chicago lands center fielder Vernon Wells. The Toronto Sun quotes an unidentified Cubs official saying, "It's early on, but we think this one has some legs. But they aren't the only team we are talking with."

The Cubs have made it clear they want to move Bradley, and there has been interest. The outfielder batted .257 in his first season in Chicago, which ended early when he was suspended for the final 15 games of the season because of detrimental conduct. Bradley has two years remaining on his deal at $21 million. But the catch here is that Wells has six years left on his contract extension, which he signed in December 2006, and $107 million remaining. That includes an $8.5 million installment on his signing bonus due in March.

The deal simply doesn't make much sense for the Cubs, already saddled with Alfonso Soriano's contract, which runs through 2014. A Cubs source told the Chicago Tribune on Saturday that the Bradley-for-Wells deal had "no legs."

Expect a flurry of Bradley rumors this offseason. If we're talking about swapping one bad contract for another, the Cubs may want to consider Gary Matthews Jr., who wants out of Anaheim. He signed a five-year, $50 million contract in 2007. That year, he batted .252 in 516 at-bats. This season, Sarge Jr. hit .250 in 316 at-bats.

The only thing certain is the Cubs plan on moving Bradley, despite hiring his former hitting coach, Rudy Jaramillo.

-- Carrie Muskat

Cubs pitcher Jeff Samardzija threw six shutout innings in Mexicali's 8-1 win over Hermosillo in Mexican League action Friday night. Samardzija struck out seven and walked one, giving up four hits. His ERA now is 2.25.

In Arizona Fall League action, the Mesa Solar Sox played to a 5-5, 11 inning tie against Scottsdale. Starlin Castro did not start, but entered as a defensive sub in the 11th at second base. The infielder is leading the AFL with a .419 batting average. Cubs prospect Blake Parker threw two scoreless innings, walking three. Mesa plays host to Phoenix on Saturday at HoHoKam Park.

In Venezuela, J.R. Mathes served up three home runs over 4 2/3 innings in Caracas' 7-2 loss to Aragua. Mathes gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and three walks.

Andres Blanco went 4-for-5 with one RBI in Magallanes' 13-5 win. Robinson Chirinos also drove in two runs and hit a double.

-- Carrie Muskat

John Gaub blew a save, serving up two runs on two hits in one inning of relief as the Mesa Solar Sox lost 3-2 to the Peoria Javelinas on Thursday in Arizona Fall League action. Gaub entered the game with a 2-1 lead. Starlin Castro started at second base, and went 1-for-3, and third baseman Josh Vitters was 1-for-4. The Solar Sox play at Scottsdale Friday night.

In Mexico, Brad Snyder had two hits, including a two-run homer and a double, and drove in three runs to power Mexicali to a 6-4 win over Culiacan. Brian Schlitter picked up his fourth save.

-- Carrie Muskat

Tom Ricketts and his family were formally introduced Friday in a news conference at Wrigley Field that was spoiled only by the rain. The Ricketts family paid $845 million to purchase the Cubs, Wrigley Field and a 25 percent share in Comcast SportsNet Chicago.

Some highlights of the news conference:

* Tom Ricketts will be chairman of the board with his sister Laura and brothers Pete and Todd on the board of directors. Crane Kenney, who was Cubs chairman, now is team president.

* Tom Ricketts said there could be a "slight" increase in team payroll, and suggested there may be "slight" increase in ticket prices.

* Fans can expect changes to the concourse, restrooms and concessions to improve the experience at Wrigley Field. There has been no talk about PSLs (personal seat licenses) or selling the naming rights of the ballpark.

* They are exploring options for Spring Training, and emphasized that they want to have "world class facilities" for the Cubs. The cities of Mesa, Ariz., and Naples, Fla., are competing for the team. "We're going to get the best facilities," Tom Ricketts said.

* They want Lou Piniella to remain as Cubs manager. "I haven't spent a lot of time with Lou personally," Ricketts said. "We strongly believe he's one of the best managers in baseball and he's the right guy to take us to the next level in 2010."

* They will explore developing the Triangle building on Clark Street, just west of the ballpark, with the hope of upgrading the facilities.

* The Ricketts family's goal is to win a World Series.

"I'll be honest, I think we have a team that can do it next year," Tom Ricketts said. "I'm not going to promise anything; I don't think that does us any good. The fact is, we have the talent and this team next season can go all the way to finish line. The key is, every season, to be able to stand up in complete honesty and say, 'We believe we have enough talent to get it done.' To do that, and be sincere about it and consistent with it, you're going to get it done."

-- Carrie Muskat

 The marquee at Wrigley Field says, "Welcome" to the Ricketts family, who were introduced at a news conference Friday. The only thing that ruined the day was the rain, and that didn't dampen their enthusiasm.

-- Carrie Muskat

Josh Vitters hit a RBI single in a five-run first inning to back Andrew Cashner and lead the Mesa Solar Sox to a 12-5 win over Scottsdale on Wednesday in the Arizona Fall League. Vitters, the Cubs' No. 1 Draft pick in 2007, and Starlin Castro each had two hits and one RBIs. Cashner, the Cubs' top pick in '08, did not give up a run over four innings, striking out four and walking two.

In Venezuela, Robinson Chirinos had three hits including a three-run homer, to help Magallanes beat Caracas, 6-3, on Wednesday. Former Cubs pitcher Sean Gallagher, now with San Diego, picked up the win, pitching five innings.

-- Carrie Muskat  

The Ricketts family will be introduced on Friday at Wrigley Field as the new owners of the Cubs. They purchased the team, Wrigley Field and a 25 percent share in Comcast SportsNet Chicago from Tribune Co. and Sam Zell for $845 million.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Zell was asked whether buying the Tribune Co. was the worst business decision he had ever made.

"It's certainly the most amount of money I've ever lost in a single deal," Zell said.

As for the Cubs, Zell apparently was unaware of Tuesday's closing date. He did say he was happy for the Ricketts family.

"I think the team should be owned by somebody who is local, somebody who is really passionate about baseball," Zell said. "I happen to be local. I'm not passionate about baseball, so I wish them all the best of luck. And maybe we'll break the 101-year curse."

-- Carrie Muskat

Cubs prospect Robinson Chirinos drove in four runs, scored two, and finished a triple short of the cycle in Magallanes' 11-7 win over Aragua in Venezuela Tuesday night. Chirinos was batting .455 in 10 games. Andres Blanco added a three-run homer for the Navegantes.

In the Arizona Fall League on Tuesday, Blake Parker was the losing pitcher in Mesa's 6-5 loss to the Peoria Saguaros. Zack Cozart doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly off Parker in the ninth for the walkoff win.

-- Carrie Muskat

Starlin Castro had two hits and Josh Vitters had a double in the Mesa Solar Sox's 9-5 loss to Phoenix on Monday. Rays prospect Nevin Ashley hit a grand slam in the ninth to give Phoenix the win. Cubs pitching prospect John Gaub threw a scoreless eighth in relief.

-- Carrie Muskat

Jeff Samardzija gave up four runs, five hits, and four walks over five innings in Mexicali's 9-4 win over Navojoa on Sunday. Samardzija struck out three, and left with the game tied at 3. He did not get a decision. Brad Snyder hit a two-run single in the first and a RBI single in the eighth. Mexicali rallied with five runs in the eighth for the win. Samardzija was expected to make two more starts in the Mexican League.

In the Arizona Fall League, the Mesa Solar Sox play Phoenix on Monday. The AFL was off on Sunday.

-- Carrie Muskat

Could the Cubs move their Spring Training site to Florida? A Naples, Fla., newspaper reports a group was formed four months ago for the purpose of making Collier County the Spring Training home of the Cubs. The Florida group has met with Cubs chairman Crane Kenney and Tom Ricketts, whose family is taking over as the team's owner.

"The Chicago Cubs are exploring Naples, Fla., as a potential Spring Training venue and have been working with Chicago-based Esmark and Naples-based Fifth Avenue Advisors in that regard," Kenney confirmed in a statement to the Naples (Fla.) Daily News. "Our site visits and discussions confirm that Collier County has a number of suitable locations for a world-class Spring Training facility."

Cubs officials toured the area by helicopter to see what locations may be suitable. Craig Bouchard, who is a co-founder of Esmark Inc., said it was clear after their meeting that Ricketts and Kenney's "objective is to do what is best for Cubs fans. They want to win a World Series. And they want to build the very best organization they can."

The Cubs are believed to be looking for 120 contiguous acres. The Sports Management Division of Esmark is a principal sponsor of the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Bouchards are principal owners of the Naples Tennis Club. Craig Bouchard, is a Cubs fan, and was an official with First National Bank of Chicago. He still has a home in the Chicago area.

The price tag for the venture could exceed $80 million, the newspaper reported. Bouchard said they are pursuing every avenue, public and private, to finance the project and not raise property or sales taxes of the residents of Collier County.

"I committed to Crane that Esmark will invest and take a leadership role in the stadium project," Bouchard said.

The Cubs' 25-year lease with the city of Mesa expires in 2016. The team has an escape clause, which allows the Cubs to pay $4.2 million to the city next spring in order to leave Mesa in 2012. Recent studies have shown that the Cubs bring in more than $52 million to Arizona, and more than $30 million to the city of Mesa.

The Cubs have called Mesa their Spring Training home since the 1950s, and permanent home since 1979.

"We are still a long shot," Bouchard said of Naples as a site for the Cubs, "but I agree with the mayor of Mesa that we are a serious threat. We offer an outstanding destination for families, award-winning beaches and a belief we can put together a proposal that is favored by the Cubs. Sometimes, long shots win."

Collier County has never had a Spring Training team. The Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins play nearby in Fort Myers.

Ricketts was expected to tour four sites in Mesa in November during the Cubs' organizational meetings.

-- Carrie Muskat

Cubs prospect Blake Parker blew a save Saturday but ended up with the win as the Mesa Solar Sox rallied for a 4-3, 10-inning win over Surprise. Parker served up back to back homers to Mets first-round pick Ike Davis and Yankees prospect Brandon Laird in the ninth, but the Solar Sox won the game on a two-out solo homer by David Cooper in the 10th.

Sunday is an off day in the Arizona Fall League, and the Solar Sox return to action Monday at Phoenix.

* In the Mexican League, Matt Camp posted his second three-hit game, scored two runs and drove in two in Mexicali's 9-7 loss to Navojoa on Saturday. Camp, who was the Cubs' 13th round pick in 2006 and converted to an infielder prior to the '09 season, now is hitting .750.

* In Venezuela, J.R. Mathes threw five scoreless innings, giving up eight hits, for Caracas in a 9-0 win over Magallanes. Mathes now is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA.

Cubs prospect Robinson Chirinos hit a double for Magallanes in the game. Chirinos batted .300 in 69 games with Class A Daytona this season and .257 in 12 games for Double-A Tennessee. Second baseman Jonathan Mota was batting .350 for Aragua in Venezuela.

-- Carrie Muskat

In the Arizona Fall League, Starlin Castro walked twice and scored two runs in the Mesa Solar Sox's 11-10 loss to the Peoria Saguaros on Friday. Josh Vitters was 1-for-4 for Mesa, which will travel to Surprise on Saturday.

In the Mexican League, Cubs prospect Brian Schlitter blew a save but picked up the win in Mexicali's 10-inning 9-8 win over Navojoa on Friday. Matt Camp went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs and scored three runs. He's batting .389. Brad Snyder was 4-for-5 with two RBIs for Mexicali, which is managed by Iowa Cubs skipper Bobby Dickerson.

In Venezuela, Andres Blanco drove in two runs in a six-run 13th inning, hitting his second triple of the game, to lead Magallanes to a 10-4 victory over La Guaira on Thursday. Blanco also doubled and scored twice.

-- Carrie Muskat

Andrew Cashner, the Cubs' No. 1 pick in 2008, gave up one run on three hits in 3 2/3 innings Thursday to take the loss in the Mesa Solar Sox's loss to Scottsdale. Cashner struck out one, and now is 0-2 in Arizona Fall League play.

Reliever John Gaub, whom the Cubs acquired in the Mark DeRosa deal, was hit hard, giving up four runs on four hits over one inning.

Starlin Castro was the DH Thursday, and went 1-for-4 with a double. He's batting .481 in the AFL. On Friday, Mesa plays at Peoria, AZ, against the Saguaros.

-- Carrie Muskat

GM Jim Hendry says Rudy Jaramillo's success with Milton Bradley in Texas had nothing to do with the Cubs' decision to hire him as the Major League team's hitting coach. Bradley led the American League in on-base percentage in 2008 and batted .321 under Jaramillo's tutelage. Hendry had suspended Bradley at the end of the '09 season for the final 15 games, and was talking to teams in an attempt to trade the outfielder and the $21 million still owed on his contract.

"We play the cards that we have," Hendry said Wednesday at the news conference at Wrigley Field announcing Jaramillo as the Cubs new hitting coach. "Milton's on the Cubs' roster. That's how we go about it until somebody's not on the Cubs roster. [Jaramillo's relationship with Bradley] didn't have any connection. We could've had 20 different guys on our roster and Rudy would still be sitting here today as our No. 1 guy."

When asked about Bradley, Jaramillo had nothing but positive things to say.

"This young man has all the talent in the world," Jaramillo said. "He worked hard. When he came in [to Texas], I knew my job was, 'Hey, I have to win this kid over.' It took me a while. He was a good student. He had an outstanding year for us. He still has a lot of baseball left. We got along great. I knew kind of what buttons to push. He started trusting me, and we started to get that rapport and things started to get better and better and he led the league in on-base percentage and slugging, so his ability is still there, there's no doubt in my mind."

Jaramillo did not talk to Bradley this past season, but did talk to Cubs manager Lou Piniella a couple times to try to help get the outfielder back on track. Would he like to work with Bradley again?

"That's not my choice," Jaramillo said. "I'll work with anybody. I can get along with anyone. I don't know what his status is or whatever. I have no problem [with Bradley]."

-- Carrie Muskat

Starlin Castro went 4-for-5 with one RBI and scored two runs in the Mesa Solar Sox's 14-10 loss to the Peoria Javelinas Tuesday in Arizona Fall League play. Castro, 19, was batting .522 so far. The Solar Sox travel to Scottsdale on Wednesday.

In the Mexican League on Tuesday, Jeff Samardzija gave up four unearned runs over three innings in Mexicali's 6-4 win over Guasave. Samardzija was making his third start, and he walked one, gave up four hits, and struck out six. He now has a 1.38 ERA in three games.

-- Carrie Muskat

It's been interesting to read some of the speculation regarding the Cubs and hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo. On Monday, one scribe said the team had offered him $800,000 a year. Fact is, Jaramillo had yet to interview. He was waiting for a phone call Monday from GM Jim Hendry to set up a meeting. Also, Cubs Minor League roving hitting instructor Dave Keller has not talked to Hendry about the vacancy, as some have speculated. Keller and Hendry were in Arizona last week, but did not chat about the job.

There could be news this week once Hendry has a chance to meet with Jaramillo, 59, who opted to leave the Texas Rangers when that team refused to offer a multi-year deal. Another coach available is Carney Lansford, who was recently relieved of his duties by the Giants. His son, Josh, is a pitcher in the Cubs' Minor League system.

-- Carrie Muskat

Starlin Castro shifted over to second base Monday for the Mesa Solar Sox, and went 1-for-4 in a 8-1 loss to the Peoria Javelinas in Arizona Fall League play. Castro has played shortstop in the Cubs' Minor League system. Maybe the Cubs are considering him for 2010 at second? Mesa third baseman Josh Vitters, the Cubs' No. 1 Draft pick in 2007, was 0-for-4.

-- Carrie Muskat

Cubs catcher Koyie Hill is throwing a party on Dec. 5 in Wichita, KS, to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Kansas. Cubs players past and present such as Ryan Dempster, Ryan Theriot, Randy Wells, and Rick Sutcliffe, plus other big leaguers will take part in the event at the Hartman Arena. There will be a silent auction, followed by a Tracy Byrd Concert, and then a live auction. The VIP tables are nearly sold out, and Hill wanted people who have shown interest to know that proxies will be available and phone numbers as well on the Big Wish Kansas website closer to the Dec. 5 date.

Anyone interested in more information should go to: www.bigwishkansas.com

-- Carrie Muskat

Cubs prospect Welington Castillo hit a two-run homer in a five-run seventh inning to spark the Mesa Solar Sox to a 6-4 win Saturday night over the Peoria Saguaros in Arizona Fall League play. John Gaub, whom the Cubs acquired in the Mark DeRosa trade with Cleveland, picked up the win in relief, and Blake Parker, who had 22 saves at Triple-A Iowa, notched a save.

The Solar Sox have Sunday off and resume play Monday, playing host to the Peoria Javelinas at HoHoKam Park.

-- Carrie Muskat

Rudy Jaramillo, whom the Cubs are expected to interview, has watched hitters for 30 years, and has come up with what he calls five simple steps to hitting.

"It's not like I'm trying to re-invent the swing," Jaramillo said Saturday in an interview.

His steps include: 1, finding a good rhythm; 2, timing a pitcher's release point to best see the pitch; 3, separation of hands and footwork; 4, staying square and back; and 5, good weight shift. "Hitters have to learn how to combine all those five steps into one," said Jaramillo, 59, who does not try to fit every hitter into the same mold.

Those steps are just one phase of the process. Jaramillo says the most important part of hitting is the mental part of the game. "I pride myself in teaching situational hitting," he said, which is definitely something the Cubs could improve on. Chicago batted .241 with runners in scoring position; only Arizona was worse in the National League at .240.

Rangers president Nolan Ryan said he was bothered by the team's lopsided walk-to-strikeout ratio, and that the hitters struck out too much.

"What was different," Jaramillo said of the 2009 season in Texas, "was we had so many rookies and second-year guys. It's not that they didn't have the ability; they just didn't have the experience."

Jaramillo, who had been the Rangers hitting coach since 1995, says he could see improvement at the end of the season. "You just have to be patient," he said.

He did talk to Cubs manager Lou Piniella this season about Milton Bradley, who was one of Jaramillo's prize students in 2008. Bradley led the American League in on-base percentage that year and batted .321. The one thing the Cubs didn't expect when they signed him to a three-year deal was for Bradley not to hit. The switch-hitter batted .257 overall, and .231 from the left side. Jaramillo said he didn't see Bradley enough to explain the dropoff in his hitting.

Just because the Cubs are interested in Jaramillo becoming their hitting coach does not mean the team will keep Bradley. The outfielder was suspended for the final 15 games after detrimental conduct, and the Cubs were expected to try to trade him this offseason.

Jaramillo is under contract with the Rangers through Oct. 31 but the team granted the Cubs permission to talk to him, and he expected to meet with GM Jim Hendry this week.

-- Carrie Muskat 

Right-hander Thomas Diamond, whom the Cubs claimed off waivers from the Rangers, struck out five, did not walk a batter and gave up one hit in three innings early Saturday at Fitch Park in Mesa against the Angels. It was the last Instructional League game for the Cubs' Minor Leaguers.

The next step for Diamond, who had Tommy John surgery in March 2007, is to go to Mexico to pitch for Mexicali. That's where Jeff Samardzija has been pitching. In his second start on Thursday, Samardzija gave up one run on six hits over six innings and struck out four. He did not walk a batter. Samardzija has been working on developing a curveball.

"He's putting them away with splitters and spotting his fastball," Cubs player development director Oneri Fleita said of Samardzija. "We've tried to throw as much as we can at Jeff and, in fairness to him, he's starting, he's relieved, he's had to sit around six or seven days between outings. It's tough to learn his craft at the Major League level that way.

"This will be a great opportunity for him to go Mexico, get his legs under him, really work on his second and third pitches, learn command," Fleita said. "Guys who are great athletes and have the determination he has, I'm betting on those guys every day of the week."

* The Cubs have released outfielder So Taguchi, 39. He batted .248 at Triple-A Iowa, and was 3-for-12 in six games with the big league team when called up in September.

-- Carrie Muskat

Andrew Cashner gave up one home run in 24 games combined for Class A Daytona and Double-A Tennessee this season. On Friday, the right-hander served up a three-run blast in the first inning of his first Arizona Fall League outing. Brandon Laird connected off Cashner, the Cubs' 2008 No. 1 Draft pick, who was starting for the Mesa Solar Sox.

"I thought I threw the ball well," Cashner said of his outing. "It's the first time out, and hopefully it'll get better from here and I'll learn from my mistakes."

Cashner was on a pitch count all summer, and didn't go over 85 pitches in a game in the Minor Leagues. He also is on a pitch count in the Fall League, and was pulled after 37 pitches. He struck out two, walked one, and gave up three hits.

"It's been a long season, just from starting early and throwing and getting sidelined with the oblique," said Cashner, who was injured in his first Spring Training appearance with the Cubs.

The oblique forced him to miss a month. Cashner rallied, and appeared in 12 games for Daytona, 12 for Tennessee. In his last outing for the Double-A team, he threw seven scoreless innings, giving up two hits. What's next?

"I don't know what they have planned for me," said Cashner, unsure if he's projected as a starter or reliever. "I'm going to go out there to do the best I can."

-- Carrie Muskat

The Cubs have asked the Rangers for permission to talk to Rudy Jaramillo about filling their hitting coach vacancy. Jaramillo, 59, broke ties with the Rangers when the team offered a one-year deal for 2010, not a multi-year contract. Jaramillo is at the top of the Cubs' list to fill the job. Cubs GM Jim Hendry would not confirm whether he's talked to Jaramillo, who has been the Rangers hitting coach since 1995, and is still under contract until Oct. 31.

-- Carrie Muskat 

Josh Vitters was 2-for-4 in the Mesa Solar Sox's 12-5 loss to Surprise on Thursday. Andrew Cashner, the Cubs' No. 1 Draft pick in 2008, will make his Arizona Fall League debut on Friday when he starts against Surprise in Mesa.

-- Carrie Muskat

Mark DeRosa loved him. DeRosa gave Rudy Jaramillo credit for making him a better hitter in 2006 when he batted .296 with the Rangers, hitting a then career-high 13 homers and driving in 74 runs. Jaramillo helped Milton Bradley in his one season in Texas when Bradley led the American League in on-base percentage, and batted .321 with 22 homers and 77 RBIs. Those are numbers the Cubs never saw.

On Wednesday, the Rangers announced they are bringing back all of their coaches except Jaramillo. Texas general manager Jon Daniels said: "Rudy Jaramillo has been a consummate professional and great asset to the Rangers, and we wish him luck in his future endeavors."

The Cubs are looking for a hitting coach after deciding at the end of the season to retain all of Lou Piniella's coaching staff except Von Joshua. Joshua had taken over in June for Gerald Perry, who was relieved of his duties. The Cubs have invited Joshua to return to their Minor League system.

Jaramillo is still under contract to the Rangers through Oct. 31, and then becomes a free agent. Cubs officials declined to comment on Jaramillo because it would be tampering, just like with a player under contract. But a team source did say they will likely to talk to Jaramillo, who was the Rangers hitting coach from 1994-2009. The only name GM Jim Hendry has mentioned for the job is Cubs Minor League hitting coordinator Dave Keller, and Keller had yet to be interviewed.

The Cubs have worked with Jaramillo already. This season, Piniella contacted him for help in getting Bradley on track. Bradley was not expected to return to the team after he was suspended for the final 15 games because of detrimental conduct. Just because the Cubs may be interested in Jaramillo doesn't mean Bradley will return.

Besides DeRosa, Jaramillo helped develop Jeff Bagwell, Juan Gonzalez, Ivan Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira and Michael Young. Entering the 2009 season, Rangers hitters had won 17 Silver Slugger awards, four MVPs, three home run titles, and three RBI crowns under Jaramillo. He wanted a multi-year contract and the team only offered a one-year deal. Jaramillo said he was not "bitter" at what happened but decided to make a move.

"This is my decision," Jaramillo told MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. "I want to go out there and see where I stand in the game."

-- Carrie Muskat

John Gaub, the left-handed pitcher whom the Cubs acquired in the Mark DeRosa deal with Cleveland, made his Arizona Fall League debut Wednesday. Gaub gave up one run on three hits over one inning and struck out two. He hit 96 mph on one fastball, and was consistently in the 92-93 mph range.

James Russell took the loss in relief in the Mesa Solar Sox's 4-2 loss to Phoenix at HoHoKam Park. Russell, another Cubs prospect, gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits over two innings. Blake Parker, who had 22 saves at Triple-A Iowa, also pitched one inning in relief, and struck out two.

Josh Vitters had three hits, including a double, and Starlin Castro had a double in the game.

* The Cubs have yet to begin interviews for the hitting coach vacancy on the big league team. One name that will likely be considered is Rudy Jaramillo, whom the Texas Rangers said will not return. Jaramillo is still under contract through Oct. 31.

* Cubs pitcher Angel Guzman has started rehabbing at the team's Mesa facility. He was shutdown before the regular season ended because of soreness in his right side and tricep.

* Thomas Diamond, whom the Cubs claimed on waivers from Texas, will start the final Instructional League game Saturday in Mesa, then join the Mexicali team and get more innings in there. Diamond hopes to be starting again in 2010.

* The Cubs will send eight players to their academy in the Dominican Republic for four weeks. The group includes Rebel Ridling, Ryan Flaherty, DJ LeMahieu, Logan Watkins, Brett Jackson, Matt Cerda, Sergio Burruel, and Kyler Burke.

"It's a reward and a 'keep going' kind of thing," Cubs Minor League hitting coordinator Dave Keller said of the trip. "We want them to work on stuff but also enjoy themselves."

* Jeff Samardzija will make four to five starts for Mexicali in the Mexican Winter League. He made his first last Friday, going four innings. Samardzija is working on developing a curve ball to go along with his changeup.

-- Carrie Muskat

Cubs prospect Starlin Castro went 3-for-5 with three RBIs Tuesday for the Mesa Solar Sox in a 10-6 win over Phoenix to kick off the Arizona Fall League. Castro was the only Cubs player to see any action Tuesday, and he was the designated hitter. He was expected to start Wednesday along with third baseman Josh Vitters, and pitchers John Gaub, Blake Parker and James Russell were scheduled to pitch when the Solar Sox play host to Phoenix at HoHoKam Park at 6:35 p.m. Arizona time.

* In Instructional League play in Scottsdale, Cubs Minor Leaguer Drew Rundle, who is being converted from outfielder to pitcher, appeared in his first game on the mound, and retired the side in order. Rundle was the Cubs' 14th round pick in 2006.

Thomas Diamond, whom the Cubs claimed off waivers from Texas on Sept. 4, started the game against the Giants' team. The squad had a pretty impressive looking outfield in Brandon Guyer, June 2009 No. 1 Draft pick Brett Jackson and Kyler Burke, the organization's Minor League Player of the Year.

-- Carrie Muskat

The Ricketts family moved one step closer to being handed the keys to Wrigley Field. A U.S. bankruptcy court judge ruled Tuesday that the Tribune Co. and Cubs can proceed with the team's $845 million sale to the Ricketts family.

"The Ricketts family is pleased that they've made another significant step toward taking majority control of the Cubs," the family said in a statement. "They look forward to getting to work on leading the team to a championship."

The bankruptcy judge had already cleared Tribune Co. to sell the team and Wrigley Field. The Cubs filed separately for Chapter 11 on Monday to protect the Ricketts so creditors in Tribune Co.'s own bankruptcy case would have no claim against the company.

The Cubs cited assets of $1.42 billion and liabilities of $1.26 billion, but the team's finances weren't in question. The bankruptcy filing was done to ensure the team can't be hit with claims by Tribune creditors because the Cubs weren't covered when Tribune filed for Chapter 11 last December.

The deal was expected to be completed by the end of October. The sale has been approved by Major League Baseball owners.

Tribune Co. filed for bankruptcy in December but the Cubs and related assets were left out of the case so it could continue the sale process. On Aug. 21, Tribune Co. reached a deal with the Ricketts family, which would purchase the Cubs, Wrigley Field and a 25 percent stake in Comcast SportsNet Chicago. Tribune Co. would retain 5 percent.

Tribune bought the Cubs in 1981 for $20.5 million from the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.

The sale price will top the record $660 million paid for the Boston Red Sox and its related properties in 2002.

The Cubs' bankruptcy filing is not the first for a Major League team. The Baltimore Orioles were sold in a bankruptcy auction in 1993 after owner Eli Jacobs filed for Chapter 11. The same happened to the Seattle Pilots after the 1969 season. The new owners moved the team to Milwaukee and changed the name to the Brewers.

The Phoenix Coyotes of the NHL filed for Chapter 11 protection in May.

-- Carrie Muskat

The Cubs filed for bankruptcy on Monday, a move designed to help the Tribune Co. transfer the team to its new owners. The Cubs are not in financial trouble; the move is connected to the Tribune Co.'s own Chapter 11 bankruptcy case that began in December.

Now that the Tribune Co. has finalized a deal to sell the team to the Ricketts family, it is passing the Cubs through bankruptcy court to give the new owners comfort that creditors in the original case have no claim against the company. The Tribune Co. filed for bankruptcy in December, and at the time, was $13 billion in debt.

The Cubs' stay in bankruptcy is expected to last one day. The judge in the Tribune Co. case has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday.

The judge already has approved Tribune Co.'s transaction with the Ricketts family. Under the terms of the deal, the Cubs, Wrigley Field and 25 percent of Comcast SportsNet Chicago will be placed in a limited partnership, and the Ricketts will own 95 percent of that. Tribune Co. will retain 5 percent.

The Ricketts family will contribute $823 million to the partnership. Tribune Co. will receive about $740 million after taxes and other adjustments.

Once the bankruptcy judge clears the Cubs' case, the Ricketts family was expected to close the deal by the end of October.

-- Carrie Muskat

The Gila River Indian Community is trying to lure the Cubs from Mesa to an area south of Phoenix. According to the East Valley Tribune, the tribe traveled to Chicago to meet with Cubs management. There is a 500-room Sheraton resort and a golf course, plus a 400-acre business park along Interstate 10 near Chandler and Ahwatukee Foothills on the Gila River Indian reservation.

Mesa Mayor Scott Smith has tried to discourage other Arizona communities from talking to the Cubs. He says the team's fans spread money across the Valley, which helps all cities, so everyone should join forces to keep the team in Mesa. According to the Arizona paper, Mesa is marketing several sites near the city's eastern edge, which would allow the Cubs to build a larger stadium and better practice facilities.

Representatives of the city of Mesa will make one more presentation in November, when Cubs management visits the Arizona city. The delegation is expected to include new owner Tom Ricketts.

How important are the Cubs to Arizona? A study showed the Cactus League would lose $31.1 million and the state would lose $52 million if the team left Mesa. The team has called Mesa home since 1979. Two Florida communities also have expressed interest in the Cubs, including Naples.

-- Carrie Muskat

Jeff Samardzija gave up one run on three hits and two walks over four innings, striking out two, in Mexicali's 13-4 loss to Hermosillo on Friday night. It was Samardzija's first Winter Ball game, and the first game of the Mexican Winter League. The right-hander did not get a decision. Matt Camp was 3-for-4 and Brad Snyder 1-for-4 for Mexicali, which is managed by Cubs' Triple-A Iowa manager Bobby Dickerson.

-- Carrie Muskat

Jeff Samardzija didn't get much of an offseason. The right-hander was scheduled to start Friday night for Mexicali against Hermosillo in the Mexican League opener. Iowa manager Bobby Dickerson is the Mexicali skipper, and Samardzija will have three other Cubs Minor Leaguers on the roster in Brian Schlitter, Matt Camp and Brad Snyder.

Samardzija's last start for the Cubs on Oct. 1 was rained out. The right-hander gave up three runs over three innings before nature intervened. He finished 1-3 with a 7.53 ERA in 20 games, including two starts.

"The kid needs to pitch Winter Ball," Lou Piniella said after Samardzija's last outing. "He's on the right path. He just needs to work on the things he's working on and get more consistent with it and Winter Ball will give him that opportunity."

The right-hander is a candidate for a spot in the Cubs' rotation in 2010.

-- Carrie Muskat

Tuesday's 12-inning AL Central tiebreaker between the Twins and Tigers was the most viewed for a postseason play-in game since the 1998 Wild Card playoff game between the Cubs and Giants. The Twins-Tigers drew an average audience of 6.54 million viewers. Of the six one-game postseason play-in games since the Wild Card era, only the Cubs and Giants delivered a larger network audience.

The Cubs-Giants game, played at Wrigley Field, was watched in 6.1 million homes on ESPN and 1.4 million additional homes on over-the-air networks in Chicago and San Francisco. ESPN got an 8.1 rating for that game.

-- Carrie Muskat

MLB Trade Rumors has sorted out the projected Type A and B Free Agents. The Cubs have two in each category:

Type A Free Agent

John Grabow
Kevin Gregg

Type B Free Agent

Rich Harden
Reed Johnson

The Cubs would like to keep Grabow, and already have had talks with his agent. Harden and Johnson could stay, but it depends on their contract demands.

* Also, players with three to six years of big league service are arbitration eligible. The Cubs will have until Dec. 12 to tender the following players contracts:

IF Jeff Baker

LHP Neal Cotts

IF Mike Fontenot

LHP Tom Gorzelanny

RHP Angel Guzman

RHP Aaron Heilman

C Koyie Hill

RHP Carlos Marmol

LHP Sean Marshall

SS Ryan Theriot

Players with between two and three years of big league service time are eligible as "Super Twos" if they both collected at least 86 days the prior year and rank in the top 17 percent in total service time of this group. Fontenot and Gorzelanny qualify as Super Twos.

-- Carrie Muskat 

The Cubs will bring their entire coaching staff back for 2010 with the exception of hitting coach Von Joshua. GM Jim Hendry says Joshua didn't do anything wrong, but there wasn't significant improvement. That, Hendry said, prompted him to look for someone else.

Joshua, who was the Triple-A Iowa hitting coach, had taken over the big league job on June 14, replacing Gerald Perry, who was fired.

"There's no blame to be handed out," Hendry said. "We had a lot of guys who didn't swing the bats like they're capable of. When Von came up, we were scuffling, and we never made a lot of progress in the same areas that we were deficient in the first half."

The Cubs finished with a team .255 batting average, 12th in the National League. They struggled this season to deliver with runners in scoring position, and scored 707 runs. Last year, the Cubs led the NL with 855 runs scored.

-- Carrie Muskat

Sean Marshall and Jeff Stevens got one more game of pre-game frisbee in on Sunday at Wrigley Field. Reed Johnson was packing his locker up for his drive home. Jeff Samardzija was prepping for his Mexican League stint in Mexicali. Johnson, Sam Fuld, and Geovany Soto were all gearing up for new babies this offseason.

"After today," GM Jim Hendry said, "we're going to put [the season] behind us and start working on putting together a better club for Spring Training."

* Lou Piniella planned on meeting with the players to thank them for their efforts and say goodbye. An official announcement was expected Monday or Tuesday, but Piniella's coaching staff was expected to be retained.

* Ryne Sandberg was expected to be invited back to manage in the Cubs Minor League system in 2010. Piniella didn't want to get involved in whether Sandberg would replace him.

"I'm not the one who will be hiring the next manager here," Piniella said.

* Here are some World Series picks:

Alfonso Soriano: Yankees over Phillies

Justin Berg: Yankees over Cardinals

Sean Marshall: Yankees over Cardinals

Jake Fox: Red Sox over Cardinals

Micah Hoffpauir: Red Sox over Phillies

Kevin Gregg: Tigers over Cardinals

Aaron Miles: Phillies over Yankees

Len Kasper: Yankees over Cardinals

John Grabow: Yankees over Cardinals

-- Carrie Muskat

Here's the lineup for the Cubs' final game of the regular season:

SS Theriot

LF Taguchi

1B Lee

3B Fox

2B Baker

RF Johnson

C Soto

CF Fuld

P Dempster

-- Carrie Muskat

Cubs fans should know Aaron Miles is more upset about this season than anyone else. The infielder, who entered Saturday's play batting .185, won't use injuries as an excuse, but heading into the offseason, he's still bothered by his right elbow. He doesn't need surgery, just rest.

"It's bothering me right now," Miles said. "The shoulder obviously hurt this year. I always felt good enough to go out there and compete but I don't think I was 100 percent and doing it at my best. I feel I'll get there again. I'm up for the challenge of getting back to the form where I can hit .300 in this league and be a productive player."

The biggest adjustment for Miles wasn't switching from night to day games, which has bothered some players in their first year at Wrigley. It was changing his routine to deal with the realities of the ballpark. At the new Busch Stadium, Miles had an extra batting cage to go to during games.

"Here it's tougher," he said of Wrigley. "It's more old school baseball. You have to tweak your routine a little bit because you're not going to get all those extra swings because there's one cage.

"For a guy like myself who takes pride in all the extra work he does and all the drills that help me get to the point which help me succeed, you have to tweak it and lock into other things to find success," he said. "It's a lot tougher in a place like this.

"At the same time, I've been fortunate to play in St. Louis where there's a big crowd," he said. "This crowd here will get you up any time. You always have the adrenaline and excitement and that's a plus."

And next season, expect a different ballplayer, more like the one who batted .317 in 2008.

"Definitely, people here haven't seen what I can do," Miles said. "One of the biggest things is to be a consistent tough at-bat and put the ball in play and be somebody the opposition hates to see. I've got a long road ahead of me to show these guys that I can still be that guy and show the fans, too. I'll be up for the challenge."

-- Carrie Muskat

The Cubs honored Kyler Burke and Casey Coleman, the Cubs' Minor League player and pitcher of the year, during pre-game ceremonies Saturday. They also honored trainer Nick Frangella as the Minor League athletic trainer of the year, and Ryne Sandberg, who led Double-A Tennessee to the Southern League championship. No. 1 pick Brett Jackson also attended the ceremony, his first visit to Wrigley since he was drafted in June.

Burke batted .303 with 43 doubles, three triples, 15 homers and 89 RBIs at Class A Peoria. He was acquired by the Cubs in June 2007 from San Diego for Michael Barrett. Coleman, a 15th round pick in 2008, was 14-6 with a 3.68 ERA in 27 starts for Tennessee.

-- Carrie Muskat

Derrek Lee is back and in the Cubs' lineup for Saturday's game against the Diamondbacks. Tyler Colvin also is making his first start at Wrigley Field.

SS Theriot

RF Fukudome

1B Lee

3B Ramirez

2B Baker

LF Johnson

C Soto

CF Colvin

P Wells

-- Carrie Muskat

Koyie Hill didn't really notice the two umpires sitting in the first row behind home plate Friday at Wrigley Field until a point in the game when pitcher Tom Gorzelanny needed a new baseball.

"I saw them on one pitch, when it was a foul ball or something, and the pitcher throws the ball back," said the Cubs catcher, "and I went back to get a ball and I didn't hear them but I saw the guys digging in their pockets to throw a ball back. I thought, that was pretty good. I didn't think about it at the time, but now that I think about it, it's pretty funny."

Tim Williams and Joe Farrell, two traders on the Toronto stock exchange, are better known around Major League ballparks as the fake umpires. They were behind home plate at Wrigley Field calling every pitch between sips of beer, bites of their hot dogs, and posing for pictures.

Dressed head to toe in umpire gear minus their masks, Williams and Farrell had been to seven other Major League ballparks before Friday's Diamondbacks-Cubs game. The only downside to their Chicago visit, besides the cool weather, was that Wrigley security confiscated their masks. Apparently, there's a "no costume" policy at the ballpark. The two got them back with one out to go in the game.

"It was pretty funny, to say the least," Gorzelanny said of the pair's antics, a YouTube favorite. "It took me a while into the game [before I noticed them]. I saw them, and thought maybe they were imposters. I didn't realize they were the real guys. They've got a good little gig going on."

They sure do. Williams and Farrell had plenty of cold beer, courtesy of generous Cubs fans, and plenty of folks who wanted a souvenir snapshot. The two mimic the home plate umpire's calls in perfect synchronization, signal the count, and whether balls are fair or foul. They're into the game. Called third strikes are fan favorites.

"Reed [Johnson] and I talked about them earlier in the year, and we thought it was hilarious," Hill said of the two. "Great seats, too."
 
Williams and Farrell did pay for them. They were in Chicago on business, and bought the front row seats. What do Major League umpires think of the two?

"I've heard, secretely, they like us," Williams said. "There's a league mandate not to engage us during the game. I've heard they all like us, but they can't talk to us during the game. We've heard from sources that they all find it entertaining."

So do the players.

"They're a pretty funny crew," Gorzelanny said.

"I asked [crew chief Ed Rapuano], 'How do you guys handle that?'" Cubs first baseman Micah Hoffpauir said, "and he said, 'It's fun for the fans.' [Rapuano] said they had them last week in Toronto."

And all the free beers?

"Perks of the business," Hoffpauir said. "They had the whole get up. If you're going to do it, do it right."

Hill, who deals with umpires every day behind the plate, said he was impressed that the pair knew home plate umpire Paul Nauert's name, and didn't think their behavior was disrespectful.

"I think they have enough awareness of the livelihood of [the umpires] out there that they're not going to trespass on that territory and ruin what they've got going," Hill said. "They are pretty funny."

-- Carrie Muskat

If the Cubs sweep the Diamondbacks this weekend, they will finish with the same number of wins they had in 2007 when they won the NL Central in Lou Piniella's first season in Chicago. But that year, their postseason play ended quickly as Arizona swept the Cubs in the NLDS. In 2008, the Cubs won 97 games, but were eliminated in three games again.

This year, the Cubs will finish with a winning record, but ask them, and it's not a winning season unless you get to the playoffs. What can the players learn from this?

"The positives are that you remember the good times from last year and you remember how much of a struggle this year has been and you want to get yourself  back to [the postseason]," Piniella said. "That means for some of these guys working hard over the winter, and for all these guys thinking about what they need to do for next year to get back to where we were.

"This year here, it was a struggle for us," Piniella said. "To these guys' credit in the clubhouse, we've been able to hold it together and keep it respectable. It could've gotten away. You look at the list of players I have here on my desk and the amount of time they've missed [because of injuries], If somebody would've told [the media] this, and especially myself and my staff, you'd have shuddered a little bit. You're talking about 40 percent of our roster, and for all of them, key people, and at the same time, all for at least a month apiece. It's been difficult.

"We're going to finish the season respectable," he said. "We'll finish in second palce in our division and over .500. It's not what we wanted coming out of Spring Training, I can tell you that. But in a way, you can be somewhat thankful."

-- Carrie Muskat

Lou Piniella was disappointed the city of Chicago lost in its bid for the 2016 Olympics.

"That's a shame," Piniella said Friday. "The city of Chicago would've been a wonderful host and it's a shame the city got eliminated, especially so quick. It's a great sports town and we would've offered the international community a great venue."

That means the Cubs won't have to go on a long road trip seven years from now to accomodate the games.

"Seven years from now," Piniella said, "I'll be in Montenegro."

-- Carrie Muskat

Derrek Lee remained out for personal reasons, so Jake Fox is starting at first base for the Cubs in Game 1 of the final three-game series of the season. Here's the lineup vs the Diamondbacks:

CF Fuld

RF Fukudome

3B Ramirez

1B Fox

2B Baker

LF Scales

C Hill

SS Blanco

P Gorzelanny

-- Carrie Muskat

Ryne Sandberg talked about possibly managing in the big leagues and managing the Cubs on Thursday on the MLB Home Plate channel on SIRIUS XM Radio. Sandberg just finished his third season in the Minor Leagues, leading the Double-A Tennessee Smokies to the Southern League championship. Here's a transcript:

Host BILL RIPKEN: "This is your third year managing [in the Minors]. It's very rare to see a Hall of Famer want to jump back on the buses in the Minor Leagues and manage. This only tells me that you want to be managing back in the big leagues where you played so many years with Chicago. At this time of year, do you look at some of the clubs that are going through some transition with the managers and actually think, 'Hmm, that's pretty good. I might have to get this resume out pretty quick.'"

SANDBERG: "Ultimately I'd like to do this with the Chicago Cubs, and once this season's over, I'd like to meet with the management and kind of see where I'm headed or their feelings on that. Once I get that feel, I can make some adjustments if I have to. But, yeah, you're right, getting on the buses and going through the Minor Leagues again is all about getting back to the Major Leagues. I think that's the proper way to go. I think it's been very beneficial to me as far as seeing if I like it, No. 1, and seeing if I'm any good at it and learn some things along the way. So, it's been a great three years.

"I feel after this Double-A season with managing National League rules along with having some games DH, I think I've experienced a lot. And now, I'm just kind of waiting for that opportunity wherever that would come from. Like I told the guys all year on my team, 'We're Double-A, we're in the Minor Leagues, the No. 1 goal is to be a Major Leaguer somewhere.  And there's 30 teams out there. And actually, guys, I'm right there in the same boat with you.'  We want to get to the Major Leagues, No. 1. No. 2, we want to do it with the Chicago Cubs."

Host SETH EVERETT: "There is all kinds of speculation about Lou Piniella. You said you want to talk to management. I would imagine they have to make their decisions probably before they talk to you so that they can have some answers for you."

SANDBERG: "Well, Lou's under contract for next year and he's taken this team to the playoffs the past two years and he has one more year left. I anticipate him coming back for that last year. I just want to be a candidate for that job after Lou is finished, whenever he's finished. So, whatever that means for the organization, whatever they'd like to see me do, whether it's coach at the Major League level or continue in the Minor Leagues, Double-A, Triple-A, whatever that is, I want to feel them out and see where I fit in as far as that goes."

-- Carrie Muskat

Derrek Lee was scratched from the Cubs' lineup Thursday for a personal reason, so Jake Fox was inserted at first base and will bat fourth. Aramis Ramirez moved up to third in the order. So, if you're scoring at home, it will be:

SS Theriot

LF Taguchi

3B Ramirez

1B Fox

2B Baker

RF Johnson

C Soto

CF Fuld

P Samardzija

-- Carrie Muskat

It's raining at Wrigley, the tarp is on the field and the forecast isn't good. Lou Piniella did say if the game is rained out, he'd like to still give Jeff Samardzija a start in the final three games, so someone could be bumped. Here's the lineup if Cubs do play:

SS Theriot

LF Taguchi

1B Lee

3B Ramirez

2B Baker

RF Johnson

C Soto

CF Fuld

P Samardzija

-- Carrie Muskat