Tony DeMarco

With a change at the top, a general manager on the hot seat and a new manager not exactly known for patience with rebuilding projects, there is a different vibe coming from the Chicago Cubs.

And it starts with an open-checkbook policy that is beginning to raise eyes in an off-season when there is plenty of competition in that regard.

The Cubs as big spenders? Believe it. And from the sound of things, there is much more to come — enough that their payroll could jump from $94 million to somewhere around $120 million, especially with a reported signing of Alfonso Soriano to an 8-year, $136-million deal.

He was one of three targets the Cubs had to add power and speed, as well as address the leadoff situation if Juan Pierre isn’t re-signed. A handful of teams also have interest in the speedy center fielder, including the Giants and Dodgers. Soriano could play anywhere in the outfield and he could hit 50 home runs in Wrigley Field.

When John McDonough took over following president and CEO Andy MacPhail’s resignation, his promise was to win a World Series — and soon. The natural reaction around the game was a snicker, but since that day six weeks ago, here’s what the Cubs have accomplished:

1. They replaced Dusty Baker with Lou Piniella, who says he didn’t come down from the Fox broadcast booth to end his career on a losing note. Piniella has reworked the coaching staff, hiring Alan Trammell as bench coach and Gerald Perry as hitting instructor while retaining pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

2. They re-signed third baseman Aramis Ramirez to a five-year, $75-million deal, keeping a key component in their lineup out of free agency, where he would have made even more money. But from the Cubs’ perspective, the dollar amount is historic — as in $10 million more than they gave Derrek Lee in April in the wake of his monster 2005 season, and $3 million more than the four-year, $72-million deal Sammy Sosa received in 2001.

Losing Ramirez would have been a huge blow to a lineup that already was short on production. In Derrek Lee’s extended absence, the Cubs finished 15^th in the league in runs scored and last in on-base percentage last season.

Ramirez’s 38 homers were tied with Toronto’s Troy Glaus for the most in the majors. His 119 RBI barely trailed Alex Rodriguez (121) and Garrett Atkins (120). Now with Ramirez in the fold and Lee healthy, the Cubs could have the most-productive corner-infield tandem in the game.

3. They signed free agent Mark DeRosa to a three-year, $13-million deal to be the every-day second baseman and double-play partner for Cesar Izturis, prompting GM Jim Hendry to say, “I love our infield.’’

Whether or not DeRosa stays at second base, or moves between four positions as he did in Texas, there is no questioning his positive clubhouse presence. The numbers he put up in 2006, when he played regularly for the first time and got a boost from Rangers hitting instructor Rudy Jaramillo, probably represent an offensive ceiling. But Piniella gladly will take them: .296 batting average, 40 doubles, 13 home runs, 74 RBI in 520 at-bats. And DeRosa is even better against left-handed pitching.

4. They re-signed Wade Miller to a one-year deal, and are expecting that he will be 100 percent after missing most of last season following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. In five September starts, he was 0-2 with a 4.57 ERA, and allowed two earned runs or less in three of those outings.

5. They re-signed Kerry Wood to a one-year, $1.75-million guaranteed deal, and will put him in the bullpen, where he will join an already-solid setup pair of Bob Howry and Scott Eyre — Hendry signings from last winter — in front of closer Ryan Dempster.

It’s November, but reports on Wood’s throwing program are positive. There also is quality depth in middle relief with Roberto Novoa, Wil Ohman, Michael Wuertz, David Aardsma and possibly Carlos Marmol moving back from the rotation.

6. And they retained Henry Blanco as the defensive complement to Michael Barrett, giving them one of the better catching tandems in the game. Blanco has thrown out 41 percent of base-stealers over his career, and that helped earn him a guaranteed $5.25 million over two years.

INTERACTIVE By MSNBC.com's Tony DeMarco

The Cubs also took their shot at Daisuke Matsuzaka, reportedly bidding about $30 million, only to be blown away by the Red Sox’s winning bid of $51.1 million. So now they will turn their attention to lesser targets, including Japanese League left-hander Kai Igawa, who is about to enter the same posting process as Matsuzaka, as well as Ted Lilly, Gil Meche, Jason Marquis, Vicente Padilla and Miguel Batista.

The goal is to sign at least two and possibly three from that list, and don’t be surprised if they end up with Marquis near the back of their rotation, which has only ace Carlos Zambrano and Rich Hill as certainties, and Mark Prior as the enigma/question mark. If the plan succeeds, they could head into spring training with a projected rotation that doesn’t include Prior, who could be a bonus wild card if he is healthy.

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The Cubs have a long way to go coming off a 66-96 disaster last season. But with what they already have done, what else is in store this winter, plus a healthy Derrek Lee and dare we say contributions from Prior and Wood, mark them down as one of the National League’s early choices for most-improved team in 2007.