A Little Baseball Before the Football

Let's catch up on the latest Cubs rumors and news from this weekend!:

• Cubs infielder Jeff Baker is prepared to win a starting job in camp.
• The people in Florida still feel that Naples is in the running for Cubs Spring Training, even though most sources are reporting that the Cubs will stay in Mesa.
• Jose Contreras is close to signing with the Phillies. ESPN.com reports that the Cubs had interest in the former White Sox righty.
• Jayson Stark thinks the Cubs have set aside their interest in Ben Sheets, because they are more in need of a bench bat and a setup man.
• Jon Heyman reports that if Johnny Damon doesn't resign with New York, the Yanks would then ink someone off the remaining list of free agent outfielders. Once the Damon situation is resolved, things could fall in to place for the Cubs outfield.
• Phil Rogers wonders if Derrek Lee will be finding a new home after this season.
• In Spring Training, one of the battles that will be really fun to watch is for spots in the starting rotation. Dave van Dyck breaks down the four candidates- Silva, Samardzija, Gorzeallany, and Marshall- that will be competing for two spots.
• Jim Edmonds is interested in playing in 2010, after sitting out the '09 season. Phil Rogers and I agree that the Cubs should pursue the veteran center fielder, who played very well for the Cubs in 2008.
• Rogers added in the same article that he mentioned Edmonds, that nothing has been decided as to which cap Andre Dawson will wear when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame next July. Phil says that if the decision was in the hands of MLB, it would be a "slam dunk" for the Cubs, but unfortunately the HOF get the final say.
• So Taguchi, who appeared in only 6 games for the Cubs last season, has signed to play in Japan this season.
• Mark Gonzales of the Tribune reports that the Cubs have been invited to watch reliever Oscar Villarreal, who underwent reconstructive elbow surgery in April of 2009, pitch. If healthy, Oscar could be a nice piece to add to the Cubs' bullpen.
• David Kaplan of WGN Radio says that Jonny Gomes is the Cubs first choice to add as a fourth outfielder right now.

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted as Spring Training quickly approaches!

Q&A with Nick Gandy to Talk Cubs Spring Training

Nick Gandy of the Florida Sports Foundation will join me at 3:30 PM CT. The Live chat will allow you to submit your questions starting a few minutes before the Question and Answer will start, or you can email them to me at cubsblogmailbag@aol. The Question and Answer will be held without leaving this site. Click here for a further explanation.

Q& A with Nick Gandy to Talk Cubs Spring Training Tomorrow

Tomorrow at 3:30 PM CT, Nick Gandy of the Florida Sports Foundation will join me to discuss Grapefruit League Baseball and the possible move of Cubs Spring Training to Florida.

Mr. Gandy was nice enough to agree to take out a few minutes to chat with us, and I'm looking forward to it.

Click here to read a little bit about the history of Spring Training Baseball in Florida.

The Question and Answer session will be live right here on this site, similar to the one I had with Cubs' beat writer Bruce Miles a few weeks back.

If you have a question for Nick that you would like me to ask him, about either himself, the Grapefruit league, or the Cubs possible move to Florida, I'd be happy to ask him. You can submit your questions live during the chat be entering a name and question, or you can send me your questions ahead of time via my email: cubsblogmailbag@aol.com, or by posting in the comments of this post.

If you cannot make it on to view the live chat at 3:30, the Q&A will still be available for viewing later.

I'll have the post with the chat box up tomorrow.

Cubs Roundup: Capps, Cameron, Santo, and More

Breaking News: Mike Cameron has agreed to a deal with the Boston Red Sox. Scratch him off the Cubs shopping list.

Capps Wants to Close
We heard yesterday that the Cubs were interested in non-tendered reliever Matt Capps. Capps was a closer with the Pirates, and according to MASNsports.com "the opportunity to close" is going to be a major factor in Matt's decision as to who to sign with. Capps has 8 or 9 teams outside of the Cubs interested in his services.

Cameron Update
Do to focusing on the Milton Bradley situation, the Cubs may have lost out on another one of their outfielder targets. Mike Cameron, who the Cubs have been interested all winter, is in "serious talks" with the Boston Red Sox. Jerry Crasnik says that they have made "significant progress" towards a 2 year deal.

Santo Returns to Cubs Radio
Cubs legend and should-be Hall of Famer Ron Santo will be back in the Cubs radio booth for the next 3 years. Today he signed a new deal that lasts through 2012. Ronny and his partner Pat Hughes have been a fixture on Cubs radio since 1995. Pat is signed through 2010 and is expected to return after that. The contract allows for Ronny to take certain road trips off due to his health conditions. Santo is looking forward to the Cubs Convention in January.

Naples Update
Naples, Florida is still trying to sell it's pitch to get Cubs Spring Training. Their new effort is to get the Collier County community involved. Muskat has said that an announcement is expected next month. The Cubs may still be leaning towards Mesa, but Phil Rodgers seems to think that the Cubs are going to announce that they will spend future springs in Mesa.

Cubs Luncheon
The Chicago Cubs will host their third annual Cubs Caravan luncheon on January 13 at Harry Caray's restaurant in downtown Chicago. The luncheon gives fans to get a chance to get to know the Cubs. The space is limited to 120 guests. Lou Piniella will headline the event. The rest of the list of people that will be on the Caravan has not yet been released. There will be more stops on the week long Caravan, including several more events open to the public. I will let you know as soon as I hear anything more about the Caravan.

Fossum to Japan
Casey Fossum, a left handed pitcher who spent time in the Cubs' organization this season, has signed a one year $600,000 contract to play for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan next season. Fossum is 40-53 with a 5.45 ERA in his big league career. He had signed with the Cubs this season after opting out of a contract with the Yankees. Fossum went 6-3 with a 3.88 ERA for AAA Iowa in 12 games this year.

Notes from Carrie Muskat's Inbox

• The Cubs will head into Spring Training with 8 pitchers for 5 spots: Michael Parisi, Ted Lilly, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, Sean Marshall, Jeff Samardzija, and Tom Gorzelanny.
• Carrie thinks that drafting Parisi in the Rule 5 Draft helped give them more insurance for the rotation with Lilly injured.
• The Cubs new more about Harden's health than any other team, so they decided to let him go.
• Muskat listed Rick Ankiel, Marlon Byrd, Mike Cameron, and Scott Podsednik as possible additions to the Cub outfield.
• Ryan Theriot is the leading candidate for the lead-off job.
• The easier travel in AZ could be key factor in the Spring Training decision.
• Thomas Diamond will get an invite to Spring Training.
• Chris Robinson isn't quite ready for the big leagues, so the Cubs weren't worried about losing him in the Rule 5 Draft.

Pat Hughes on WGN Radio with David Kaplan

• It's season number 15 for Pat and Ron coming up next year.
• Pat's first interview on WGN was with Kap 15 years ago.
• Hughes can't believe it's been 14 years.
• Ronny and Cub fans everywhere always believe that next season will be a special year. Pat "doesn't think there's any other way to approach it".
• The Cubs have been a good team for the better part of the decade, so that gives the Cubs' fans reason to believe.
• 2009 was not a disaster, it was a winning season. It was disappointing because they did not win the division, but with all the things that went wrong it was really not that bad of a year.
• Pat hopes, thinks, and feels that this will be a solid team again.
• A lot can happen between now and Opening Day, but he doesn't think the Cardinals are going to be as strong next season.
• Hughes has a lot of fun with his Baseball Voices CDs. He was surprised that a lot of people enjoyed the CDs. They make a good holiday gift: www.baseballvoices.com is the website. There are 2 new ones: Milo Hamilton and Dave Niehaus.
• There is so much time to fill on the baseball broadcast, that you have a chance to have some fun. Pat says that separates broadcasting baseball from other sports.
• Hughes doesn't take for granted working with some great announcers over his career.

A few more notes from Sports Central:

When asked about Starlin Castro, Kaplan said that there are no untouchable prospects in the Cubs organization, end of story. David doesn't see any room in the budget to add a starting pitcher. The Cubs have not contacted Mark DeRosa this offseason. Castro could be there to play short stop in late 2010, early 2011.

Ron Santo on Chicago Tribune Live with Kaplan

• Santo's doing very well. Life is good, and it's always nice for him to go out and spend the winter in Arizona with his family after a tough season.
• Ron thinks that the whole Bradley thing never worked because "Bradley never made it work". He was very surprised in Milton's year.
• Ronny feels that if the Cubs win this coming year, Lou will stay on. Piniella loves Chicago, the Cubs, the fans, and he's a winner.
• If it wasn't for Lou, Ronny doesn't think the Cubs would have ended up in second place.
• Whoever plays for Piniella moves it up a notch.
• Santo hopes the Cubs stay in Arizona because the travel is so much easier. Players like to go where the cities are closer together.

Kaplan doesn't see any way the Cubs move to Florida. He would be stunned if they moved. David Schuster from 670 the Score says that he wouldn't be stunned, because "money makes the world go around, and if they feel they can make more money in Florida, that's where they'll go." If the Ricketts have a personal preference from Florida, that could sway it.

Pat Hughes joined the guys on CTL next:

• Hughes says "anything is possible" and the decision will come down to where the better deal is (on Cubs' Spring Training).
• Pat joked about Ron saying that his wife bought him a "sit-up chair". Pat asked, "Would you please explain to me what that is?"
• When asked about the Ricketts, he said, "I just hope he likes the radio broadcasts." Then added that Tom seems like a very nice man who has a great passion for the Cubs with his strong Chicago roots.
• Pat doesn't see Milton Bradley with the Cubs in 2010 in almost any scenario.
• Hughes talked more about his Baseball Voices series. He is offering free shipping on all orders, and there are a total of 8 CDs on www.baseballvoices.com.
• Mike Cameron seems like a leader, has some power, and is a very good defensive player.

That's it for now, I'll keep you posted!

Weekend Update: The Latest on Bradley& More

Cubs Talk on CSN's Chicago Tribune Live yesterday:

• Phil Rodgers doesn't think there's a real landing place for Milton.
• Rodgers says that the Yankees got a great player in Granderson.
• White Sox writer Mark Gonzales feels that Curtis Granderson is the good player, but he has an astrick because he can't hit lefties.
• Gonzales says the Cubs have bigger problems than needing a center fielder.

Dave Van Dyck talked Cubs on the Mully and Hanley show on 670 the score yesterday:

• Van Dyck and the guys joked about the lack of a Bradley trade.
• Dave thinks that at some point the Cubs have to give him away.
• If the Cubs eat everything, the Rays will take him.
• Right now the Cubs are trying wait and see where other outfielder like Bay and Holliday end up, and then a team may be left out once the dominoes for outfielders have started to fall.
• The later you wait, the worse off it is, because if the Cubs can't dump Burrell after getting him from Tampa, the Cubs could end up $21 million.
• Dave said "yes and no" when he was asked if it's fair to rip the Ricketts family's tenure so far.
• There's teams out there that would take him. He will not be released or return to the team.

More Notes:

• Ryan Dempster is trying to sell his Lake View mansion according to the Tribune.
• Paul Sullivan says that the Cubs may have lost their best possible trade partner for Bradley, because the Rays have signed Rafael Soriano for $7.25 million.
• The Cubs may be forced to pay the "bulk" of Bradley's $13M salary in 2011.
• Right now, Sully says, the Ricketts Family is more focused on remodeling Wrigley Field. Ryan Dempster said that an improvement to the trophy room for a World Series trophy would be number 1 on his list in remodeling the ballpark.
• Thanks to Phil Rodgers for this quote: "You really don't have to follow him all that closely to know what a dominant upper-rotation starter he has the ability to be and has been in his career. Hopefully not just this year but a majority of his career is spent in Texas. ... We know what he's capable of. He can go in there and flat shut down an opposing lineup." -- Rangers GM Jon Daniels on Rich Harden, the former Cub who signed for one year and an option.
• Nick Gandy, a communications director for the Florida Sports Foundation, thinks that teams in the Midwest and Northeast should train in Florida.
• MLB.com's Q&A with Sean Marshall.
• How eager do fans want to see Bradley go? Someone on Twitter urged people to send $3 to "No More Milton Bradley" to pay for his salary to help move him, and listed an address. That address was for Wrigley Field. No, it wasn't Jim Hendry who posted the tweet.

That's it for now, more later with the non-tender deadline tonight...

Post Meetings Notes: Non Tenders, Mota, Bradley, and More

Yesterday, Baseball's Winter Meetings came to a close, and Milton Bradley is still on the Chicago Cubs roster. According to all sources, Bradley will be gone by Opening Day no matter what.

Tomorrow is the non-tender deadline for Major League Baseball. Teams must chose whether or not to offer contracts to arbitration eligible players. If they don't offer a contract, the player become a free agent. Here's some notes about the Non-Tender deadline and more:

• The White Sox beat the Cubs to J.J. Putz.
• Bruce Miles, Carrie Muskat and other sources expect the Cubs to offer contracts to all eligible players (Koyie Hill, Sean Marshall, Jeff Baker, Mike Fontenot, and Angel Guzman) with the exeption of Neal Cotts. Cotts is coming off Tommy John and could sign a minor league deal with the club.
• The Cubs have acquired minor league pitcher Arismendy Mota from the Washington Nationals for cash. More notes on Mota at the bottom of the post.
• White Sox writer Mark Gonzales speculates that the South Siders could have interest in bringing Neal Cotts back to their organization.
• Great You Tube video on the Cubs in the Dominican thanks to Muskat.
• Gordon Wittenmyer wrote about a brand new topic... Milton Bradley!
• Wittenmyer also notes that the Cubs the Cubs have their sights on 4 center fielders: Byrd, Cameron, Podsednik, and Ankiel.
• Michael Parisi, drafted in the Rule 5 Draft Thursday, has a chance to make the rotation.
• The Tampa Bay Rays are staying focused on next season, not a trade for Bradley.
• Check out "The Untouchables" thanks to TCR.
• BCB spent their Friday writing poetry.
• Hot Stove Cubbies says Alfredo Amezaga and Chris Young are on the Cubs' radar. The Young rumor has not been reported by a big league source.
• The Cubs and Dodgers are interested in Amezaga. The Marlins are trying to work a trade instead of Non-Tendering him tomorrow according to Juan C. Rodrigez.
• Jon Heyman says the Cubs are one team interested in Joel Piniero.
• Phil Rodgers' latest on the Cubs Spring Training home: Nothing's official, and Mesa, Ariz., did agree Wednesday to spend $750,000 to improve the existing facilities, but all signs point to the Cubs soon announcing they have turned down the proposed new complex there to jump to one in Naples, Fla.
• The CCO recapped Jim Hendry on XM Radio. He mentioned that Bradley was not the only Cubs to have a disappointing 2009.

Info on Arismendy Mota:

• Right Handed Pitcher
• Spent 2006-2009 with White Sox organization
• Drafted by Washington in the Rule 5 Draft Thursday, traded to the Cubs Friday
• Went 7-2 with a 1.81 ERA in the Dominican Rookie League this season over 16 games.
• 12-14 with 3.73 ERA in 61 career minor league games over 4 seasons.
• Will be 23 in February
• Baseball Reference Page

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted.

Quick Hits as the Winter Meetings Approach

Let's catch up on the latest from the Cubs from the past few days-

• The Cubs did not offer arbitration to Kevin Gregg, Rich Harden, Reed Johnson, or Chad Fox. If any of these guys sign with a different team, the Cubs will not receive any draft picks.
• The Cubs could still re-sign Reed Johnson, but if they offered him arbitration, they'd risk him getting a big raise.
• Each member of the Cub received $8,261.97 in compensation for finishing second place in the NL Central.
• Progress is slow on the Milton Bradley front. Jon Heyman has tossed out the Rays, Giants, Royals, and Padres as "still possible" places for Milton.
• Talks of the Milton Bradley for Pat Burrel swap are still alive. According to the New York Post the trade is a "strong possibility". (Thanks to MLBTR for this one).
• According to Jon Paul Morosi, The Cubs are serious about Curtis Granderson, but they have made it known that they won't give up Marmol or Castro. Andrew Cashner and Josh Vitter could be sent to the Tigers in return for Curtis.
• Danny Rodrigez, who is pitching in winter ball, is expected to sign with the Cubs soon.
• Bruce Miles doesn't think that Milton Bradley will be traded by the Winter Meetings, but maybe at the meetings, which start next Monday.
• The Cubs are one team interested in Rafael Betancourt. He was offered arbitration yesterday, so now if the Cubs were to sign him it would cost them their #49 pick.
• The Cubs may look at Vicente Padilla or Jarrod Washburn as options for the rotation according to ESPN via Chicago Cubs Online.
• Ricketts met with the governor of Florida to talk about Spring Training in Naples.
• If the Cubs do move to Florida, Crane Kenney says that the Cubs would likely move their Class A Daytona team to the new Spring Training stadium.
• MLB Players would like to see 7 game division series.
• Carrie Muskat says trading Milton Bradley, and finding a center fielder are the priorities for the Cubs, who will focus on trades (not FA signings) at the Baseball's Winter Meetings next week.
• MLB.com's Q&A with Jeff Stevens

The stove is started to heat up, and with the Winter Meetings Mon.-Wed. next week, it is just going to get more fun! So, that's it for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Rumor Roundup: Arbitration, Saito, the Stove, and More!

No Arab Offers for Cubbies
Tomorrow is the deadline to offer arbitration to free agent players. The Cubs are not expected to offer arbitration to Kevin Gregg, Rich Harden, Reed Johnson, or Chad Fox. Gregg is a Type A free agent, and Harden is a Type B, so if the Cubs offer them arbitration and they reject it, the Cubs would receive a draft pick or two. However, if the player were to accept the arbitration offer the team would be stuck with signing them to at least a one year deal at market value.

Teams that do not offer salary arbitration to free agents get nothing in return if the players sign elsewhere. It does make sense that Hendry will not offer arab to Gregg, because if he would likely accept. However Harden, a "type B", would most likely not take the offer, especially if you told him that he would be used in long relief.

Are the Cubs making a mistake by letting these guys leave without receiving any draft compensation for them?

Cubs Interested in Saito?
The Cubs are one of 8 teams interested in right-handed reliever Takashi Saito, according to MLB Trade Rumors. The White Sox, Braves, and Mets are three of the other teams interested. Saito had a 2.43 ERA in 55.2 innings of work for the Boston Red Sox in 2009.

Hot Stove Notes
The Hot Stove on the MLB Network listed the Cubs as one of multiple teams interested in Rick Ankiel and Chone Figgins. MLB Network insider Jon Heymon mentioned that there is still a chance that Curtis Granderson will stay in Detriot.

Perry Finds New Job
Former Cubs hitting coach Gerald Perry has been named the hitting coach of the Pawtucket Red Sox. The Paw Sox are the AAA affiliate of the Boston Red Sox. In addition, Torey Lovullo was named the Pawtucket manager.

Caray Out at TBS
In other former Cub related news, Chip Caray will part ways with TBS after coming under fire for inaccurate calls during the 2009 postseason. When Chip broadcast for the Cubs, he and Steve Stone left the team after some controversy with players.

Naples Update
Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and president Crane Kenney are scheduled to meet with Naples officials tomorrow to discuss the possibility of moving Cubs Spring Training. "We take it seriously and we'll react accordingly," Mesa mayor Scott Smith said. Smith is not going to part ways with the Cubs without a fight.

Recap of a Slow Weekend
Not much is going on as far as the Cubs are concerned right now, but things are expected to heat up at the Winter Meetings, which start a week from today. If you didn't check out the site this weekend, there's a lot of posts for you to catch up on:

• What are Cubs Fans Thankful for?
• Who's on the Cubs Shopping List?
• Cubs Roundup: Talkin' Baseball Recap HOF Ballot & More
• Numbers Breakdown: Cubs Second Base
• My Early Opening Day Roster Prediction
• Don't forget to vote on our poll on the right sidebar!

That's it for now, but I'll keep you posted.

Organizational Meetings in Mesa

This week is the Cubs organizational meetings in Mesa. There are a few story lines to watch and things going on this week:

• Tom Ricketts will be at the organization meetings. Lots of media will follow him there.
• Ricketts will get his first look at Mesa. Since there's been talk of Cubs Spring Training moving to Naples, this is a big deal.
• The Arizona Fall League is in full swing. Jim Hendry is sure to check out a few games while he's there every year, and the Cubs people will get a look at guys like Castro, Cashner, and Vitters.
• Mr. Chicago Baseball Bruce Levine is down there, and I'd expect great reports from him all week long.

In the mean time, I hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween and a great weekend. I also hope nobody forgot to set back their clocks yesterday. The good news: If you did forget, you didn't miss a Cubs game. That's not usually a problem with fall back if you know what I mean.

We'll have full coverage from the meetings all week long!

Thursday Night Rumor Updates

With Ricketts taking control of the Cubs, lots of rumors and news notes the past few days. Let's get caught up:

• The press conference for the Ricketts family to take control will be tomorrow at Wrigley Field. Tom will answer questions from the media for the first time. He is expected to reveal long term and short term plans.
• Mesa, Arizona is making their pitch to keep Cubs' spring training there. Naples, Florida is also trying to get the Cubs there for spring camp.
• According to the Sun-Times, the payroll will be in the $143 million range next year. Anyone expecting a dramatic shift in philosophy will be up for a huge letdown.
• John Lackey, Fernando Rodney, and Chone Figgins are all seeking new homes.
• TCR takes a look at what they would ask Mr. Ricketts.
• Paul Sullivan says that the first order of business will be to get rid of Milton Bradley.
• Bruce Miles thinks the Cubs should pass on Gary Matthews Jr.
• There is a debate going on as to whether a giant hotel should be placed near Wrigley Field. Would this building take away from Wrigley?
• Mark DeRosa had his surgery on Monday to repair a torn tendon sheath in his left wrist. He's a free agent!
• The Cubs have expressed some interest in Aroldis Chapman according to MLB Trade Rumors.
• Cubs Convention tickets go on sale November 4 at 10am.
• TCR thinks Kelvin Escobar makes sense for the Cubs.
• MLB Trade Rumors' list of bad contracts includes Milton Bradley, Alfonso Soriano, and Aaron Miles.
• Orlando Hudson, Miguel Tejada, and J.J. Hardy have been mentioned by ESPN.com as second baseman that could interest the Cubs.
• Mike Ferrin of XM Radio thinks Tom Ricketts will be a hands on owner.
• Sam Zell's statement on the sale of the Cubs: "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."

Bruce Levine has been busy! He hosted his "Talkin' Baseball" show on ESPN 1000 Saturday, has been posted on ESPNChicago.com, and had a chat Tuesday. Here's Bruce's latest:

• Ricketts will tell his baseball people at the Cubs organization meetings next Wednesday that the minor-league system is his number 1 priority.
• If the Cubs get Chone Figgins, second base would be his main spot, but he is versatile.
• Vlad Guerrero is not a fit for the Cubs.
• Trades may be the only vehicle for Jim Hendry to bring new players in.
• Bruce's sources tell him that the Cubs payroll is going to be the same $140M they had last year.
• Levine will look at Starlin Castro in the AFL next week.
• Jeff Baker will be a back-up second baseman, but the Cubs need another middle infielder.
• If anybody can fix Alfonso Soriano, it's Rudy Jaramillo.
• Adding Rudy was a good decision for the Cubs.
• Bruce is high on Figgins.
• Andrew Cashner could end up with the Cubs by the end of next season.
• There's a plan in place to upgrade the entire ballpark (Wrigley).
• He does not see the Cubs going after Chapman. They have zero money to spend on good-looking young pitchers who will get multi-year deals.
• The Cubs want the fan base to feel like there's a directions where the team will go.
• Levine gives it a 90% chance that Bradley will be traded.
• Derrek Lee would love to finish his career a Cub.
• A one year gamble on a high-energy guy like Orlando Hudson might not be a bad idea.
• Lou doesn't think Andres Blanco can hit, so Andres will only be a back-up in 2010.
• Washington is not a fit for Milton Bradley.
• Levine likes the idea of moving Theriot to second base and adding a short stop.
• Brining Florida in to the mix for Cubs Spring Training is a ply to get a better offer from Mesa.
• Fukudome made some nice improvements by using one of his former batting instructors when his mechanics fell apart this season. The problem for Japanese players is the 162-game schedule. There are only a few players like Ichiro and Hideki Matsui who proved they can stay strong throughout an entire major-league season.
• If the Cubs make any big deals this winter, Sean Marshall could be included.
• The Cubs have talked to the Blue Jays about a Wells for Bradley trade.
• Expect a slight raise in ticket prices next season.
• Hendry is working trades with Tampa Bay and 3-4 other teams about players with big contracts they would like to move.
• The Blue Jays will be looking to trade Roy Halladay at some point, but "Mr. Chicago Baseball" doesn't know if the Cubs will be involved.
• A Milton Bradley for Pat Burrell trade has been on the table for 3 weeks.

And now the latest from today's press conference about bringing the Cubs to Naples, Florida:

• Craig Bouchard, the chief executive officer of the club, met the media today at the Naples Bath & Tennis Club. About 30 people were there.
• The Cubs bring in about $52 million a year of revenue for Mesa, and they want that money to go to Collier County.
• Site selection would need to be 120 continuous acres for a 15,000 seat stadium, batting cages, pitching mounds, and a 4,000-space parking lot.
• The stadium would be an 11-month operation.
• Inside Naples city is out of the question.
• There is no anticipation of getting into a bidding process.
• "We're going to put our best foot out there and if we're the best, we'll win, and if we're not, we'll lose," Bouchard said.
• There are no cost estimates and no time lines yet.
• This type of decision will not be rushed.
• The most significant hurdle is the history in Arizona.
• Craig hopes to have a proposal to the Cubs within the next six months.
• Three land parcels have been identified as possible locations, they will not be named yet.

Tomorrow at 11 CT Ricketts will meet the media at Wrigley Field for the first time. The press conference will be broadcast live on WGN and CSN Chicago. I'll have a full recap of the days events posted sometime tomorrow night. Also, since there is so much going on in the Cubs world, we will hold off this week's winter ball updates until the weekend.

That's it (I know a lot!), for now, but I'll keep you posted!

Deal's Done & Spring Training News

The Ricketts family finally has officially closed the deal to buy the Chicago Cubs. The Ricketts take control of the team, Wrigley Field, and 25% of Comcast Sportsnet.

The team has been for sale since before the start of the 2007 season. I'm very glad to finally see the deal done!! Cubs.com had a nice Timeline of Cubs ownership.

Here's the Paul Sullivan write up that broke the story.

Friday will be the press conference at Wrigley Field, where we will get our first look at Ricketts' plans for the team this offseason, next year, and beyond. Tom is expected to be in Mesa for the organizational meetings in November. What move will be Tom's first as Cubs owner? We'll find out soon enough. Now that this 2.5 year saga is coming to a close, we can focus on winning a World Series.

According to the Naples Daily News, the groups trying to bring the Cubs' spring training to Naples have scheduled a press conference for Thursday at 3 p.m. at the Naples Tennis Club. “The Chicago Cubs are exploring Naples, Florida, as a potential spring training venue and have been working with Chicago-based Esmark and Naples-based Fifth Avenue Advisors in that regard,” Cubs CEO Crane Kenney confirmed in a statement. “Our site visits and discussions confirm that Collier County has a number of suitable locations for a world-class spring training facility.” Check out http://www.floridacubs.com/!

And according to the Tribune, the Cubs are exploring a move to Naples. They could build a 120-acre facility for the Cubs that includes a miniature version of Wrigley Field!

A few other notes:

• Heyman says the Mets have no interest in Bradley.
• Rajai Davis, Jeremy Hermida, and Kelly Johnson are 3 potential offseason targets according to the Cubs Reporter.
• Kerry Wood had a very interesting interview with Waddle & Silvy on ESPN 1000. I will post a recap along with other radio recaps tomorrow.
• Tuesday, November 19, 2009 Kerry Wood will join Children's Memorial Hospital as they celebrate the inaugural Champions for Children's event.
• "We'd have to see. Again, Chicago's my home. I had a great time here, but right now, I'm an Indian, and I'll go to Spring Training trying to help them win," Wood told Kap on Sports Central tonight.

It should be a fun week! I'll keep you posted throughout!