Year after year, Vine Line readers -- not to mention Cubs minor-league instructors and staff -- tell us that one of their favorite features is our annual Minor-League Prospectus. Nowhere else will you find so much depth on 50 of the organization's most intriguing players.

We do that by talking to our player development staff, including those in the front office and on the field. And we'll give you key components of their scouting reports and stats to tell you what development path these players are on.

It was an exciting year down on the farm, too: A number of hitters flourished, giving the system its most promising set of athletic position players in years.

Here's a preview of two players who can be expected to make a "splash" in 2010.

DJ Lemahieu:

Though Cubs fans probably won't see LeMahieu in Chicago that quickly, it won't be long either. After a stellar prep career at Brother Rice (Mich.) High School, the former Michigan "Mr. Baseball" continued his winning ways at LSU, helping lead the Tigers to a national championship in 2009.

An elite hitter, LeMahieu shows terrific plate coverage, a selective eye and hits lots of line drives with a smooth level swing. While he hasn't hit for much power, LeMahieu still is growing into his 6-4 body. Cubs brass is convinced his power will come later. They also are not worried about whether LeMahieu will stay at shortstop or move to third base.

"He'll tell us himself when or if he needs to move by his performance. And so far the kid's been great," said VP of Player Personnel Oneri Fleita.

-- Michael Huang

Hak-Ju Lee:

While the hype for Lee hasn't exploded lit it has for fellow shortstop Starlin Castro, Lee might reflect the state of the Cubs system best. He's not only ridiculously athletic but also a left-handed hitter signed out of South Korea, where the Cubs have built a stronghold.

As a raw 19-year-old at short-season Boise, Lee hit for average, got on base and stole bases efficiently. He might gain some power when he fills out his 6-2 frame, but his swing uses the entire field. Boise manager Casey Kopitzke praised Lee's ability to battle deep into counts and take walks.

In the field, Lee's fluidity and style are unmatched, but it is his instincts and plus-plus speed that make him seem more like a one-man infield. Kids with his size, ability and flair don't come out of the Pacific Rim very often.

"He's got his own style," Fleita said. "Always in the right place, always in the center of all hte action."

-- Sean Ahmed

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Photo by Jason Wise

"We couldn't be happier," said Cubs GM Jim Hendry, announcing the return of Hall of Famer Greg Maddux to the Cubs. Except this time, "Mad Dog" will be barking up a new tree.

Maddux was named a special assistant to the general manager today and is set to take on three roles within the organization: working with coaches during spring training, aiding the in-season development of Cubs minor-leaguers, and evaluating talent for the baseball operations staff.

"He'll certainly be involved in all aspects of the baseball operations department," Hendry said. "As I've always said about him in the past, as a player and now as an employee, when Greg Maddux walks in your front door, your organization became a lot better that day."

The eighth-winningest pitcher in baseball history with 355 victories, Maddux was drafted by the Cubs in the second round of the 1984 draft. He went 133-112 with a 3.61 ERA during his two stints with the Cubs, from 1986-92 and 2004-06.

Now he gets to return to the organization, continuing his demonstrated ability to instruct and mentor players. He also is ready to take on a new challenge.

"I'll learn how to evaluate players the best I can," Maddux said. "I'm sure there's a system that goes along with that. Hopefully, I'll have an eye for it and will be able to evaluate players properly."

Hendry's strong relationship with Maddux paid off in bringing the Las Vegas resident back to Chicago.

"I'm looking forward to getting back with [Hendry] and working with him and learning from him and the people around him, and doing what I can to help the players on the field and the organization," Maddux said.

-- Sean Ahmed

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The clubhouse at Fitch Park, the Cubs' minor-league facility in Mesa, Ariz., is divided into two sections. Picture the letter "H", where the legs make up the sections which are conjoined by a small corridor that features a multi-sink vanity and entrance to the showers.

While the architecture of the bathrooms was not important, what was important last year during spring training was that I found Milton Bradley in the furthest corner of one wing keeping to himself, listening to music in front of his locker.

He had been on edge with the media already, just a couple of weeks into spring camp. I had observed the only other teammate he talked to was the Rule 5 kid David Patton. But I approached Bradley nonetheless.

Introductions were civil and polite. As we continued talking, he did not seem at all to be the brash, angry, or curt person I expected. Rather, he came off with an intellectual aura about him, saying he loved to read and write poetry and that his favorite poet while growing up was Langston Hughes. He was an honor roll student and was actually offered several academic scholarships coming out of Long Beach Polytechnic (Calif.) High School in addition to the baseball scholarships.

 In all honesty, he reminded me of the actor Laurence Fishburne. There was an edge to him, but a smart edge.

Of course, there was also the Milton Bradley who teammates tell me isolated himself, made snippy comments in the batting cage and argued with umpires, earning him an ejection in his first at-bat at Wrigley Field. Unfortunately, it portended of things to come.

It was a tumultuous year in Chicago for Bradley. Like Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said today after he dealt the troubled outfielder to Seattle in exchange for right-hander Carlos Silva and cash, "Looking back, we all saw the player [Milton] could've been coming out of camp. But he got off to a bad start and the expectations were high. Once it went down that road, he just didn't handle it very well."

And when he tried to do something nice for the fans--like throw a ball into the stands --he didn't realize it was two outs, and thus inspired their ire.

It was like there were two sides to Milton Bradley and Cubs fans had to do a double take to see which one had shown up each day.

Now he's off to Seattle, the home of the Space Needle, grunge rock and coffee. But which Milton will show up--regular or decaf?

--Michael Huang

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The club just announced moments ago that right-hander Aaron Heilman has been traded to the Diamondbacks for two prospects: left-handed pitcher Scott Maine and first baseman Ryne White.

Maine, 24, went 4-5 with seven saves and a 2.90 ERA in 48 games between Double and Triple A last year. He's Arizona's sixth-round pick from 2007.

White is 23 and hit .266 with a .371 on-base percentage at Single A last year. He was the Diamondbacks' fourth-round pick from 2008.

For the complete press release, see below the jump.

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Continue reading 'Cubs get two prospects for reliever Heilman'...

Well, not quite, but Cubs fans can get a head start on their planning for 2010 spring training with the full game schedule announced today.

The Cubs will be playing 15 home games and 18 road games in Arizona starting on March 4 against the Athletics. The final two games of the exhibition schedule (April 2-3) will be against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Individual game tickets for home spring training games at HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Ariz., will go on sale Tuesday, Jan. 5 at 10 a.m. CST. You can purchase them online at cubs.com or by calling (800) 905-3315.

Season tickets go on sale Monday, Jan. 4 at 10 a.m. CST and can be purchased by calling (480) 964-4467. Group tickets can be purchased the next morning by using the same number.

If you have any additional questions, contact our friends down in Mesa directly: info2010@mesahohokams.com. Or you can call the HoHoKam Park information line at (480) 644-4451.

Read on for the full spring training schedule.

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Want a sneak peek at some of the top prospects Vine Line has been covering in the Minor-League Notebooks?

Tune in to the MLB Network this Saturday at 7:15 p.m. CT to see pitchers Andrew Cashner and Blake Parker, and infielders Starlin Castro and Josh Vitters. All four will be playing for the East Division in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game.

And when it comes down to top prospects in the Cubs organization, you can't get much bigger than these four. Vitters and Cashner are the Cubs' 2007 and 2008 first-round draft picks, respectively. At just 19 years old, Castro might just be the Cubs prospect gaining attention the fastest. And Parker is a converted infielder who looked good as a part-time closer in Double and Triple A this season.

Vitters is hitting for a .360 AVG/.385 OBP/.460 SLG line over 12 games in the Arizona Fall League, but he has made it his goal to work on his third-base defense while playing with the game's top minor-leaguers.

"I know my bat will be there," Vitters told Vine Line earlier this year. "I want my defense to be up there with the best of them."

With the system stocked with good infielders, vice president of player personnel Oneri Fleita has been able to slowly move Vitters up the ladder, splitting his time between Class-A Peoria and Daytona this season. But the 20-year-old's natural hitting ability has only drawn rave reviews.

"When you first watch him take batting practice, he can really drive the ball," Peoria manager Marty Pevey told Vine Line. "He has as quick of hands as any young player. I'd say his hands are as quick as Bob Horner back with the Braves when he came out of Arizona State."

The Vine Line blog will have more on Castro, Cashner and Parker later this week.

-- Sean Ahmed

Photo credit: Jamie Squire / Getty Images

12:30 PM: It might have been raining cats and dogs outside, but there was no raining on this Cubs parade.

Five or six photographers stood outside the Captain Morgan Club in the Wrigley Field concourse awaiting the Ricketts arrival to the press conference.

If Quentin Tarantino had captured the moment, it surely would have been in slow motion. The four Ricketts--Peter, Todd, Laura and Tom--did their best "Reservoir Dogs" impersonation walking side by side, looking like a quartet of gunslingers.

They just bought the Chicago Cubs. They should feel confident!

Tom discussed everything from payroll, tickets, the "Triangle" Building, Wrigley Field, naming rights, Lou Piniella....The entire press conference went off without a hitch. Well, almost.

As she started to add to a comment made by Tom, Laura Ricketts' microphone shut down. Being the nice brother that he is, Tom--who was wearing a clip on mic--snuggled up next to his sister, who used the clip-on to finish her statement, to the laughter of the media and ancillary audience. I was standing next to Comcast SportsNet producer Bob Albrecht and I remarked:

"Wouldn't it be great if she planted a nice kiss right on her brother's face right now?"

"I was thinking the exact same thing," Bob said.

Though she didn't, the moment made for a very good photo-op.

The siblings discussed how each had come to be a Cubs fan, despite growing up in Omaha.

All had gone to school in Chicago and found themselves caught up into Cubs mania. Peter, who currently is the only sibling living in Omaha, recalled his college days.

"I came to Chicago in 1982 to attend the University of Chicago," said Peter, who lived above Sports Corner on the corner of Addison and Sheffield. His brother Tom came to live with him. "By 1984, it was hard not to get into the Cubs. I lived with my brother, and he slept overnight in line to get bleacher tickets."

Sister Laura came and stayed with her brothers one summer and got hooked as well.

"I became immersed in the culture of Wrigleyville," Laura said.

After the press conference and an interview immediately following, Tom is whisked away for even more appointments. He still looks relaxed and poised.

"How are you holding up," Cubs President Crane Kenney asks.

"Good. Real good," Tom replies.

"Well, hang in there. It's a marathon." In baseball, no truer words have been spoken

That's probably good considering the Ricketts family have said on numerous occassions that they are in it for the long haul. That's good news.

Hey, Cubs fans! Welcome to the family.

--Mike Huang

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11:00 A.M.--It's almost showtime. The Ricketts siblings have done just about every sort of media shoot and interview possible.

The weather didn't cooperate with the day, so the press conference was moved into the Captain Morgan Club. Just outside the Club, the Ricketts family poses for photos for Michigan Avenue Magazine. They have been coached well, as Laura Ricketts remarks, and understand what the media requires. But Tom said this morning that if the media relations department does their job, fans won't see the Ricketts in the newspapers. But he is realistic.

"It's hard--you can't have it both ways," he said. "You can't buy the team and become chairman without having a profile."

Tom and his siblings often try to break the tension with jokes and self-effacing humor. The echo of laughter and jokes are a welcome addition to the halls of Wrigley Field. Not that the corporate ownership of the Tribune was bad or difficult, but Tom stressed that he would like to change the culture of the organization to turn to one of a family.

The family's jocularity went a long way to the front office employees and those watching the Ricketts go through a photo shoot out in the rightfield stands.

Tom did draw a stark line in the sand between family ownership and corporate ownership, however.

"There are no other businesses for us to subsidize within the organization and we won't be caught up in quarterly reports," Tom said. "We have only one goal--and that is to win the World Series. We are going to reinvest every dollar into the team, Wrigley Field, and the facilities those people need to make us the best organization in baseball."

As the press conference gets rolling, Tom Ricketts takes the stage with his three siblings. It is notable that during the front office breakfast, as well as the press conference, Tom refuses to use the podium. I asked one of our human resources people where the podium was during breakfast. She replied, "He didn't want one."

Tom is relaxed and informal, staying true to that very down-to-earth attitude. If there is any sort of new attitude on the North Side from this family from Omaha, Neb., to Cubs fans it is:

They are one of you.

--Mike Huang

10:44 AM: While the rain put a dark damper on traffic coming to work this morning, today marked the dawn of a new era in Cubs history.

The Ricketts family closed the transaction on Tuesday, taking over 95 percent ownership of the Chicago Cubs. Today, they met with the front office before their 11:00 press conference.

If you've heard the Ricketts family is down-to-earth and that Tom met his wife in the bleachers, it's all true. Tom and siblings Peter, Todd and Laura have a very fan-friendly way about them. They could be your neighbor.

Perhaps the only thing that might have ruffled their unflappable personalities was the all of the media attention. Tom said he was looking forward to this day being done. But being the eighth ownership group in Cubs history might merit that attention and the family is keenly aware of it.

But it is an exciting time today. The front office met for breakfast and heard from their Chairman for the first time--at least for most of the employees not involved intimately with the transaction.

One message Tom hoped to get across is that after today, the work to establish the Cubs as the best organization in baseball begins. A phrase I caught summed it all up:

"It starts now," he said.

And in fact, so does the press conference!

--Mike Huang

It might not have been Rudy Ruetigger and Notre Dame football under the watchful eye of Touchdown Jesus, but Rudy Jaramillo might just be the patron saint of hitters.

After all, the man the Cubs welcomed as their new hitting coach at a press conference about an hour ago has resurrected the careers of many hitters or at the very least, helped some correct the sins in their swings.

"I'm a teacher first, a coach second," said the former Texas Rangers hitting coach. "I love to see talent in players and watch them get better....My ability to build rapport with players is good and my communications skills are strong.

"But there has to be a mutual trust between the coach and the player," Jaramillo added. "You still have to win them over. And when you tell a hitter something, it better work because it's all about results."                                                                                       photo by Kelsey Peters

And that is exactly what the Cubs are hoping Jaramillo will be able to do with a Cubs offense that finished 26th in the majors in 2009, scoring just 707 runs and hitting just .255.

"I think everyone in the game, from players to coaches to managers, put this man at the top of the field," said Cubs general manager Jim Hendry. "There's no higher standard for a major-league hitting coach than the one he set the last 15 years.

"It couldn't have come at a better time; we know we had some offensive deficiencies with some outstanding players some of which Rudy has been fortunate to work with in the past," Hendry added. "We're excited to round out a great coaching staff, and I know Rudy's ready to get to work."

Jaramillo has shown a penchant to work wonders with reclamation projects similar to the Cardinals' pitching coach Dave Duncan. With Texas, Jaramillo pulled career years out of Mark DeRosa, Milton Bradley and Gary Matthews Jr., not to mention one former Cubs slugger looking to hit a milestone.

"We got 94 RBIs and 22 home runs out of Sammy [Sosa]," Jaramillo said, referring to Sosa's 2008 campaign with Texas during which he hit his 600th homer.  "And he didn't even get 500 at-bats. So I was very happy to work with Sammy."

More than anything, Jaramillo isn't afraid to get into hitters' faces to make them work harder. He will make sure these players put in their time in the cage, veteran or rookie. He will also make sure they are prepared at the plate, physically and mentally.

"Sometimes players get complacent," Jaramillo said. "You have to reprogram those hitters. I will get them to believe in themselves."

--Mike Huang

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