The Cubs are close to a one-year deal with reliever Kerry Wood, tweets Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports. The contract will include a club option for 2013. Earlier today, Cubs president Theo Epstein told reporters, "If we can't figure this out, something's wrong."
Wood, 34, was drafted fourth overall in 1995 by the Cubs and stayed in the organization through the 2008 season. Injuries pushed the hard-throwing Texan to a relief role, and he spent the 2009-10 seasons with the Indians and Yankees. Wood returned to the Cubs for the 2011 season on a below-market deal with a $1.5MM base salary. It was suggested he sought a salary closer to market value this time around, and yesterday Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said the team offered Wood a substantial raise.
Wood posted a 3.35 ERA, 10.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 0.88 HR/9, and 35.8% groundball rate in 51 innings for the Cubs last year. He missed time with a blister, and also saw his season end about a week early due to a torn meniscus in his left knee. With Carlos Marmol tying for the MLB lead with 10 blown saves last year and Sean Marshall now with the Reds, Wood will be next in line to close for the Cubs if Marmol falters.
Sweet. Old man K is back.
glad to hear it pay up a little bit more and let him stay
I, too, am glad that it looks like Kerry is back with the Cubs. This was the smart and right thing to do.
Teehee, hard-throwing Texas. And no, in case you were wondering, I didn’t read the rest of the article.
I was about to say the same thing..the whole state throws hard??
This is good news. The Cubs will be, well pretty bad in 2012, and 2013, and possibly 2014… but this is a good move which allows a guy that clearly wants to be here stay here. Either way he has already been garanteed a position with the club when he retires, this just might ensure he stays here until that day comes.
Agreed. And for all of the misplaced loyalty the Cubs have shown over the years… if you’ve got a guy who’s a longtime, top-shelf clubhouse leader who still plays good baseball, you’ve got $25-35MM in payroll slack, and all he wants is middle reliever money, you may as well give it to him.
I get the idea Kerry is wired differently than most pro athletes. He can still bring it a bit, but his contributions to the clubhouse and community are what make him worth the extra bucks.
Exactly. If he’s content to take up space on a team that’s not going anywhere and do it for cheap when you wouldn’t get compensation for him leaving anyway, there’s no good reason to cut ties with him.
Awesome. The Cubs needed Wood a lot more than Wood needed the Cubs. Hopefully, Jed and Theo compensated him as such.
Looking forward to Kerry Wood (hopefully) supplanting Carlos Marmol as closer at some point in 2012 (or 2013).
Assuming that includes a trade of Marmol, makes sense. Otherwise, why bother?
Congrats, Cubs fans!
Great move.
aduh this was going to happen. everything else reported was posturing. ricketts texted theo, “quit fuDGing around and sign him already.” they’re lopping the payroll by the day, the last thing they need to do is upset the fanbase about the ONE player we actually DO want signed. now trade garza and go sign cespedes & solar.
I think the Cubs are going to be a fun team to watch this year and they may even surprise alotta people
If Cubs do well, I would use the word stun more than I would surprise.
Kid K is worth the $ in PR terms alone. My guess is he will be a TV/Radio vocie after his playing days are over.
No need to contemplate Wood stepping in for Marmol if he falters. Marmol may not get 10 SOs all year.
Would love to see him setting up for Papelbon next year, but this is where he should pitch for the foreseeable future.