The Cubs' potential free agents, ownership issues, Aramis Ramirez, winter ball, ticket refunds and Geovany Soto's uniform number are among the topics in this week's mailbag.

Send your questions to cubs07mail@yahoo.com, and please include your full name and hometown. The mailbag will appear weekly in the offseason.

Probably the biggest news this offseason for the Cubs is who the new owner will be. My question: Is there a list of potential owners? Which one seems to have the best chance at becoming the next owner? Will Cubs fans have a survey to express whom they would like to see own our team?
-- Anthony A., Chicago

Sorry, but there is no online ballot to vote for the Most Valuable Owner. Interested parties submitted bids months ago for the team, but the complete list has not been made public. John Canning Jr., CEO of Madison Dearborn Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm, is considered one of the leading candidates. A story in June's Fortune magazine said Canning had the finances, Chicago roots and, as part owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, is a familiar face to Major League owners. He would have to sell his stake in the Brewers. Canning does have a baseball background. He was a young catcher who fell short in a 1962 tryout with the Milwaukee Braves.

MLB commissioner Bud Selig was quoted in Fortune as saying the process will be "fair and open." Selig said: "The Cubs are one of our treasures. It's a storied franchise with legions of fans all over. The only thing I would hope for is an owner who is very protective of the franchise and represents the city of Chicago well."

The Tribune Co. originally said it would sell the team in the fourth quarter. However, according to a recent story in Crain's Chicago Business, the Tribune Co. has not decided whether it will sell the team and its assets individually or as one piece, and the sale could be delayed until 2008. Those assets include Wrigley Field and the Tribune's 25 percent stake in cable channel Comcast SportsNet Chicago. What does that mean for the Cubs? It's business as usual -- sort of. General manager Jim Hendry and his scouts will have their organizational meetings to discuss the 2008 roster, and he should have an idea as to what they can and can't do. Read on.

With the Cubs in the process of an ownership change, will they be able to join in on the Alex Rodriguez sweepstakes or go after a Torii Hunter to add that extra punch to the offense? If so, how would they go about that in the middle of an ownership change?
-- Corey S., Albuquerque, N.M.

I don't see the Cubs joining in the A-Rod "sweepstakes" because they've already committed a significant amount of money to players for next year, and because they have a pretty good third baseman in Ramirez. Hunter also may be asking more than the Cubs can commit to. Hendry has a few holes in the lineup in '08 -- such as who will be the regular catcher -- and he may opt to fill those holes with the young players in the system, such as Soto.

I read somewhere that Ramirez could be traded this offseason. Is this true? He took a hometown discount to stay with the Cubs. He needs to be a Cub for life. What do you think?
-- Kevin G., Rockford, Ill.

We're heading into that time of year when rumors fly at a fast and furious pace. Ramirez is staying put. He may have had a bad Division Series, going hitless in 12 at-bats over three games, but he wasn't alone. He did lead the team in RBIs (101) in the regular season and contributed in September. Remember, his new deal has a no-trade clause. As for being a Cub for life, I can't predict that far.

Who are the free agents, or potential free agents, for the coming offseason? What are the chances they return in '08?
-- Chris W., Santa Claus, Ind.

The list includes Scott Eyre, Cliff Floyd, Jason Kendall, Steve Trachsel, Daryle Ward, and Kerry Wood. Eyre and Floyd both have player options, and Eyre has expressed a desire to return. Floyd is trying to decide between retirement and a part-time role. The Cubs were not expected to retain Kendall or Trachsel, but they likely will re-sign Ward and Wood.

Which Cubs are participating in fall or winter leagues, and in which leagues are they playing? Is there any way to watch or listen to any of these games?
-- Sheila W., Evansville, Ind.

The Cubs have six players on the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League now underway. They include outfielder Sam Fuld, infielder Josh Lansford and pitchers Matt Avery, Justin Berg, Sean Gallagher and Rocky Roquet. You can follow their games on MiLB.com.

A few players like Felix Pie and Ronny Cedeno probably will play for their teams in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, respectively, this winter. Minor League pitchers Joel Santo and Jose Ceda are expected to play part-time in the Dominican, and infielders Carlos Rojas and Robinson Chirinos will see some action in Venezuela. There are no teams in Puerto Rico this winter, which will hurt the players who live there. Many Puerto Rican players have filled spots on teams in Venezuela and the Dominican.

Tyler Colvin, the Cubs' No. 1 pick in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, will play for Team USA later this month in Taiwan. Ryan Harvey was playing in the Hawaiian League, but he was sent home after he was injured, and Kyler Burke was sent there in his place.

Is there any way we can convince Soto to wear No. 21 next season? I think we could make a killing by charging a conversion fee for all the Sammy Sosa jerseys and swapping a couple of letters. Tell Jason Marquis I'll send him a check for 10 percent of the profits. My mom might get tired of all the sewing, but I'll get her on the payroll as well.
-- Doug W., Stearns, Ky.

Clever idea, but Marquis likes No. 21, and Soto probably will be happy to wear any number as long as it's on a big league uniform. Congrats to Soto, who was named Triple-A Player of the Year by MiLB.com.

I'm surprised at the number of writers who suggest Mark Prior should not be offered arbitration this winter and predict he will be cut loose. When healthy, he's obviously a very special pitcher. If Hendry was willing to take a chance on Wade Miller in 2007 for $2 million, it seems a no-brainer to sign Prior. Do you think Prior will be back in '08? Ditto for Wood?
-- Shane H., Hyde Park, Vt.

The Cubs have invested a lot of money in Prior since they tabbed him in the first round of the 2001 Draft. I think they'll try to work something out to keep him. One option would be to sign Prior, who received $3.575 million in 2007, to an incentive-loaded one-year deal for '08. He just began his throwing program in September, and he has been ahead of schedule in his rehab from arthroscopic shoulder surgery. He'll be monitored this winter by the Cubs training staff. I've said this before and I'll say it again, we won't know how ready he is until he gets on a mound in Mesa, Ariz., in Spring Training. By the way, Miller signed for $1.5 million, not $2 million. And, yes, I think Wood will return in '08.

Myself and many other Cub fans were wondering what we have to do to get a refund on playoff tickets for games that were not played? I've heard rumors we actually have to mail it back, which would be ridiculous. And are the refund methods the same for the print-at-home tickets, too? Thank you for any help you can give us.
-- Josh H., Terre Haute, Ind.

Yes, you do have to mail them back. If you have NL Division Series tickets purchased through Cubs.com or Tickets.com and they are labeled "Individual" for Home Game 2 or Home Game 3, the entire ticket must be sent to the Cubs for a refund. Include your name, address and daytime phone number, and send the entire ticket to:

Chicago Cubs Ticket Office
1060 W. Addison Street
Chicago, IL 60613

You have until Nov. 30 to claim the refund. If you purchased tickets on Oct. 4 for the NL Championship Series, you automatically will receive a credit on the credit card used for those tickets.

When will tickets for the 2008 Cubs Convention go on sale?
-- Paul M., Longmont, Colo.

A limited number of weekend passes will go on sale Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. CT on Cubs.com. Cubs Convention will be held Jan. 18-20, 2008, at the Hilton Chicago, which is sold out.

Who was the last Cubs manager to make the playoffs twice during his stay in Chicago?
-- Chuck W., Highland Park, Ill.

Frank Chance reached the playoffs in 1906, '07 and '08. Yep, it's been that long.

In case anyone asks for a hard copy of "Go Cubs Go," it's still available on a two-CD anthology on Steve Goodman's label, Red Pajamas. It's called, "No Big Surprise: The Steve Goodman Anthology." I just ordered it from an independent record store about a month ago. It has "Go Cubs Go" and "A Dying Cub Fan's Last Request," plus a version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and, of course, stuff like "City of New Orleans." Well worth it.
-- Mark S., Little Rock, Ark.

Thanks for the info.