The Chicago Cubs are now on the cusp of a major rebuild, and bringing in general manager Theo Epstein is going to put that plan on the fast track. As the Cubs and Boston Red Sox try to figure out a compensation package, it is allowing fans to start hypothesizing about what the franchise can do next.

According to ESPN, the Epstein deal with Chicago is just about done, with the only hitch being the names of the players heading back to Boston as compensation. Epstein is still under contract with Boston, meaning Chicago has to make it worthwhile for the organization to part ways with the now former GM. Once that deal gets done, Epstein can begin his offseason moves with a franchise longing for a championship.

One huge asset that Epstein will have in Chicago is that the Cubs will be down to just $72.8 million in salaries for the 2012 season. The contracts then plummet to just $28.8 million in 2013, showing just how much room he will have to bring in new players. There hasn’t been a ceiling established for how much Epstein can spend, but it probably won’t be as much as he had to work with in Boston.

Two players that the Cubs would love to get off the books are Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Zambrano, who both stand to make $19 million in 2012. Soriano has a deal through 2014, but Zambrano’s comes to an end in the 2012 season. Aramis Ramirez has a team option for 2012 as well, but if the Cubs decline the option, the price will be just $2 million for the organization.

The immediate questions for Chicago will be whether to re-sign first baseman Carlos Pena and reliever Kerry Wood. Then arbitration deals or long-term contracts with Matt Garza and Geovany Soto will take place. Several other free agents and arbitration eligible players will probably receive smaller deals, and then Epstein can begin the real re-building process.

The Cubs also finished 2011 with the fifth worst record in baseball, meaning at least one high-value pick will come from the 2012 MLB Draft. Re-building through the draft isn’t want fans are going to want to see though, and Epstein gets tasked with pulling off big trades and signing big name free agents that will make an immediate impact on the lineup. His success with the Cubs will also be measured against the two championships he helped bring to Boston, and the window to reconstruct the Cubs won’t be as big.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Starlin Castro and Matt Garza have been bright spots in an otherwise dismal season for the Chicago Cubs.

Castro had two singles to extend his NL-leading total to 206 hits and Garza won his 10th game as the Cubs beat the San Diego Padres 6-2 on Tuesday night in a matchup of 90-game losers. Alfonso Soriano hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning.

Castro has 12 more hits than Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers. On Wednesday, Castro will become the youngest player ever to lead the NL in hits in a season, at 21 years, 188 days. He’ll also become the third Cubs player in seven seasons to lead the NL in hits, joining Juan Pierre (2006) and Derrek Lee (2005).

Castro reached base for the 39th straight game, extending his career-high streak.

Garza, obtained in an offseason trade with Tampa Bay, finished 10-10 with a 3.32 ERA. He had been sick on Monday night and the Cubs sent him back to the hotel.

“Come hell or high water he was going to pitch,” manager Mike Quade said. “It was an excellent effort.”

Soriano homered off the base of the batter’s eye in straightaway center field against Chad Qualls (6-8), giving the Cubs a 4-2 lead. Aramis Ramirez, who homered in the fourth, reached on a leadoff walk before being replaced by Tony Campana, and Bryan LaHair walked with one out ahead of Soriano’s 26th homer.

“A normal human being would have hit that on the ground,” Qualls said. “Soriano hits it 420 feet.”

Garza tied his career high with his fourth straight win. He allowed two runs and five hits, struck out eight and walked two in seven innings.

“It is what it is. I had a chance at the end,” Garza said. “I’m happy the way it ended. I’m not happy we’re not playing in October, but I’m just going to take what I did and let it keep rolling into the offseason and get ready for next season.”

The loss clinched last place in the NL West for the Padres (70-91). They won 90 games in 2010, but took a face-plant this season after trading All-Star slugger Adrian Gonzalez to the Boston Red Sox in December.

Ramirez hit a drive to straightaway center leading off the fourth against rookie Anthony Bass, his 26th.

Chicago’s Blake DeWitt added a pinch-hit, two-run single in the ninth.

San Diego’s Kyle Blanks hit a two-run double in the second.

Bass, who started the season in Double-A, held the Cubs to one run and five hits in five innings.

“For the most part I was pleased,” Bass said. “I made a couple of mistakes that they hit hard.”

NOTES: Castro extended his hitting streak to 10 games, his fifth double-digit streak of the season. … The season ends Wednesday night when Cubs RHP Ryan Dempster (10-13, 4.53 ERA) faces LHP Wade LeBlanc (4-6, 4.83). Dempster is 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA and 36 strikeouts in his last four starts against San Diego. LeBlanc will be facing the Cubs for the first time. In a 2-0 win at Colorado in his last start, LeBlanc struck out a career-high 10, the most strikeouts by a Padres pitcher this season.

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28 (UPI) — Alfonso Soriano hit a three-run home run and the Chicago Cubs scored five runs in the final two innings Tuesday to upend San Diego 6-2.

The Cubs, who banged out 11 hits, trailed 2-1 heading into the eighth inning. Soriano’s shot to center in the eighth gave Matt Garza (10-10) the victory.

Garza allowed two runs on five hits and struck out eight through seven innings for his fourth straight win.

Chad Qualls (6-8) gave up Soriano’s home run and ended up with the loss.

Kyle Blanks knocked in both San Diego runs. The Padres lost for the third time in five games.

CARDINALS vs. CHICAGO CUBS

At Busch Stadium

Scouting report • The Cubs close the season
with a two-city road trip that starts tonight in St. Louis and
concludes next week in San Diego. The Cubs are 30-45 on the road. …
The Cardinals are 8-4 against the Cubs. … Shortstop Starlin Castro
is one hit shy of becoming the youngest Cubs player ever with 200
hits in a season. Castro is 21, two years younger than Augie Galan
was when he had 203 hits in 1935, according to the club’s research.
… Outfielder Alfonso Soriano’s 81 RBIs are a personal best since he
signed an eight-year, $136 million deal with the Cubs in November
2006. Soriano is owed $18 million each of the next three seasons. …
Carlos Peña, the Cubs’ one-year place-holder at first base, is one
walk shy of tying Mark Grace for the most walks by a Cubs first
baseman since 1900. Grace had 95 in 2000. … Of the Cubs’ 69
victories, 39 have been by coming from behind. Their total is the
third-most in the NL. … Lefty Sean Marshall has set a franchise
record with 31 holds.

Projected pitching matchups

Tonight, 7:15 • RH Chris Carpenter (10-9, 3.66
ERA) vs. RH Ryan Dempster (10-13, 4.63 ERA)

Saturday, 12:10 p.m. • RH Kyle Lohse (14-8,
3.47) vs. RH Rodrigo Lopez (6-6, 4.71)

Sunday, 1:15 p.m. • RH Edwin Jackson (12-9,
3.85) vs. RH Randy Wells (7-5, 5.09)

Derrick Goold

CHICAGO, Sept. 16 (UPI) — Marlon Byrd’s infield single drove in Starlin Castro with one out in the 11th inning Friday, giving the Chicago Cubs a 4-3 win over the Houston Astros.

Carlos Lee’s second home run in the game, a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth, erased a 3-1 Chicago lead and forced extra innings.

With Davis Carpenter (0-3) pitching, Castro walked to open the 12th and advanced on a sacrifice bunt. After Aramis Ramirez was intentionally walked, both runners moved up on a wild pitch, leading to an intentional walk to Reed Johnson to load the bases.

Byrd hit a high chopper down the third-base line that third baseman Chris Johnson just touched, allowing Castro to score the winning run.

Jeff Samardzija (7-4) earned the win with an inning of one-hit relief.

Lee had a second-inning home run but it was his ninth-inning shot — his 18th of the year — that ruined a strong outing by Cubs starter Matt Garza, who took a three-hitter into the ninth.

A home run by Geovany Soto tied the score at 1-1 in the third and Chicago went up 3-1 in the sixth when Jeff Baker singled in Aramis Ramirez, who had tripled, and then score on Alfonso Soriano’s base hit.

CINCINNATI, Sept. 12 (UPI) — Starlin Castro went 3-for-4 with a two-run homer and scored four times Monday, helping power the Chicago Cubs past Cincinnati 12-8.

Castro also stroked an RBI double while raising his National League-leading hits total to 190 as the Cubs took the opener of a four-game set.

Aramis Ramirez added three hits and two RBI, including a solo homer, and Alfonso Soriano knocked in three with a single and double as the Cubs banged out 16 hits.

Rodrigo Lopez (5-6) earned the win despite coughing up nine hits — including four home runs — through 5 1/3 innings.

Brandon Phillips went deep twice while Devin Mesoraco and Juan Francisco also homered for Cincinnati.

Reds starter Dontrelle Willis (0-6) lasted only 3 1/3 innings, getting pounded for eight runs on nine hits.

CHICAGO — Carlos Pena hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning to send the Chicago Cubs to a 6-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

Aramis Ramirez had a two-run double for Chicago, which took two of three against Cincinnati to earn a split of its six-game homestand. Starlin Castro and DJ LeMahieu each had two hits for the Cubs.

Castro sparked the winning rally with a leadoff single against Logan Ondrusek (4-4). Reed Johnson moved Castro to second with a sacrifice before the Reds decided to intentionally walk Ramirez and bring in left-hander Bill Bray to face the lefty-batting Pena.

Big mistake, at least Wednesday night.

Pena pulled Bray’s first pitch onto Sheffield Avenue for his 26th homer and third in his last eight games.

The big first baseman began the day with a .135 average against lefties, and Bray was holding lefty batters to a .188 average. But this time it didn’t work out for the Reds.

Yonder Alonso had three hits for Cincinnati, which has lost seven of 10. Joey Votto went 2 for 4 and drove in a run.
Kerry Wood (2-5) pitched a scoreless eighth for the victory and Carlos Marmol worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 33rd save in 42 chances.

The Reds chased starter Ryan Dempster with three consecutive hits to begin the seventh inning, including pitcher Johnny Cueto’s leadoff infield single. Votto hit a sacrifice fly off James Russell to trim Chicago’s lead to 3-2 and Jay Bruce followed with a bouncer down the third-base line for an RBI double.

The Cubs brought their infield in for Alonso, who hit a fly ball to medium center field. Johnson got in good position, brought it in, then fired a strong throw to catcher Koyie Hill that cut down Edgar Renteria at the plate.

Chicago got a big inning-ending double play in the sixth when Ramon Hernandez lined to shortstop Castro, who threw to LeMahieu before Alonso could get back to second base.

Dempster allowed 10 hits — matching a season high — and is winless in his last five starts.

Cueto retired 11 of his first 12 batters before running into a bit of trouble in the fifth. Pena led off with a double to right-center for Chicago’s second hit. He moved up on a wild pitch and scored on LeMahieu’s tying two-out single, but Cueto got Hill to fly out to end the inning.

The Cubs added two runs in the sixth on Ramirez’s clutch double. Castro sparked the rally with an infield hit on a dribbler up the third-base line. Johnson singled to center before Ramirez hit a drive into the corner in left to make it 3-1.
Cueto allowed seven hits in seven innings and his ERA increased from 2.29 to 2.36.

Cincinnati pushed across a run after Dempster quickly retired the first two batters of the game. Votto hit a well-placed fly ball to left that landed in front of Alfonso Soriano, then rolled past him for a triple. Bruce walked before Alonso hit a liner up the middle for an RBI single.

NOTES: 2B Darwin Barney left the Cubs to be with his wife for the birth of their second child. Manager Mike Quade said he expects Barney will rejoin the team Friday in New York. … Reds RHP Mike Leake will make one more start this season. Manager Dusty Baker said the team will use a six-man rotation for one turn, inserting RHP Edinson Volquez, then Leake will drop out. Leake had 138 1-3 innings last year as a rookie and is up to 159 2-3 already this season. … The Cubs and Old Style-maker Pabst Brewing Co. announced the brew that has been available to fans since 1950 will be peddled at the Wrigley Field through 2013. Pabst threatened earlier this year to pull the beer from the ballpark. … The Cubs are off Thursday before opening a weekend series at the New York Mets. RHP Casey Coleman (2-7, 6.61 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets RHP Mike Pelfrey (7-11, 4.68) on Friday night. … The Reds are off Thursday, then begin a three-game series at Colorado on Friday night. Reds RHP Homer Bailey (7-7, 4.57 ERA) and Rockies RHP Jhoulys Chacin (11-10, 3.60 ERA) will meet in the opener. … A fan in the second deck made a solid catch on a foul ball in the fifth inning, but one of his friends lost his hat over the railing in the resulting celebration, drawing guffaws from the crowd of 36,797. He went down to the lower section to retrieve his cap, and got a small ovation from his section when he returned.

CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Pena hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning to send the Chicago Cubs to a 6-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night.

Aramis Ramirez had a two-run double for Chicago, which took two of three against Cincinnati to earn a split of its six-game homestand. Starlin Castro and DJ LeMahieu each had two hits for the Cubs.

Castro sparked the winning rally with a leadoff single against Logan Ondrusek (4-5). Reed Johnson moved Castro to second with a sacrifice before the Reds decided to intentionally walk Ramirez and bring in left-hander Bill Bray to face the lefty-batting Pena.

Pena pulled Bray’s first pitch onto Sheffield Avenue for his 26th homer and third in his last eight games.

Yonder Alonso had three hits for Cincinnati, which has lost seven of 10.

Kerry Wood (2-5) pitched a scoreless eighth for the victory and Carlos Marmol worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his 33rd save in 42 chances.

The Reds chased starter Ryan Dempster with three consecutive hits to begin the seventh inning, including pitcher Johnny Cueto’s leadoff infield single. Votto hit a sacrifice fly off James Russell to trim Chicago’s lead to 3-2 and Jay Bruce followed with a bouncer down the third-base line for an RBI double.

The Cubs brought their infield in for Alonso, who hit a fly ball to medium center field. Johnson got in good position, brought it in, then fired a strong throw to catcher Koyie Hill that cut down Edgar Renteria at the plate.

Chicago got a big inning-ending double play in the sixth when Ramon Hernandez lined to shortstop Castro, who threw to LeMahieu before Alonso could get back to second base.

Dempster allowed 10 hits — matching a season high — and is winless in his last five starts.

Cueto retired 11 of his first 12 batters before running into a bit of trouble in the fifth. Pena led off with a double to right-center for Chicago’s second hit. He moved up on a wild pitch and scored on LeMahieu’s tying two-out single, but Cueto got Hill to fly out to end the inning.

The Cubs added two runs in the sixth on Ramirez’s clutch double. Castro sparked the rally with an infield hit on a dribbler up the third-base line. Johnson singled to center before Ramirez hit a drive into the corner in left to make it 3-1.

Cueto allowed seven hits in seven innings and his ERA increased from 2.29 to 2.36.

Cincinnati pushed across a run after Dempster quickly retired the first two batters of the game. Votto hit a well-placed fly ball to left that landed in front of Alfonso Soriano, then rolled past him for a triple. Bruce walked before Alonso hit a liner up the middle for an RBI single.

NOTES: 2B Darwin Barney left the Cubs to be with his wife for the birth of their second child. Manager Mike Quade said he expects Barney will rejoin the team Friday in New York. … Reds RHP Mike Leake will make one more start this season. Manager Dusty Baker said the team will use a six-man rotation for one turn, inserting RHP Edinson Volquez, then Leake will drop out. Leake had 138 1-3 innings last year as a rookie and is up to 159 2-3 already this season. … The Cubs and Old Style-maker Pabst Brewing Co. announced the brew that has been available to fans since 1950 will be peddled at the Wrigley Field through 2013. Pabst threatened earlier this year to pull the beer from the ballpark. … The Cubs are off Thursday before opening a weekend series at the New York Mets. RHP Casey Coleman (2-7, 6.61 ERA) is scheduled to face Mets RHP Mike Pelfrey (7-11, 4.68) on Friday night. … The Reds are off Thursday, then begin a three-game series at Colorado on Friday night. Reds RHP Homer Bailey (7-7, 4.57 ERA) and Rockies RHP Jhoulys Chacin (11-10, 3.60 ERA) will meet in the opener. … A fan in the second deck made a solid catch on a foul ball in the fifth inning, but one of his friends lost his hat over the railing in the resulting celebration, drawing guffaws from the crowd of 36,797. He went down to the lower section to retrieve his cap, and got a small ovation from his section when he returned.

___

Jay Cohen can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jcohenap

CHICAGO, Sept. 3 (UPI) — Derrek Lee bashed a ninth-inning grand slam Saturday, handing the Pittsburgh Pirates a rain-delayed 7-5 victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Trailing 5-3 coming into their last at-bats, the Pirates scored the four runs to stun the Cubs and clinch their three game-series at Wrigley Field.

Xavier Paul led off the ninth with a single, Jose Tabata walked with one out and Andrew McCutchen drew a two-out base-on-balls from Carlos Marmol (2-5).

Former Cub Lee, down to the Pirates’ last strike, then golfed a low pitch into the left field stands for the decisive slam.

Lee finished with five RBI and Chris Resop (5-4) earned the win in a game that featured a lengthy rain delay in the bottom of the seventh.

Joel Hanrahan tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for his 34th save.

Alfonso Soriano drove in four runs with a two-run double, a run-scoring single and sacrifice fly for Chicago.

CHICAGO  — Derrek Lee came off the disabled list and hit a go-ahead grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Chicago Cubs 7-5 on Saturday.

Lee’s shot to left through the rain at Wrigley Field came off former teammate Carlos Marmol (2-5), who blew his NL-high 10th save. Marmol gave up a single and three walks in the inning.

Batting cleanup, Lee had three hits and five RBIs in the game. He had been sidelined since Aug. 10 with a broken bone in his left wrist.

Chris Resop (5-4) threw two scoreless innings in relief and Joel Hanrahan got three outs for his 34th save.

Alex Presley had three hits and scored a run for the Pirates.

Chicago’s Alfonso Soriano matched his season high with four RBIs, hitting a go-ahead, two-run double in the seventh. Aramis Ramirez reached base four times and scored three runs, while Carlos Pena reached in all five of his plate appearances.

Cubs starter Casey Coleman threw six strong innings, allowing six hits and two runs — one earned — while striking out six.

Pirates starter Ross Ohlendorf allowed seven hits and three runs in four innings.
The game was delayed for 91 minutes in the seventh because of rain.

The Cubs stranded runners in each of the first five innings and went 2 for 15 with men in scoring position. They’ve hit just .176 in those situations since the beginning of August, but Soriano provided some clutch hitting.

He tied the score at 1 in the third. Ramirez singled with one out, went to third on Pena’s double and scored on Soriano’s sacrifice fly.

The Pirates grabbed the lead back in the fourth when Ryan Doumit’s RBI double eluded Soriano in the left-field corner, scoring Neil Walker.

Soriano’s single and Marlon Byrd’s fielder’s choice drove in runs in the fifth, putting Chicago up 3-2.

The Pirates drew even against Kerry Wood in the seventh when former Cub Ronny Cedeno bounced a groundball triple into right-center and scored on pinch-hitter Garrett Jones’ sacrifice fly.

Coleman entered 0-4 with an 11.44 ERA in six outings this season at Wrigley Field and his struggles continued in the first inning. Presley’s one-out double and Lee’s RBI single were sandwiched around Andrew McCutchen’s walk.

McCutchen has reached base in his last 30 games against the Cubs.

It could have been worse for Coleman, but he escaped when Walker flied out on a hit-and-run play, with Soriano doubling McCutchen off second base to end the inning. Coleman settled in for his best home outing of the season.

Ramirez singled and Pena walked to start Chicago’s seventh-inning rally. Both scored when Soriano laced a double down the left-field line into the corner. The rain fell heavier through the inning and after Byrd was hit by a pitch, the umpires called for the field to be covered.

NOTES: September has been kind to Presley, who had a double and two singles. In three games since the calendar turned, the swift left fielder has gone 8 for 13 with four extra-base hits, two RBIs and four runs scored. … McCutchen was in Pittsburgh’s starting lineup. He left Friday’s game after being hit by a pitch on his left hand in his first at-bat. … Resurgent RHP Randy Wells will start for the Cubs in Sunday’s series finale. Wells has won his last four starts and is coming off a two-hit shutout of San Francisco. RHP Charlie Morton goes for the Pirates.