For what it is worth.... from the cub's site I'm trying to understand the signing of Chang-Yong Lim. He sounds talented but he is 36 years old and unavailable until 2014. Why would the Cubs spend $5 million under these circumstances? -- Billy E. Lim didn't sign a $5 million deal. His contract, which was finalized Monday, includes a $100,000 signing bonus, and he will get monthly Minor League salaries for up to the next two seasons, unless his contract is purchased. Look at recent signings, and he's a bargain. Setup pitcher Mike Adams, 34, has reportedly agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract. This also is an investment for the future. The right-hander has pitched the last five seasons for the Yakult Swallows in Japan and was released after needing a second Tommy John surgery in July to repair a torn ligament in his elbow. Despite that, he said he received offers from teams in Japan and the U.S., including the Cubs, Red Sox and Rangers. A power pitcher with a sidearm delivery, "Mister Zero" was a closer in the Korea Baseball Organization for four years. "The Cubs expect to see me back on the field in 2014, rather than next year," Lim told reporters at Incheon International Airport last week. "Once the deal is signed, I will move to Arizona where the Cubs operate a rehab center. My goal is to continue to rehab and get back on the mound by mid to late season next year."