Sveum, Hoyer to wrap year-ending meetings

ST. LOUIS -- Cubs manager Dale Sveum and general manager Jed Hoyer will finish up their season-ending meetings with each player on Sunday.

Sveum will meet with all of the players to evaluate the 2013 season and talk about expectations for next year.

• The Cubs have improved defensively, and one of the keys has been the defensive shifting. The infielders have accepted the manueverings.

"They buy into it," Sveum said. "You show them on paper, 'Hey, look at this spray chart, this is what's going to happen 90 percent of the time. You find out it works. The times you get beat by it are magnified."

The Pirates, Brewers and Cubs rank among the top five teams in baseball in terms of using defensive shifts.