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Latest On Kerry Wood

By Tim Dierkes | January 10, 2012 at 10:38am CDT

10:38am: The Cubs offered Wood a "substantial" raise, GM Jed Hoyer told reporters today.  Wood had a below-market base salary of $1.5MM in 2011.

9:34am: Kerry Wood's "days as a Cub appear all but over," writes Dave Kaplan of CSNChicago.com after talking to a source with knowledge of the reliever's negotiations with the team.  Kaplan quotes his source:

"Woody wanted to be here despite the rebuilding process but while the Cubs were saying they wanted him back they were unwilling to pay him the market value for a solid set up man.  He has heard from a number of teams that are World Series contenders and they are all willing to pay him a very fair salary to strengthen their bullpen. The Cubs expected him to pitch for another hometown discount. He has already done that for them a couple of times before. There is no reason that he should have to do that again."

Wood told Kaplan last night on WGN Sports Radio that his family plans on staying in the Chicago area for a long time whether or not he finishes his career with the Cubs.  Last week Cubs president Theo Epstein said he was "actively involved in negotations" to bring Wood back, noting, "I think this one should work out."  If Epstein and Wood fail to find common ground, Kaplan says the Tigers, Phillies, Reds, Angels, and others are interested.

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75 Comments

  1. FillyPhan

    13 years ago

    Phillies pick him up as 8th Inning, thus not having to worry about Jose C.’s recovery. If they don’t get Wood, they get Lidge for the cheap.

    Reply
  2. Bonesinis

    13 years ago

    Hey Theo, pay the man! Right now Kerry is Mr. Cub and deserves to stay and get paid. Do the right thing.

    Reply
    • nycub

      13 years ago

      Seriously! Pay up! We have the money

      Reply
  3. donjuandemarco

    13 years ago

    Wood is quickly becoming a Cubs legend and wants to be viewed as just that even after his days.  You pay him on that principle alone…he’s already given the discount.  Pony up for him Theo!

    Reply
    • bust0ff

      13 years ago

      You don’t know Theo very well.

      Reply
  4. tfsmag

    13 years ago

    man I will be pretty disappointed if Kerry isn’t in the cubs bullpen this season

    Reply
  5. cubsfan97

    13 years ago

    What happened to him retiring if he couldnt get a contract with the Cubs?

    Reply
    • start_wearing_purple

      13 years ago

      He realized other teams would pay him.

      Reply
    • sourbob

      13 years ago

      He probably felt that if the Cubs are going to go with a payroll tens of millions of dollars less than last year, they could probably find the extra two million to bump their offer to their team leader up to market value.

      Can’t blame him for feeling that way. Can’t blame the Cubs for not feeling that way.

      Reply
    • rockfordone

      13 years ago

      Can’t find a real job for 3M. don’t blame him – 

      Reply
  6. gradylittle

    13 years ago

    well whoever this source is must be really damn close to Kerry Woody if he’s going on record calling him “Woody”

    Reply
  7. elscorchot

    13 years ago

    not paying wood would be terrible.  he has proven that he can be very effective as a set up man, and given the hometown discount multiple times.  this would be a bad start for theo as far as likability.  

    Reply
    • donjuandemarco

      13 years ago

      Speaking of likability.  No offense, but that new Marlins logo and uni’s are ugliest i’ve seen in pro sports….ever.  What were they thinking?

      Reply
      • elscorchot

        13 years ago

        don’t know.  i liked the old colors and uni’s way better.  they aren’t as bad as many are letting on though.  

        Reply
        • Dock_Elvis

          13 years ago

          Maybe they aren’t as bad…but they clearly aren’t very well received.  I’m not sure how a major design firm decided in conjunction with the organization that this logo and uniform was the way to go. 

          I do have a feeling, though, that if the Marlins win this season….people will just LOVE them.

          Reply
    • Dock_Elvis

      13 years ago

      The longtime issue with Cubs management is their desire for “likability” in the face of baseball sense.  They finally seem to have a management team bent on building a winner instead of just selling Wrigley Field as a pastoral summer oasis.  That said….It’d be nice to see a Kerry Wood wrap it up as a Cub.

      Reply
      • elscorchot

        13 years ago

        how would an effective wood not produce both likability and winning?  

        Reply
        • Dock_Elvis

          13 years ago

          Only in Kerry Wood’s case would the Cubs even consider to pay what he’s worth on the open market….given the Cubs rebuilding.

          I’d say the ball is likely in Wood’s court.  If he wants to play for a ring…he’ll have to take a deal elsewhere.

          I’m really not making a case against signing him or not signing him.  I’d actually rather see them trade Marmol and bring Kerry back to close if that were the case…get maximium value all the way around.

          Reply
  8. Eric Foley

    13 years ago

    The Red Sox could use him! C’mon Ben! You can never have enough arms in the BP!

    Reply
  9. Eric Stadel

    13 years ago

    It’s time for the Cubs to move on.  Kerry Wood will always be a part of the Cubs past, but I , for one, would like to forget about the Cubs past.  Wood is a great guy, but I will always remember him for injuries and not being a big game pitcher when he was needed most (Game 7 in 2003).  Woody is the epitome of an over-hyped player.  Everyone wanted him to be great, myself included.  The problem is that he never was great.  He had one amazing game and was a tale of disappointment for the remainder of his Cubs career.

    Reply
    • brian310

      13 years ago

      Finally! Someone who agrees with me

      Reply
    • CubsWorldChamps

      13 years ago

      What about Game 1 and Deciding Game 5 against the Braves in first round ’03? Without those dominating performances over a great team, we don’t even advance to the Marlins.

      Reply
      • Eric Stadel

        13 years ago

        Yes, those were great performances, but over the course of his career, he never came close to living up to the hype.  Fans want to love Kerry Wood for what they wanted him to be, not what he ultimately became, which was a decent pitcher. 

        Reply
    • CubsWorldChamps

      13 years ago

      Kerry Wood was not a disappointment. He blew out his arm at age 21 and still has had a great, fantastic, just not elite, career. I hate it when people only remember a 13 year career for two games (20 K & game 7 ’03)

      Reply
      • Eric Stadel

        13 years ago

        If you look at his numbers, you find find nothing to indicate his numbers being great or fantastic outside of his strikeout numbers early in his career.  His ERA spent more time on the wrong side of 4 and he never won more than 14 games.  I know it is tough to hear for a lot of Cubs fans, but the numbers don’t lie.  Kerry Wood was touted as the ace of the future when he came up in 1998.  Yes, injuries were the cause of his problems, but to say that he was not a disappointment is inaccurate.  He was supposed to be a hall of famer.  Ultimately, he turned out to be a servicable middle reliever.  If that isn’t disappointment, I don’t know what is…

        espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/3821/kerry-wood

        Reply
  10. William Lappe

    13 years ago

    How about the yankees sign him and then trade him to the Cubs in part of a deal for Garza, and pay some of the salary to offset what the Cubs don’t want to pay and get the prospect haul down a little from the Cubs perspective?

    Reply
    • 101andcounting

      13 years ago

      This isn’t a horrible idea. If the Tigers trade doesn’t work out, I’d do Garza for Manny Banuelos, Adam Warren, Dante Bichette Jr., and Kerry Wood + two-thirds of his salary

      Reply
      • Christopher Frangoulis

        13 years ago

        The original idea by William sounded alright but when you came in and said Banuelos, Warren, Bichette Jr, AND 2/3rds of Woods salary I laughed a bit. Outrageous, 3 of the Yankees top 10 prospects for Garza? Really?

        Reply
        • Nick Novak

          13 years ago

          that’s what it would take

          Reply
  11. OldStyle_NewCubs 2

    13 years ago

    If we’re just talking baseball, the Cubs don’t “need” Kerry for 2012. Ticket sales will be fine despite his being a fan favorite and he’s not going to make or break the teams chances of making the playoffs. We’re rebuilding. 

    Cubs would/should sign him it his price is 50-75% of market, but I don’t blame Kerry if he wants a chance to win a ring and pad his retirement fund. He’s a great guy and one of my favorite cubs, but if he’s changed his tune from “Cubs or retire”, I say we just shake hands, part ways, and welcome him back with open arms as an ambassador for the club when he retires. 

    Reply
  12. Jason

    13 years ago

    Would love to see Wood stick with the team, but if the Cubs aren’t going to make a lot of noise this year, I don’t see why they should pay him the money, especially if he’s going to come back to the team post-retirement. Let him make his money, and maybe get a ring elsewhere. The Cubs need to stop throwing away money just for nostalgia and do what makes good business sense. 

    Reply
    • rockfordone

      13 years ago

      Only good for Cubs would a trade deadline move

      Reply
  13. rockfordone

    13 years ago

    Kenny Williams are you awake. Look very good in bullpen.

    Reply
  14. cubs223425

    13 years ago

    This is an utter travesty. They’re not goign to pay big money to ANYONE in free agency, so they have a boatload of extra money. There is absolutely NO reason to not keep Kerry Wood on the roster. They said he wanted, what, $4 million? I’d give him $8 million without even questioning the move, simply on the three facts that no one else is getting big money, it’s for ONE YEAR, and he played for relatively nothing last season.

    Not keeping Kerry Wood is an inexcusable joke. People might think I’m overreacting, but when you follow the Sandberg mess with this, there’s kind of a sign that Cubs greats aren’t getting the recognition they deserve.

    Reply
    • stl_cards16

      13 years ago

      With Hoyer saying they offered a substantial raise, I wonder if they’re not willing to give him a NTC. Kerry is probably worried about getting shipped out at the deadline.

      Reply
      • cubs223425

        13 years ago

        I suppose that’s possible, but if he WAS dealt, I’d hope it would be in a Maddux-like fashion, where he was sent to a contender to try to get him a ring. In that case, if he’s looking to sign with a contender, that worry shouldn’t be so great.

        Regardless, this guy deserves everything he wants and more.

        Reply
  15. Alex Kleinwachter

    13 years ago

    This is a signing Theo NEEDS to get done to avoid the negative PR.  As Cub fans, we all understand that they are tearing down everything and building from scratch.  But Kerry is a special case.  The loyalty and generosity that he has shown to the Cubs, their fans, and the city of Chicago deserves to be reciprocated by the ball club.  To take $1.5 million last year when he could have signed elsewhere for 2 years, $10 million +?!  He’s not asking for the moon, simply a market value deal for a reliever of his caliber.  The Cubs have plenty of money to bring him back and it’s not like they would be handicapping themselves for the future with a long term commitment.  Give the man his $4 million, keep the fans on your side, and let Kerry retire as a Cub.

    Reply
  16. seanb1223

    13 years ago

    He’s from Texas. Just sayin’.

    Reply
  17. VanSlawAndCottoCheese

    13 years ago

    “The Cubs expected him to pitch for another hometown discount. He has
    already done that for them a couple of times before. There is no reason
    that he should have to do that again.”

    Now THAT’S objective reportin’!

    Reply
    • VanSlawAndCottoCheese

      13 years ago

      Never mind, I missed the part about that being quoted from the source.

      Reply
  18. firealyellon 2

    13 years ago

    Loyalty is dead

    Reply
  19. Mikey Roederer

    13 years ago

    I am so confused as to why this is getting done..I have said it a million times, 1 yr contracts with unlimited player options. I have a feeling that it is only going to be a few more years before Kerry hangs it up anyway, so why does it matter. The Cubs need to sign the man

    Reply
    • jhfdssdaf

      13 years ago

      Back in the 1990s, the Cardinals signed Ozzie Smith to a deal that paid him $3 million a year, with perpetual mutual options for life.  Each option vested based on plate appearances.

      Cubs could do the same with someone like Wood.  Somewhat team friendly deal, and the option vests based on innings pitched.

      Reply
  20. daveineg

    13 years ago

    Wood set his own precedent by accepting a below market deal last year.  What now he’s not interested in ending his career as a Cub?  Why would the Cubs think anything’s changed?

    He was okay but nothing special.  He’ll get more elsewhere but he’s not going to break the bank.

    Reply
  21. Cosmo3

    13 years ago

    Best of luck, Kerry. As a long-time Cubs and Kerry Wood fan, I hope that he does sign with the Phils or some other contender, and wins a ring before he retires. The Cubs aren’t winning with or without him the next couple of years, and he’ll be back with the Cubs after he hangs up his cleats, no matter which team he ends his playing career with. Go chase that dream, man. We’ll be here for you when you’re ready to come back. 

    Reply
  22. stewie75

    13 years ago

    this is all just buildup for the cubs convention and kerry’s charity event, both this weekend. he’ll be riding in on a white horse and a deal for the masses.

    Reply
  23. touchmymonkey

    13 years ago

    Sign him to a nice 2 yr deal – maybe $4MMper  with incentives on top. Need to keep him to close on the off chance Marmol is lights out first half of the year ( which would hopefully mean a trade to a contender for some prospects)

    Reply
    • FillyPhan

      13 years ago

      Why would you sign him to a two year deal when he is his age and isn’t seeking more than a 1 year deal. You can always have extension talks during the season.

      Reply
  24. daveineg

    13 years ago

    The NBA has a +/- stat that tracks the team’s result when a player is on the floor.  Leuer is a plus 36 which leads the team.  Ilyasova is minus 50.  Gooden is minus 48.  Only other bigs that are positives are Bogut and Sanders who are both +11.

    There’s no reason Leuer shouldn’t be starting ahead of Ilyasova or Gordon.

    The team desperately needs another true guard. The roster is full of mediocre forwards, some of whom play out of position at shooting guard. Leuer is a rare bright spot.

    Reply
    • jhfdssdaf

      13 years ago

      Very interesting, but what does that have to do with the price of eggs in Sweden?

      Reply
    • cookmeister

      13 years ago

      did you get lost?

      Reply
  25. Dock_Elvis

    13 years ago

    It’d be nice to see him stay in Chicago so he can spend more time with his family. Plug in a “future services” clause that kicks in after he retires…give him some security..and we’ll see and hear him on the broadcasts for years to come.

    Reply
    • jondogg2010

      13 years ago

      That’s prob already set up, without this contract being involved. I mean you can’t blame him if he signs with another team for a year or two to finish his career. Only unreasonable people would use that as terms to disassociate with a long time player.

      Reply
      • Dock_Elvis

        13 years ago

        Certainly.  Who could begrudge Kerry Wood from seeking out a situation that puts him in a place to potentially get a World Series ring?  The Cubs won’t be remotely close to contending in 2012.

        Reply
  26. Kendall Adkins

    13 years ago

    The Cubs are clearly rebuilding, why waste money on an awesome veteran reliever? 

    Reply
    • Justin Jabs

      13 years ago

      You need some vets for the kids to learn from…

      Reply
  27. jondogg2010

    13 years ago

    I am usually a guy who roots for a guy to stick with one team or to do the hometown discount thing, but I can’t here. I mean we are still talking about crazy money but if I were Wood, I’d take the chance to be with a contender and more $$. You’re not gettin any younger Kerry, go grab some postseason experience!

    Reply
  28. jhfdssdaf

    13 years ago

    Do the Cubs need Kerry Wood?  No.  Is he going to help them compete in 2012?  Not really.  However, for PR reasons alone, why isn’t this deal done?

    Yes, in some ways, he’s a waste of money.  The Cubs have too many holes to fill for this year.  But on the other hand, the Cubs saved money by not resigning Ramirez or Pena, and they haven’t spent nearly what they’ve saved.  A couple extra million to Wood isn’t going to hurt the bottom line that much, and it would make the fans happy.

    I understand not wanting to pay Wood if it means another hole goes unfilled, but let’s get real.   There is more than enough money available to sign him, and not enough good free agents available to spend it on.

    Reply
  29. Bobby A 2

    13 years ago

    I still think this is going to work out between the Cubs and Kerry.

    Reply
  30. Josh Mohr

    13 years ago

    Kerry Wood, welcome to Cincinnati.. He and Marshall would be great in the 8th and 9th innings for the Reds..

    Reply
  31. Damon Bowman

    13 years ago

    Kerry Wood to the Phillies at near-market value makes no sense.  The Phillies are already on the hook for $137.5 million for 16 players not counting Cole Hamels and Hunter Pence who are likely to combine for at least $18-20 million through arbitration or contract extensions.  That equals about $157 million for 18 players.  They still need 7 players to round out the 25-man.  Even if six of those players fetch $3-5 million through arbitration, I can’t see the Phillies being willing to sign Wood for the same amount as the cost of those other six roster players.  That would send them into 2012 with an Opening Day payroll in the neighborhood of $165 million.  Remember they also have to consider a contract extension for Shane Victorino ($9.5 mil in 2012) moving into 2013.  I’d bet Wood lands elsewhere.

    Reply
  32. Leonard Washington

    13 years ago

    On a serious note I think Theo probably should have signed the guy. As long as Wood was ok being traded at the deadline I would have inked him.

    Reply
  33. Hordak Sanchez

    13 years ago

    Wood’s done everything but sell nacho’s for the Cubs.  He’s a great pitcher.  Pay up fools!

    Reply
  34. SID PORTER

    13 years ago

    Come on Brian Cashman, bring him back here

    Reply
  35. Nick Novak

    13 years ago

    huh.  what’s market value?  a “substantial” raise would probably put him around 3 mil, right?  i find it hard to believe Wood would say no to that, unless he wants more years now

    Reply
  36. Kingmojo101

    13 years ago

    the angels shouls kick the tires on him.after all, they like taking players who feel under appreciated by there teams.(big angels fan)

    Reply
  37. soxxy

    13 years ago

    If he doesn’t sign w/Cubs, he should come on over to the South Side, him and his family love the city.  Wonder if Kenny Williams is one of the teams that has been talking to him. stranger things have happened this year…traded our closer..Santos? Looks like it will be a long season on both sides of town.

    Reply

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