"The Cubs' new academy in the Dominican Republic is 12 to 18 months away from completion, but that won't stop Chairman Tom Ricketts, his siblings and the team's key staff members from traveling to Santo Domingo this week.

Ricketts is having a quarterly board meeting on the island, which he and his baseball staff view as key for player acquisition and development.

"It's a chance for some of our people who haven't been there to see what we're doing,'' Ricketts said. "It's also a chance to reiterate our commitment to the facilities down there. … We plan to have a very strong presence there.''"