CHICAGO -- For consecutive offseasons, the Chicago Cubs have given mixed signals to their fans and the rest of the baseball world.
Last winter, they sent shockwaves through the sport when they fired David Ross and lured Craig Counsell from Milwaukee by making him the highest paid manager ever. After the bold move to start the offseason, it looked like the Cubs could follow with a big spending spree.
Instead, what ensued was a "measured" offseason, according to one rival executive who went into that winter worried the Cubs might outspend the division. Chicago did make some deft moves -- signing pitcher Shota Imanaga, acquiring first baseman Michael Busch from the Los Angeles Dodgers and waiting out the market to bring back Cody Bellinger -- but the splashy roster addition many expected never occurred.