--RHP Ryan Dempster signed a three-year contract extension on Saturday after enjoying a season in which he saved 33 out of 35 save opportunities in his first year as a closer. He opened the season as a starter and was in the rotation for a month. Dempster will earn $15.5 million but could earn incentives to push the deal to $18 million. Dempster likely could have gotten more in the free agency market but he said he wanted to stay with the Cubs, whom signed him shortly after he had "Tommy John" surgery in 2003.

--RHP Jerome Williams made a case to open the 2006 season in the rotation after finishing the season with six solid starts. Williams was 6-10 for the season but in his final six appearances, he was 2-3 with a no decision and allowed only 11 earned runs in 41 1-3 innings. The Cubs may still look for starting pitching in the offseason, but Williams proved he could handle being a fourth or fifth starter.

--RHP Greg Maddux finished 13-15, which marks his first losing season since he was 6-14 in his first full season with the Cubs in 1986.

--RHP Kerry Wood (right shoulder surgery) will begin his strengthening rehab in Phoenix on Monday. The Cubs hope he will have full range of motion and begin throwing in mid-December. They also hope he will be ready to go at the start of spring training.

--1B Derrek Lee finished the season with a .335 average and became the first Cubs player since Bill Buckner (1980) to win a National League batting crown.

BY THE NUMBERS
4 -- Times that Cubs left-handed starter Glendon Rusch has faced Houston starter Wandy Rodriguez. It's the first time a Cubs starter faced another pitcher four times in a season since 1996.

QUOTE TO NOTE
"The grass isn't going to get much greener than it is here." -- Closer Ryan Dempster, who inked a three-year contract extension rather than testing the free agent market.

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