Cubs Sign Lilly
December 7, 2006 by Geoff Young
Filed under Hot Stove
The Chicago Cubs are at it again, this time signing former Blue Jays left-hander Ted Lilly to a 4-year, $40 million deal. Lilly, who turns 31 in January, has made 25 or more starts in each of the past four seasons and has posted a better-than-league-average ERA in two of them. Sounds like a $10 million a year pitcher to me. Actually, I guess if Vicente Padilla is worth that much, then so is Lilly, who is the lefty equivalent of Padilla.
The Cubs, for those of you keeping score at home, are breaking the bank this winter. They have committed $272.5 million to seven players so far. Fearless prediction: Either they win it all this year or there is a major housecleaning in the front office next winter. Gee, I wonder which is more likely to happen?
