Cubs sign Lilly to four-year, $40 million contract

[CincyRedsFan30]

The Cubs and Ted Lilly have reached a preliminary agreement on a four-year, $40 million contract, FOXSports.com's Ken Rosenthal is reporting.

Well, this afternoon's reports weren't entirely accurate if this is the case, as Lilly supposedly preferred a four-year, $40 million contract from the Yankees to four years and $44 million from the Cubs. However, it seems likely that part of those reports were true, and the Yankees simply decided it wasn't worth it, especially with Andy Pettitte potentially on the horizon.

-Rotoworld

[love_that_reefer]

And Gm's aren't ****ing nuts are they McKain?

[McKain]

Since you clearly didn't read part of my post, here it is again:

"Sanity is falling in line with what the market dictates, which most GMs have done"

Blame the market set by the earliest OF deals, not the GMs for realizing they have to spend money to get players this year.

[McKain]

I did also say "most" GMs were sane, and boy, Hendry sure ain't one of them.

[love_that_reefer]

And I am saying most of them aren't sane which has been shown. Sanity is not falling in line but playing smart. Pretty sad when other GM's are making Cashman look like a small timer.

[BoSox34]

Hendry=OCD with money

[McKain]

Part of playing smart is most definitely playing the market as it stands.

If your idea of playing smart is someone who's out there throwing out a bunch of deals that would be reasonable and fair in any other year where the market hadn't gone nutso, then your idea of playing smart is one that won't succeed. This year, people have to spend more money than normal to get players, and the smart ones are doing that for the good players (see: Jason Schmidt, for instance). The bad ones are signing Ted Lilly and Gary Matthews Jr and Juan Pierre to deals totalling 125 million over 4 years.

[love_that_reefer]

This year, people have to spend more money than normal to get players, and the smart ones are doing that for the good players (see: Jason Schmidt, for instance).

This is my point. This was a good deal and for the right price in a market two years ago. That same GM spent a shitload on Pierre. Not smart. Playing it smart is not overspending due to the fact other GM's are raising the prices on mediocre talent. GM's are driving these prices up. The smart GM's (the rare( are going through trades as they see the market as what it is, ****ed.

[Kingdom]

I had a sour face reaction to this deal. I couldn't even believe the yankees wanted him again, let alone the cubs. You know, they started off on the right foot by not even bothering to keep Pierre, and then they dropped a fortune x99 on Soriano. At least Soriano is a good player. Lilly is as about inconsistent as Oprah's weight.

[love_that_reefer]

Inconsistant like Prior and Wood? Not the Cubs

[Kingdom]

It's their favorite flavor. Served best at Sammy Sosa's restaurant.

[McKain]

There aren't enough players for trade out there for GMs to go after. The smart GMs are going to sign the people who aren't getting all the huge attention from the Cubs, from the Yankees, from the Red Sox, from the whoever the hell else is going to spend $100+ mill this offseason.

Dellucci, Rich Aurilia (if they'd play him at third), LaTroy Hawkins, Joe Borowski, Nomar, Randy Wolf, Chad Bradford, Adam Kennedy, Ray Durham, Jose Guillen are all the guys I'm looking at and saying they're probably bargains on this market. None of them are the premiere, high-contract guys - this is what the good GMs do. They pick up the guys not getting much attention for higher contracts than they'd normally get (which is what the 06 offseason is going to be until it ends), rather than bidding on any of the expensive premiere guys (Soriano, Zito) and rather than getting desperate and firing off way too much money at guys who don't deserve it (Eaton, Pierre, Matthews, Lilly). The market is dictating an increase, and anyone who wants to get solid players and put together a competitive roster is going to have to fall in line - but fall in line and look at the right players.

I'd say the Drew deal was sane, Lee's deal might end up being sane, Schmidt's was sane, Maddux's was sane, and all of the potential bargains I listed above are sane. In a normal year, Drew/Lee don't deserve 14/16.6 per, but this isn't a normal year and the market dictates everything and previous years dictate almost nothing.

[McKain]

Also, the Cubs are still looking to sign Gil Meche - are you kidding me? What the **** Hendry. At least get pitchers who've been good more than once, ever.

[Kingdom]

He's injury prone. He fits.

[rockin500]

at least i will be entertained on the north side. unfortunately, i doubt it will be the happiest form of entertainment....