Paul Sullivan: For most of baseball, it looks like another slow-moving offseason

CHICAGO - By this time in 2006 the Cubs already had signed Alfonso Soriano to an eight-year, $136 million deal in addition to bringing in free-agent second baseman Mark DeRosa and re-signing Aramis Ramirez and Kerry Wood.

General manager Jim Hendry had promised to be aggressive after a disastrous last-place finish that year.

"We won 66 ballgames," he said. "We damn sure better be aggressive."

Hendry's offseason splurge, which later included the signings of free-agent starters Ted Lilly and Jason Marquis, sent a message to fans the Cubs planned to contend in '07 and for years to come.

The White Sox sent a similar message last week when they signed free-agent Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million deal and re-signed Jose Abreu to a three-year, $50 million deal