Despite GM in hospital, Cubs pad rotation with Lilly

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Chicago Cubs bagged another free agent, but this time they had to go to extraordinary measures to do it: General manager Jim Hendry completed a four-year, $40 million deal with left-hander Ted Lilly after being taken to the hospital because he felt ill.

"He was hooked up to an EKG machine when we got it done," said Larry O'Brien, Lilly's agent, who added that the hospital tests had come back fine and that Hendry was OK.

According to O'Brien, Hendry was dining with manager Lou Piniella when he suddenly felt ill.

"I think Lou drove him to the hospital," O'Brien said.

It was, to say the least, a highly unusual way to finish a deal.

"I haven't done one like that, and I don't know if Jim has, either," O'Brien said. "He's fine. I think he might have had indigestion."

To be safe, Hendry was hospitalized overnight for observation.

As for Lilly, O'Brien canceled a meeting with the Yankees scheduled for later Wednesday night once the lefty made up his mind.

"Ted did a lot of soul searching (Tuesday) night with Toronto, the Yankees and Chicago, but in the conversations he had with Jim Hendry and (pitching coach) Larry Rothschild, he was intrigued by the opportunity to be involved in something special with Chicago."

Lilly, who turns 31 next month, becomes the seventh free agent the Cubs have signed this winter. He is only 59-58 lifetime with a 4.60 ERA, and he was 15-13 with a 4.31 ERA for Toronto last season during an eventful summer in which he reportedly slugged Blue Jays manager John Gibbons in an altercation in the tunnel behind Toronto's dugout during a game.

He falls in line with Carlos Zambrano and lefty Rich Hill atop a Chicago rotation that also includes Sean Marshall. The Cubs, who have spent $251 million this winter just on Lilly, Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez, also continue to negotiate with free agent Gil Meche.

The free-agent righty was negotiating with Toronto but a deal with the Blue Jays not yet been agreed to, agent Casey Close said.

Toronto general manager J.P. Ricciardi, who already signed slugger Frank Thomas to an $18.12 million, two-year agreement, had hoped to retain Lilly. Instead, Ricciardi turned his attention to Meche. The pitcher attended a Maple Leafs hockey game last month in Toronto, where he was shown on the video board with "Future Blue Jay" written beside his name.

The AP contributed to this report.