Cubs close to signing southpaw Lilly

Confirm Pentecost · 12-02-2006, 03:07 PM

Quote:

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs have reportedly made an offer to free agent left-hander Ted Lilly in an attempt to fill one of the vacancies in the starting rotation.

Larry O'Brien, Lilly's agent, told MLB.com on Friday that Cubs general manager Jim Hendry had made an offer but that the two sides were not expected to finalize anything until they meet again in Orlando for the Winter Meetings next week. O'Brien said the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants were also interested in Lilly.

"We're beyond just preliminary discussions," O'Brien said of his conversations with the Cubs. "We've had an offer and we're considering coming back with maybe another counteroffer. I would say that I'm planning on meeting with Jim Hendry down in Orlando next week, but we're also going to be meeting with J.P. Ricciardi with Toronto and a few other clubs."

Hendry was not available for comment.

The Cubs' recent moves, including signing free agents Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Mark DeRosa and naming Lou Piniella as the manager, have made them an attractive team.

"One of Ted's biggest priorities is to get with a club that he thinks he can help get to the postseason and win a World Series," O'Brien said. "With what the Cubs have done, Ted thinks they're looking pretty good."

Left-hander Jarrod Washburn signed a four-year, $37 million deal last December, and the Cubs were believed to have made a similar offer to Lilly, 30.

"I've always pointed to that contract as something that I thought would be something that we should be able to achieve," O'Brien said. "With what Chicago has offered us, and some other conversations that we're having with a few other clubs, I think that number is definitely achievable. Who knows, it might get richer than that."

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Lilly was 15-13 with a 4.31 ERA in 32 starts last season with the Toronto Blue Jays, striking out 160 over 181 2/3 innings. The left-hander has averaged 170 innings and 30 starts over the last four seasons, and his 15 wins last season is a career high.

The Cubs are coming off a 66-96 season in which they used 15 different starting pitchers. Right now, the team is counting on Carlos Zambrano, Rich Hill and possibly Sean Marshall for the rotation. Mark Prior, who is rehabbing his right shoulder, could also be in the mix, but Hendry has said one thing he doesn't want in 2007 is to be caught short-handed.

On Thursday, Hendry denied an internet report that said the team had offered free agent Jason Schmidt a three-year, $44 million contract. Hendry has talked to Schmidt's representatives, but no offer was made.

Sorry Jim Hendry, but I am not feeling this interest in Ted Lilly. The one thing that scares me is that he's averaged 30 starts over the last couple years, but only 170 innings pitched. This guy does not go deep into ballgames. He averaged 17.53 pitches an inning last year. Most people thought Zambrano racks up the pitch counts, but last year he had 16.94 pitches an inning. Over their careers, Lilly has averaged more pitches per inning than Zambrano. Lilly will pitch ineffectively for 5-6 innings and rack up 100+ pitch counts and wear down the bullpen. I would rather take my chances with Schmidt then sign Lilly cheaper because when Ted Lilly is healthy he cam be a solid starter, but when Jason Schmidt is healthy he could be one of the best pitchers in the game.

StylesÃ‚â„¢ · 12-02-2006, 03:24 PM

Ted Lilly to the cubs could be good, depending on his health, he will have better record and era there due to the defense is better in Chicago than in Toronto, extremly with the new additions in DeRosa and Soriano, then keeping Rameriz, they got good defense, and his offense should even approve, if these things click they can keep him in longer and go 6 or so inning per game average wise, so yea it could be a nice deal for them, and could make the pitching a bit stronger, plus it get them away from trying to trade for Westbrook in Cleveland...

The Wonder Chimp · 12-02-2006, 03:30 PM

ya, we don't need westbrook, we have Wade Miller somewhere in our farm system, he was pretty good the year before last. Lilly can;t do any worse than putting a bullpenner in there to try to start. He's not great, but he'll do.

JP · 12-02-2006, 06:29 PM

Schmidt is awesome, Lilly not so much. Lilly has always been an overrated, overused pitcher. I can see it: Wood, Prior, and Ted, all sitting in the bullpen, night after night.

But what ever, If Lilly tries to scream with Lou like he did to Gibbons...hes dead.

Jorth3 · 12-02-2006, 07:16 PM

wow, ya that would be solid for the cub's, they are a pretty solid squad with soriano, but now if they get lilly, they could be a serious contender

StylesÃ‚â„¢ · 12-06-2006, 11:12 PM

well it's official...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ESPN

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Free agent pitcher Ted Lilly, who earlier in the day ruled out returning to Toronto, agreed Wednesday night to a $40 million, four-year contract with the Chicago Cubs.

Lilly's agent, Larry O'Brien, made the announcement at baseball's winter meetings.

Lilly, a left-hander, crossed the Blue Jays off his list Wednesday and had narrowed his possible destinations to the Cubs and New York Yankees, O'Brien told ESPN.com.

"We're interested in starting pitching and Ted is one of the guys that we feel we made a very nice offer to," Piniella told SportsTicker. "He's competitive, he loves to pitch and we'd love to have him in Chicago."

O'Brien planned to meet with Yankees general manager Brian Cashman on Wednesday night. It was not clear if that meeting took place.

Toronto continues to pursue free agent Gil Meche as a possible No. 3 starter behind Roy Halladay and A.J. Burnett.

Lilly, 30, has a career 59-58 record in eight major-league seasons with Montreal, the Yankees, Oakland and Toronto. He went 15-13 with a 4.31 ERA for the Blue Jays last season.

In other developments Wednesday night, Cubs utilityman Freddie Bynum was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles for a player to be named.

The 26-year-old Bynum hit .257 with four homers, 12 RBI and eight steals last season in 71 games. He was on the disabled list from June 25 to Aug. 21 because of right shoulder inflammation.

Baltimore also finalized a $900,000, one-year contract with backup catcher Paul Bako, who could earn $150,000 more in performance bonuses.

Bako, 34, hit .209 for Kansas City last season and has a .236 average in nine big league seasons with eight teams.

Also Wednesday, Toronto was close to signing outfielder Matt Stairs to a one-year contract, according to a baseball official with knowledge of the negotiations. The deal is expected to be announced Thursday.

Jerry Crasnick, who covers baseball for ESPN Insider, and ESPN.com senior writer Jayson Stark contributed to this story. Information from The Associated Press also is included.

The Wonder Chimp · 12-06-2006, 11:25 PM

ok....not great for us, but he'll do. Can't be worse than our other pitcher we saigned...Jason Marquis.

Cubs close to signing southpaw Lilly

This is a discussion on Cubs close to signing southpaw Lilly within the North American Sports forums, part of the Sports Forums category; CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs have reportedly made an offer to free agent left-hander Ted Lilly in an attempt to ...